An Early Eagle Propels Anderson and Klasse into Lead at MGA Senior Women's Amateur Four-Ball

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


  MCGREGOR, Minn. – Lynn Anderson got her team off to a hot start with an eagle on the second hole to begin the Minnesota Golf Association Senior Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship Monday at Minnesota National Golf Club, while partner Leigh Klasse found success on the par-3’s as the two fired a 5-under par 67 to lead after the opening round.

Anderson and Klasse, the two-time defending champions, will take a three-stroke advantage to the final round Tuesday over three-time champions Claudia Pilot and Brenda Williams who finished the opening round with a 2-under par 70.

“Lynn really got us off to a good start and we were pretty steady after that,” Klasse said following the opening round Monday. “We played very well on the back and the par-3’s were good to me. We did take a bogey at [No. 8], but that was a tough hole up the hill.

“I’m very happy with 67 on this course because so many of the par-5’s you can’t go for. Distance-wise you think you could and they’re reachable, but you really have to lay up because they are really well guarded." 

Anderson’s pitching wedge from 109 yards at the second found the bottom of the cup to quickly put her team at 2-under for the tournament before Klasse rolled in her downhill birdie look at the par-3 sixth from five feet.

The two would give back a stroke with a bogey at the eighth to turn at 2-under. Hitting her tee shot to 15 feet at the par-3 11th, Klasse again converted birdie and would roll in another birdie from within five feet at the par-3 15th, putting the two at 4-under.

Anderson started strong and finished strong by converting her birdie chance on the final hole, sticking her approach inside of three feet as she and Klasse finished the opening 18 at 67.

“Hopefully tomorrow we can have more opportunities where both of us have birdie putts. There were a few holes where one of us was out of the hole and the other person had to make up for it,” Klasse said.

The event was formerly known as the Minnesota Women’s Golf Association Senior Four-Ball Championship prior to last season’s merger between the MGA and MWPGA.

Anderson and Klasse teamed up for the first time in 2015 to win the event at Northland Country Club by seven shots before repeating in a rain-shortened event last year by 11 strokes at Faribault Golf Club.

Pilot and Williams also got off to a quick start when Williams rolled in her birdie chance from 15 feet at the first and the two would play a solid front to turn at 1-under following eight consecutive pars.

Tapping in a short birdie at the par-5 10th, Williams put her team to 2-under and the two would again card another eight consecutive pars to finish the opening day of competition with a bogey-free 2-under par 70.

“We left a few out there, but we didn’t have any bogeys and played really steady,” Pilot said Monday. “We just didn’t have many putts drop, but we had a lot of easy two-putt pars.

“We will have to step it up,” Pilot said when asked if catching the leaders was a possibility, “We need some more luck putting.”

Pilot and Williams first paired up in 2010 to win the tournament at Ridgeview Country Club before claiming a second title two years later in Red Wing. They downed Leigh Klasse and partner Mary Hossier by 10 shots in 2014 at Northland Country Club. Pilot and Williams have finished third each of the last two seasons.

The 2017 MGA Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship concludes Tuesday as the final round is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at Minnesota National Golf Club.