Herrick Too Much For Burnham at MGA Women's Amateur Match Play Championship

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  EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – Carding two birdies on the first two holes Wednesday to begin the final match of the 2017 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship at Bent Creek Golf Club, Olivia Herrick took control early lead and held off Sarah Burnham to win her third state match play title.

Burnham pulled within one after a bogey by Herrick at the par-4 fourth, but miscues by Burnham at the eighth and ninth holes gave Herrick a 3-up lead at the turn.

Rolling in birdie to open the back nine Wednesday, Burnham cut into Herrick’s lead, but Herrick would win the 11th and 12th holes to take her biggest lead of the match at 4-up.

Winning three of the next four holes with birdies, Burnham clawed her way back to within one of Herrick, but the three-time champion closed the door with a par on the final hole to defeat Burnham, 2-up.

"I played well this week, not my best but pleased with the performance for this point in the season. Sarah is a great player and a great person and I am always grateful to have the opportunity to play against her," Herrick said Wednesday. "It was an intense match, I went into 18 1up and hit a great approach to about 8 feet that was probably the best shot I hit all week.

"Feels great to have kept my head down and focused on closing out the match even as she was staging an impressive comeback and the momentum was starting to shift." 

Herrick, Dellwood Country Club, defeated Leah Herzog, 4 and 3, to open the championship Monday before taking down Grace Kellar, 2 and 1, during the quarterfinals. A 2-up victory over Alexandra Stewart in the semifinals Tuesday set up her match against Burnham in the finals Wednesday.