Burnham Birdies Her Way to First MWGA State Match Play Title

By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  VICTORIA, Minn. – Rolling in five birdies in a span of six holes, Sarah Burnham erased an early deficit Wednesday to win her first Minnesota Women’s State Match Play Championship, defeating Anna Laorr, 4 and 3, at Deer Run Golf Club.

The win Wednesday caps off another impressive year for the soon-to-be sophomore at Michigan State University as Burnham notched seven top-5 finishes, while claiming titles at the MWPGA Match Play Championship as well as the Minnesota Women’s State Four-Ball Championship.

Burnham competed in the U.S. Women’s Open before finishing tied for third at the Canadian Women’s Amateur in late July. Last week Burnham made her second consecutive appearance at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

“It’s good to end the summer with a win. I can take a little time off before I go back to school,” Burnham said after her victory Wednesday. “I think I played really well this year, but I would’ve liked to have made the cut at the [U.S. Women’s Amateur].

“I didn’t win as many tournaments [locally] but I was able to play in a lot of national tournaments so I’m really happy with my summer.”

Laorr, Hazeltine National Golf Club, took an early 1-up lead on the first hole Wednesday as Burnham couldn’t get her three-foot par putt to fall, but it was Laorr who was unable to roll a short putt for par on the second hole as Burnham evened the match with par.

With her second bogey over the first three holes, Burnham fell behind for the second time early Wednesday before rolling in her 20-foot birdie putt at the par-3 sixth hole to erase Laorr’s lead.

The crucial point of the final match came at the par-5 eighth hole as Burnham’s third shot from the right greenside bunker spun to a stop three feet from the pin, leading to what would be the first of four consecutive birdies.

Rolling in a six-footer for birdie at the ninth, Burnham took a 2-up lead before another tap-in at the 10th gave her a significant 3-up lead.

With a long, 40-foot bending birdie putt at the par-4 11th, Laorr sparked the chance for a comeback, but Burnham stepped up and dropped her 15-foot birdie putt, giving a fist pump as she maintained a 3-up lead.

“[Laorr] made a huge, downhill slider, which was a really good putt, and I had a downhill putt too. I knew I had to make it to keep my lead,” Burnham said.

Burnham, Rush Creek Golf Club, took a commanding 4-up lead at the par-3 14th with a par as Laorr was unable to get up-and-down from a bunker short of the elevated green.

Both Burnham and Laorr would two-putt for par at the 15th as Burnham would clinch the match, 4 and 3, to deny Laorr of her second title in three years.

“[No. 8] was where it turned around. We both bogeyed seven, and I three-putted. I was mad about that because I had a four-footer. Then I went birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie,” she said. “I started to make a few putts and felt like I had more confidence in my putting.”

Burnham ended the 2014 season with seven top-5 finishes, notching four victories before starting what would be an up-and-down freshman season at Michigan State, admitting she’s a different player on and off the course from a year ago.

“I feel like I’m more prepared for what’s going to happen; I know the tournaments we’re going to and it won’t be such a shock after going through it my freshman year. Distance-wise, all of our tournaments are over [6,100 yards] so you have to be prepared to hit [long irons],” Burnham said.

Aside from the cool and damp conditions Wednesday, Burnham’s slow start could’ve been attributed to something else.

“I forgot my golf shoes at home and had to play the first couple holes in my tennis shoes, so maybe that was on my mind,” Burnham laughed. “I three-putted the first hole, got up-and-down on the second and then missed another putt. It was mainly my putting early on and I don’t know why—my tennis shoes didn’t affect any of that.”

Laorr defeated Burnham en route to the title in 2011 at the Jewel Golf Club before Burnham returned the favor Wednesday.

“On the front nine I think [Burnham] and I both got off to slow starts. It was good to win the first hole but then I immediately gave back the next hole. I know I struggled to hit the ball and I think we were trying to get into the rhythm of match play and shake out some nerves,” she said of her final match Wednesday.

“[Burnham] has always been a great putter and her ball striking was great. She didn’t give up any shots—she had a couple of bogeys but those were tough holes and I’m sure the whole field was making bogeys,” Laorr said. “She really didn’t miss all day and with five birdies in six holes, there’s not much you can do but sit back and be amazed—she deserves it.”

Despite playing less in recent months since finishing her senior season at the University of Minnesota, Laorr said she’s proud of the path she took to the finals, defeating two of the best junior players in the state in Kate Smith and Anni Heck.

“After graduating I haven’t played and practiced as much as I normally would have so just the fact that I was able to beat [Heck] and [Smith] is an accomplishment in and of itself. I was looking to play better today because I had played so well the first two days and made a lot of birdies,” Laorr said.

Wednesday’s finish is bittersweet for Laorr as she leaves for Chicago next week, accepting a job as a business consultant, all but ending her competitive golf career—for now.

“The clubs are being hung up for a while and this is my last tournament for the foreseeable future. After college I wasn’t ready to be done; I was upset [the Gophers] didn’t make it to regionals and I felt like I was at the peak of my game,” Laorr said Wednesday.

“This summer has been a good transition for me because I’ve had the time to get used to the fact that it’s time to start a job. This week I’m one of the older girls in the field and didn’t recognize half the people on the range so I think it shows my time has come.”