Herrick Overcomes Slow Start to Claim Second MWGA Match Play Title

By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  MONTICELLO, Minn. – Bouncing back from a bumpy start Wednesday, Olivia Herrick carded three birdies in a span of nine holes to come from behind and defeat Athena Yang at Monticello Country Club to claim her second Minnesota Women’s Golf Association State Match Play title.

Stumbling early, Herrick was unable to get up-and-down for par on three of the first four holes, facing a 2-down deficit before rolling in her first birdie putt from 15 feet at the par-3 seventh.

It was only a matter of time before Herrick, a three-time Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Player of the Year, showcased her tournament experience by sticking to a fundamental and patient game while her opponent’s struggles began at the eighth hole.

“You can definitely feel momentum shift and I’ve played a lot of match play and I’ve seen it from both sides,” Herrick said. “You’re either trying to scramble to get it back to even it out or you are pushing the gas pedal to keep it going.

“I felt really good about my ball striking this week; I’ve struggled off the tee over the course of the summer but I was pretty confident today and coming in I felt like my best golf was still out there.”

Yang failed to reach the green with her third shot from the wet and thick rough short of the green, while Herrick managed to get up-and-down for the first time during the championship match, drawing even by rolling in her par putt from four feet.

“I don’t find any value in wondering if she’s going to make a putt or get up-and-down or not. I try to stay inside my own game as much as possible," she said.

Finding the left greenside bunker off the 10th tee, Yang was unable to save par as Herrick took her first lead of the match, lagging her birdie putt from the front of the green to within four feet and rolling in her par putt.

Sinking what she called her best putt of the season, Herrick took a 2-up lead at the par-4 11th when her birdie putt from 35 feet found the bottom of the cup, and she would increase her lead to 3-up following Yang’s third bogey in a span of five holes.

Herrick and Yang halved the 13th and 14th holes before Herrick closed out the match by sinking her 12-foot birdie putt at the par-5 15th to win, 4 and 3.

“I had the speed on the greens right all week but I just had not rolled any putts in. I hit good putts on one and three and thought they were in the hole,” Herrick said of her early bogeys Wednesday.

"This is really special to me,” Herrick said Wednesday, “I love match play—it’s such a fun format and so different from traditional stroke play. As mental as regular stroke play is, it’s even more of a head game.”

Reaching the final match at the event for the fourth time, Herrick claimed the 2010 championship, defeating former University of Minnesota golfer, Mary Narzisi, at Baker National Golf Club. Herrick, Dellwood Country Club, finished as runner-up in both 2007 and 2013.

Originally from Minnesota, Yang's family recently returned to the state after 13 years in Florida, where Yang won the 2015 Florida State Class 3A individual title as a junior.

“My plan was to play aggressive but stay consistent,” Yang said following Wednesday's round. “I felt good about the start, but wish I would’ve played a little harder—you can’t just be on the green, you have to go pin-seeking because it is the championship match. I felt like my irons weren’t the greatest today. Olivia is a great golfer and I can’t wait to play with her again.

Playing in her only state event of the season this week, Yang said she struggled to stay focused and positive once her early lead began to slip away Wednesday.

“It was tough trying to switch my mindset and forget about the last hole,” she said.

In January, Yang received the 2016 ANNIKA Foundation ACE Grant from the American Junior Golf Association. She will begin her freshman year at Mississippi State University this fall.

“I can’t wait to be part of a team, learn from my coaches and enjoy playing college golf," she said.

Yang, Edinburgh USA, accumulated 12 top-10 finishes at AJGA events during the past three seasons, including a victory at the 2015 Target Junior Championship at Rush Creek last year.

Along with playing partner, Kendall Griffin, Yang advanced to the quarterfinal match of the 2015 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship after earning medalist honors during the first two rounds of stroke play.

The two qualified for this year’s championship, but fell during the opening round of match play.



21ST MWGA STATE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
MONTICELLO COUNTRY CLUB
MONTICELLO, MINN.
6,081 YARDS, PAR 71


WEDNESDAY’S FINAL RESULTS
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Olivia Herrick, Dellwood Country Club, def. Athena Yang, Edinburgh USA, 4 and 3


TUESDAY’S SEMIFINAL RESULTS
Athena Yang, Edinburgh USA, def. Taylor Ledwein, New Prague GC, 1-up
Olivia Herrick, Dellwood CC, def. Alex Schmid, Stonebrooke GC, 3 and 1


TUESDAY’S QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
Athena Yang, Edinburgh USA, def. Jordan Price, Somerby GC, 7 and 5
Taylor Ledwein, New Prague GC, def. Jade Newman, Bulrush GC, 3 and 2
Alex Schmid, Stonebrooke GC, def. Karissa Fischer, River Oaks GC, 7 and 6
Olivia Herrick, Dellwood CC, def. Halle Hauer, StoneRidge GC, 6 and 5