A Bogey-Free 70 Puts Petzold in Front at MGA Women's Amateur

• 2023 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 3
• 2023 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 2
• 2023 MGA Women's Amateur Championship Round 1

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  MEDINA, Minn. – In search of her second win of the season this week, Grace Petzold fired a bogey-free 3-under 70 Monday to take the early lead at the 2023 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Championship at Baker National Golf Course.

Closing out her high school career at Providence Academy with a win at the Class AA championship last month, Petzold rolled in a pair of birdie chances during her opening nine Monday before tallying one birdie over her final nine holes to move to the top of the leaderboard.

“Overall, I played really well—solid and consistent golf,” Petzold said following her opening round Monday. “I was happy with my ball-striking and my putting. I hit a lot of good putts and good speed, which helped with tap-in pars.

“It’s always fun to not make a bogey.”

Petzold, who will begin her collegiate career at St. Catherine’s University this fall, rolled in her birdie opportunity from inside of six feet at the par-5 first to quickly move into red figures for the day.

Hitting her approach inside of a foot at the par-4 eighth led to her second birdie of the round, before rolling in a 3-footer at the 13th, cruising from there with consecutive pars to post a 3-under 70.

“I didn’t play my best at a qualifier last week, so I was trying to work through some problems with my irons,” Petzold said. “I’m coming in wanting to play solid golf—my best golf, and I did that. I was hitting it a lot better.”

Petzold fired a 2-under 70 during the final round of the Class AA championship last month at Ridges at Sand Creek to earn her first amateur win with a three-stroke victory over Sophie Cook.

Edging University of St. Thomas golfer Courtney Wedin, 1-up, Petzold advanced to the Round of 16 at the MGA Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship at St. Cloud Country Club before falling to Madi Hicks, 3 and 2.

Playing her opening nine in even par Monday, Isabelle Lynch carded five consecutive birdies to begin the back side before play was halted due to severe weather.

Following a stoppage of nearly an hour, tournament officials suspended play for the day.

Lynch will resume her opening round early Tuesday, playing her final four holes before she begins her second round.

Petzold’s soon-to-be teammate at St. Kate’s, Kyra Venne, posted a 2-under 71 Monday to sit tied for second with Wedin.

“I had a ton of putts that just didn’t drop today,” Venne said. “I waited until the 18th to finally make a bogey, but it was a lot of fun.

“I was good off the tee—everything was going where I wanted it and into the green as well. Things were dialed in.”

Posting a near identical scorecard as Petzold, Venne birdied the opening hole Monday, rolling in her birdie chance from four feet before sticking her approach within inches of the cup at the eighth, tapping in for birdie to reach 2-under.

Coming up short of the 14th green with her approach, Venne sank her birdie opportunity from the fringe from 12 feet to share the lead with Petzold at 3-under.

Tallying her only bogey of the round at the par-4 18th, put Venne into a share of second with Wedin.

Nicole Reineke, who is coming off a pair of fourth-place finishes at both the Minnesota Girls’ Junior PGA Championship at the Minnesota State Junior Girls’ Championship, carded an eagle at the fourth and followed it with a birdie at the fifth before being slowed with back-to-back bogeys at the sixth and seventh.

Reineke was playing her 15th when play was halted. She will resume her opening round in fourth place at 1-under.

The 2023 MGA continues Tuesday when the first round resumes at 7:30 a.m. at Baker National Golf Course, followed by the start of the second round.