Herrick and Ledwein to Square Off in Finals of MGA Women's Amateur Match Play

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  FARIBAULT, Minn. – In search of a fifth women’s state match play championship, Olivia Herrick won her early match Tuesday before surviving a two-hole playoff with University of Minnesota golfer Christine Portillo to advance to the finals of the 2018 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship at Faribault Golf Club.
 
Herrick defeated Abby Parsons during Tuesday’s morning session, 4 and 3, before her battle with Portillo. Carding bogey on the opening hole Portillo handed Herrick the first lead of the match, but answered by rolling in birdie at the third to square the match.
 
Answering with a birdie of her own on the ensuing hole, Herrick regained the lead, but carded bogey at the fifth as Portillo drew even once again.
 
The four-time MGA Women’s Player of the Year took advantage of a bogey by Portillo to open the back nine, but Herrick would take back-to-back bogeys at the 11^th and 12^th holes to fall down by one.
 
Winning the 16^th with a par, Herrick drew even and both golfers would birdie the final hole to finish regulation all square. Herrick won the 20^th hole with a bogey to advance to the finals against Taylor Ledwein Wednesday.
 
Ledwein faced Gopher Maggie Heggerston during the quarterfinals Tuesday and trailed Heggerston by two after 12 holes. Heggerston ran into problems late, carding four consecutive bogeys to give Ledwein a 1-up lead at the 16^th. A bogey by Heggerston on the final hole would give Ledwein a 2-up victory to advance to the semifinals against Haley Tollette.
 
A bogey by Tollette to open the semifinal round gave Ledwein the early lead and she would increase her lead over Tollette by carding birdie at the fourth. After winning the fourth hole with a par, Ledwein carded her second birdie on the front nine to go up by four at the turn.
 
Winning the 10^th with a bogey, Ledwein would card four consecutive pars to close out the match at the 14^th with a 5 and 4 victory.

The 2018 MGA Women's Amateur Match Play Championship concludes Wednesday with the final match scheduled to begin at 8:40 a.m. at Faribault Golf Club.