Herrick Shoots 71 on Familiar Track to Lead Women's State Open

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  DELLWOOD, Minn. – Olivia Herrick has solidified her legacy as one of the state’s best golfers and then some, accumulating 24 amateur victories dating back to 2006. While she already has a Women’s State Open victory to her credit, Herrick has the opportunity to accomplish another first on Friday by winning a major championship on her home course.
 
Herrick put herself in good position to do just that by firing a 1-under par 71 at Dellwood Country Club Thursday, taking the first-round lead at the 18^th Minnesota Women’s State Open.
 
“I feel very comfortable out here and have a great friend on the bag this week. Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow holds," Herrick said Thursday. “I struggled a bit on the front today and was able to compose myself on the back and roll in a few birdies down the stretch.”
 
Herrick wasted little time Thursday, rolling in her downhill birdie putt from 15 feet on the opening hole, but would card three bogeys over her final seven holes of her outward nine to turn in 2-over for the championship.
 
Settling in during her inward nine, Herrick was helped by a trio of birdies over her final five holes to jump to the top of the leaderboard following the opening day of competition. Herrick rolled in her birdie look from 10 feet below the cup at the par-4 14^th before sticking her tee shot at the par-3 16^th inside of eight feet, converting birdie to get back to even par.
 
Putting her approach inside of six feet at the par-5 17^th, Herrick took advantage of another birdie look and would finish the day with the only round below par in a field of 60 players. She will take a one-stroke lead over Anni Heck when Friday’s final round gets underway.
 
Herrick, a four-time Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Player of the Year, won the Women’s State Open in 2011 at Hastings Country Club, but is looking for her first win since the MGA Women’s Match Play Championship last season. She qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, Calif., this spring and has notched a trio of runner-up finishes this season.
 
Heck, Southview Country Club, carded bogey on her first hole of the championship Thursday, but would draw even following her birdie at the par-5 fifth. She would again trade a bogey with a birdie at the seventh and eighth holes before turning in 1-over following a bogey at the par-4 ninth.
 
Unable to get up-and-down at the par-4 11^th, Heck fell back to 2-over for the tournament, but would answer by sinking her birdie look at the 12^th to move back to 1-over. From a fairway bunker on her final hole Thursday, Heck found the back of the green and would sink her downhill birdie chance from 30 feet to finish the opening round at even par and one shot off the lead.
 
“The biggest part of shooting low for me is getting the ball in the fairway,” Heck said Thursday. “That’s been going well for the past two weeks and it came together today. I haven’t been dropping a lot of putts recently, so that was nice today, and I was putting them pretty close, too.
 
“I’m trying to put some solid rounds around par together—I haven’t been doing that much lately, but trying to get back into that. I was able to do that the first round of the [Women’s State Amateur] and then again today. I’ve been hitting it really solid and trying to grind it out and get ready for the season this fall.”
 
An accomplished junior player, Heck has seven state titles under her belt, including back-to-back Class AA individual championships during her junior and senior seasons at Visitation High School. She will begin her sophomore season at Denver University this fall.
 
Lisa Grimes, a four-time winner of the event, carded a 1-over par 73 Thursday and will begin Friday’s final round alone in third place just two shots off the lead.
 
The 18^th Minnesota Women’s State Open concludes Friday with final round tee times beginning at 8 a.m. at Dellwood Country Club.
 
 
 
THE 18^TH MINNESOTA WOMEN’S STATE OPEN
DELLWOOD COUNTRY CLUB
DELLWOOD, MINN.
6,017 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
THURSDAY’S FIRST ROUND RESULTS
1. Olivia Herrick, Dellwood CC, 38-33—71  
2.  Anni Heck, Southview CC, 37-35—72  
3. Lisa Grimes (p), Alexandria GC, 37-36—73
T4. Teresa Toscano, Brookings CC, 38-36—74
T4. Sophia Yoemans, Mississippi Nat’l Golf Links, 34-40—74
T6. Brenda Williams, Windsong Farm, 37-40—77
T6. Alexandra Stone, Crosswoods GC, 39-38—77  
T6. Angie Ause (p), Oak Marsh GC, 42-35—77
T6. Steffi Neisen, Town & CC, 37-40—77
T6. Grace Kellar, Olympic Hills GC, 38-39—77
 
 
For complete tournament results go to: