Kim, Edina Lead Girls Class AAA Golf Tournament

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By Mike Fermoyle (mikefermoyle@gmail.com) 

COON RAPIDS -- The Minnesota State High School League couldn't have put together a more attractive pairing for the first round of the girls Class AAA portion of the state tournament if it had tried. 

Actually, the pairings put themselves together for each of the three classes at the state tournament. Individuals whose teams didn't make the tournament are in one half of the field, and they are paired by where they finished in their sectionals. Those whose teams are in the tournament are seeded by where they finished relative to their teammates in sectional competition. In other words, the No. 1 finishers from the section tournaments. The No. 2's with No. 2's, and so on.

As it happened, neither of the two favorites to win the individual medal in AAA this year -- Stephanie Herzog of Red Wing and Grace Kellar of Edina -- won her section championship. Instead, both finished second in their sections, and because of that, they played together at Bunker Hills Golf Course on Day 1 of the 2017 state tournament. But the two girls with the lowest scoring averages in the state during the regular season (Herzog's average was 71.5 strokes per round, Kellar's was 72.5) didn't play all that well Tuesday afternoon. At least not right away. 

Herzog, who was named Minnesota Ms. Golf (the top senior golfer in the state) on Sunday, played the first 10 holes in four over. Kellar had even more issues in the early going, and she was 6 over after nine. 

Meanwhile, Kellar's teammate Joanna Kim and Herzog's teammate Sophia Yoemans, both playing in a foursome right behind the feature group, were stealing the show. 

Kim, a junior who won the Secion 6AA crown last week, was only 2 over through nine, and she was even better on the back (West) nine, playing the inward half in 1-under 35 for a 1-over total of 73. That gave her a one-stroke lead over Lakeville North junior Megan Welch going into the final day of the tournament. 

Yoemans, a sophomore who shattered the record for lowest winning score in Section 1AAA with a 36-hole total of 141, was 1 over on the front, 2 over on the back and only two behind Kim, alone in third place.

"It was tough," Kim conceded. "The wind was pretty strong (10 to 15 miles per hour), and I was nervous. Every shot is so important for your team, and you don't want to make any mistakes." 

Kim kept the miscues to a minimum. She made seven pars and two bogeys on the East Nine, but then took advantage of the two par-5's on the back nine (Nos. 2 and 5), making birdies on both. She suffered her only bogey on the back nine at the par-3 17th. 

The 73 was her second-best round of the season. Her best was even par.

Only one other player got through the West Nine under par on Tuesday, and that was Kellar. One of the longest -- and maybe the longest -- hitter in Minnesota girls high school golf, she took advantage of her length to get her back-nine rally going. She hit a gorgeous 9-iron at the No. 3 West (140 yards, par 3), but missed the putt. The next hole, No. 4 West, is a 282-yard par 4 for the AAA girls this week, and Kellar hammered a drive that went almost exactly 300 yards -- to the back fringe. She two-putted for a birdie from there.

At the next hole, a 430-yard par 5, she came out of her second shot and left it in a bunker, and got it up and down from there for another birdie. Kellar had other chances, but couldn't get any more birdie putts to fall, and she bogeyed the only hole where she missed the green, No. 7 West (360 yards, par 4). Her second shot there was long. She then chipped to 8 feet and missed the par putt. Her back-nine 35 mitigated some of the damage that had been done on the front nine, and she signed for a 77.

After all she went through on Tuesday, she's only four back. 

Kellar isn't the only girl who can drive No. 4 West this week, incidentally. Yoemans reached the greenside bunker there, on her way to 75.

Herzog hits her driver distances that are a little closer to the normal range for mere mortals (she averages somewhere between 240 and 250). So she didn't have any easy birdies of the kind that Kellar made, but she was able to play her last eight holes in even par and escaped the day with a 76.  

In the team competition, Edina is winning with depth. The Hornets didn't count anything higher than an 80 (four scores out of six count), and thy put up a total of  310 for Round 1. They already have the record for most state championships, with 10, but it appears that they will be collecting another one on Wednesday. 

Red Wing, which has five state titlles on its resume, has relied on three girls all season: Yoemans, Herzog and Herzog's younger sister Leah, a sophomore. They did their part Tuesday, shooting 75, 76 and 76. But the Wingers also counted a 99, and they are 16 behind the Hornets at 326. Forest Lake is third with a 332. 


GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL GOLF

Minnesota State Tournament

Class AAA

At Bunker Hills Golf Course

Par 72, 5,551 yards

First-round results 

1. Edina                           310

2. Red Wing                    326

3. Forest Lake                332

4. Buffalo                       333

5. Chanhassen              336

6. Roseount                   359

7. Rogers                      368

8. White Bear Lake       379

Individuals 

1. Joanna Kim, Edina                    38-35--73

2. Megan Welch, Lakeville North   35-39--74

3. Sophia Yoemans, Red Wing       37-38--75

T4. Stephanie Herzog, Red Wing   39-37--76

T4. Leah Herzog, Red Wing            40-36--76

T6. Grace Kellar, Edina                   42-35--77

T6. Hannah Kohls, Forest Lake      40-37--77

T6. Hanna Morin, Buffalo                 38-39--77