Burnham and Herrick to Face Off at MGA Women's Match Play

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  EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – Winning their respective quarterfinal and semifinal matches Tuesday, Sarah Burnham and Olivia Herrick will square off in the championship match of the 2017 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship at Bent Creek Golf Club.

The meeting is a rematch of the Minnesota Women’s Public Golf Association Match Play Championship from a year ago in which Burnham displayed one of her most dominating performances of the season, beating Herrick, 8 and 6, thanks to carding six birdies over a 10-hole stretch.

Herrick proved why she’s considered one of the state’s best by cruising to her second Minnesota Women’s State Match Play Championship at Monticello Country Club, defeating Athena Yang, 4 and 3, in the championship match.

This year’s event is a combination of the two tournaments due to the MWPGA and MGA merger last fall.

Facing Haley Tollette in the semifinals Tuesday, Burnham jumped out to an early lead on the opening hole before Tollette drew even at the third. Burnham took advantage of a bogey by Tollette at the fifth to regain the lead, but Tollette returned the favor at the sixth to pull even.

Starting with a birdie at the seventh, Burnham would take the lead for good winning three consecutive holes before Tollette limited the damage by rolling in birdie at the par-5 10th. Burnham came back to win the 11th and closed out the match by winning the 14th and 15th to advance to the finals with a 5 and 3 victory.

In the quarterfinals Tuesday, Burnham faced Taylor Ledwein and it was Ledwein who struck first by carding an eagle on the opening hole, but would stumble with three consecutive bogeys starting at the third to hand a 2-up lead to Burnham.

The two-time MGA Women’s Player of the Year would cruise from there, winning the seventh and eighth holes to take a commanding 4-up lead before taking the 11th hole with a bogey. Carding a double-bogey at the 13th, Burnham’s lead fell to four, but she would close out the match with Ledwein with a birdie at the 14th to win, 5 and 4.

Herrick faced Alexandra Stewart in the semifinal round Tuesday and jumped out to an early lead by winning the first two holes. Stewart countered by winning the next two to draw even.

After Herrick won the fifth with a par, Stewart answered again by sinking birdie at the seventh. Carding back-to-back birdies at the ninth and 10th holes, Herrick took the lead for good despite Stewart pulling within one by winning the 12th with a par. Herrick closed out the match on the 17th hole following a bogey by Stewart.

In a back-and-forth quarterfinal match against Grace Kellar, Herrick grabbed an early lead with a pair of birdies at the third and fourth holes, but momentum quickly shifted as Kellar won four of the next six holes to take a 2-up lead to the 14th.

Swinging momentum back to her favor, Herrick won three straight holes beginning at the 12th hole before Kellar would even the match with a birdie at the 15th. Herrick took the 16th and 17th holes to clinch the match, 2 and 1, to advance.

The championship match of the 2017 MGA Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship is scheduled to begin at 8:34 a.m. Wednesday at Bent Creek Golf Club.