No. 1 Cowan Birdies 3 of the First 6 Holes, Defeats Klasse 3&2

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Having won medalist honors over the weekend, Lynne Cowan wasted no time in taking charge of her Round of 64 match against Leigh Klasse on Monday morning. The 59-year-old No. 1 seed from Rocklin, Calif., birdied three of the first seven holes at Anchorage Golf Course. She was 5 up by the time she got to the 10th tee.

Klasse, 62, is a 10-time MGA Senior Player of the Year, and she's won more state championships -- 55 -- than anyone else in the history of Minnesota golf. She won the 348-yard, par-4 12th hole and the 324-yard, par-4 15th, but she couldn't cut any further into Cowan's lead, and ended up losing 3&2.

"It was a good match today," Cowan said when it was over. "She wasn't giving up."

Monday was a good day for the high seeds. The first 13 matches that finished all went to the higher seed, and the top 10 seeds all advanced. 

No. 11 Laura Webb was the highest seed to lose. She led No. 54 Ellen Weaver 2 up with six holes to go, but Weaver rallied to tie the match and won it with a par on the 19th. The playoff started -- and ended -- on the fifth hole at Anchorage GC, a 335-yard par 4.

The No. 2 seed, Shelly Stouffer, set the competitive course record with a 4-under-par 68 on Sunday. She wasn't quite that good on Monday, but 2 over for 15 holes was good enough to dismiss Lisa Poritz 5&3.

Lara Tennant, 55, is the three-time defending champion -- 2018, '19 and '21 (there was no tournament in 2020, a result of the Covid 19 pandemic) -- and the No. 3 seed. She was 1 over for 16 holes while winning her 19th consecutive match in this tournament, 4&2 over Mary Budke. Her winning streak in this tournament is second only to the 28 in a row that four-time champion Carol Semple Thomson ran off from 1999 to 2003.

Cowan earned the stroke-play medal over the weekend with a 147 total (3 over). Stouffer was second at 149, and Tennant tied for third at 150, along with Sherry Wright and Kay Daniel. Wright, the No. 4 seed, had to go all 18 holes on Monday to subdue Ulrika Migliaccio 2 up. No. 5 Daniel went 17 holes before claiming a 2&1 victory over Marie Therese Torti. 

The top-10 seed who was in the most trouble on Monday was probably No. 6 Corey Weworski. She trailed No. 59 Rosie Cook 2 down at the turn, before coming back to win 2&1. 

In last year's final, the player Tennant beat was Ellen Port (2&1). Port has won seven USGA titles, and she's the No. 12 seed this week in the Senior Women's Am. She advanced to the Round of 32 with a 5&3 victory over No. 53 Marianne Towersey.


U.S. Senior Women's Amateur

At Anchorage Golf Course

Par 72, 5,684 yards

Anchorage, Alaska

Stroke play (the top 64 advanced to match play Monday morning)

1. Lynne Cowan                        74-73--147

2. Shelly Stouffer                       81-68--149

T3. Lara Tennant                       74-76--150

T3. Sherry Wright                      75-75--150

T3. Kay Daniel                           76-74--150

T6. Corey Weworski                  75-76--151

T6. Martha Leach                       77-74--151

T6. Suzi Spotleson                     78-73--151

9. Sue Wooster                          74-78--152

64. Leigh Klasse                       84-79--163

Did not advance

Andrea Kellar-Luther               80-86--166

Brenda Williams                      86-84--170

Betsy Aldrich                           92-85--177


Match play

Round of 64

(1) Cowan def. (64) Klasse

(2) Stouffer def. (63) Lisa Poritz 5&3

(3) Tennant def. Mary Budke 4&2

(4) Wright def. (61) Ulrika Migliaccio 2 up

(5) Daniel def. (60) Marie Terese Torti 2&1