Klasse and Anderson Open 11-shot Lead at MWGA Senior 4-Ball

MWGA

Last year, at the 21st MWGA Senior Four-Ball Tournament, Leigh Klasse and her then newly eligible partner, Lynn Anderson, separated themselves from the field with a first-round 67, 5-under par and fully six shots ahead of their nearest competition. They would add one more shot to their lead, before finishing at 140, 4-under par.   

After today’s first round of the 22nd MWGA Senior Four-Ball at Faribault Golf Club, the defending champs have set the stage for a repeat on a slightly grander scale. The two  individually carded seven birdies and one eagle, to post a better ball 8-under-par 65, opening an 11-shot lead between themselves and two teams tied at 76 (+3), Ellie Layton/Barb Miller, and three-time winners Claudia Pilot/Brenda Williams. 

Anderson iced the cake on her round, a 3-under par 70 on her own ball, by dunking a wedge from the right rough 98 yards to a back hole location at the 510-yard par-5 9th (their 18th hole), for an eagle 3. Klasse played well, if less spectacularly, with four birdies of her own, posting a 1-under 72. Klasse has won the championship twice before, with partner May Hoisser. 

On the second nine, which this writer followed, the hot pairing never seemed out of the hole. In fact, the momentum never truly wavered for the team, except possibly for a moment as Klasse contemplated saving par at the 170-yard par-3 17th (their 8th hole). Her 10-foot downhill, sidehill putt found the cup, which played into their pre-round strategy of avoiding making a team bogey. 

The strategy worked out great, Klasse commented afterward, adding, “I played well on the first nine and Lynn played great on the second nine.”

And playing great on the scorecard at Faribault looks like 33-32--65, which under the circumstances, puts a lot of space between the leaders and the rest of the field. Although it’s only the first round, and too soon to call it a run-away, still, an 11-shot lead must look daunting to the teams chasing Klasse and Anderson.  

“You don’t know what tomorrow will bring but [opening a lead] was a goal, too,” Anderson said.