Anderson and Klasse Start Quick and Finish Strong to Win MGA Senior Women's Amateur Four-Ball

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


  MCGREGOR, Minn. – For the second consecutive day Lynn Anderson gave her team the early boost it needed with a birdie on the opening hole as her and partner Leigh Klasse fired a 3-under par 69 Tuesday to claim the 2017 Minnesota Golf Association Senior Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Minnesota National Golf Course.

Entering Tuesday’s final 18 holes three shots clear of three-time champions Claudia Pilot and Brenda Williams, Anderson and Klasse started quickly and finished strong with a pair of late birdies to cruise to an eight-stroke victory.

“We really enjoy playing with each other and I think we pair up well,” Klasse said. “We cover each other—if one person is out of the hole we don’t panic and just try to make par and move on to the next one. We play a lot together at [Keller Golf Club] and we know each others’ games and strengths and weaknesses."

“A lot of it as partners is trust,” Anderson added. “I have confidence in her and confidence that if one of us is out of a hole, then the other will step up.”

Anderson knocked in her approach from 109 yards on the second hole during the opening round Monday and created theatrics again Tuesday by sinking her 10-footer for birdie on the first hole to get the two to 6-under for the championship.

Klasse rolled in a short birdie at the fifth hole before converting her birdie from 15 feet on the ensuing hole as the two appeared to be running away from the field before taking a pair of late bogeys on the opening nine to turn at 1-under for the day.

“Our goal is always no bogeys and, unfortunately, we had two of those today,” Anderson stated.

“That’s why I was disappointed at [No. 7] with a bogey there—I didn’t have that long of a shot into the green and I should’ve been able to get that and at least two-putt for par. Nine is a very tough hole, but seven is one that you really shouldn’t bogey,” Klasse said.

Despite a few loose swings on the front nine Tuesday, Anderson made some important up-and-downs early on the back to keep a comfortable cushion between her team and the team of Pilot and Williams.

“I felt like my swing on the front side was a little erratic and I felt like I got my timing and my tempo back and getting it back in play again, which allows Leigh to go for it. It allowed both of us to get on the green with birdie opportunities,” she said.

Klasse stuck her approach inside of six feet at the par-4 16th and made birdie before dropping an 8-footer on the ensuing hole to give her and Anderson an eight-stroke victory at 8-under par 136.

“It’s always fun to start off with a birdie to get excited and into the round. From there Leigh always plays so consistently that it allows me to free up and go for some things that I normally wouldn’t,” Anderson said following the victory Tuesday. “We make a good team that way.”

“I was hoping to shoot the same score and there were definitely some holes we could’ve done better on and had a better look at the hole,” Klasse said.

Tuesday’s win is the third consecutive victory for Klasse and Anderson, while Klasse claimed the 2011 and 2013 championships with partner Mary Hossier.

Despite an early bogey for Pilot and Williams Tuesday, the pair managed to pull within four shots of Anderson and Klasse before stumbling at the 13th with a double-bogey and a bogey at the 14th.

Williams sank her birdie putt from 12 feet at the par-4 17th before drilling a long birdie putt on the final hole to give her team a second-place finish at 1-under par 143.

“It was a rough day for me but Brenda played great,” Pilot said following her round Tuesday. “We had one bad hole where we both struggled. Other than that I thought we were hanging in there pretty good. A good birdie at [No. 12] but kind of imploded on the next hole.”

The team of Ellie Layton and Barbara Miller carded a final-round 70 Tuesday to finish third, two shots back of Pilot and Williams at 145.