Klasse and Pilot Share Lead at Minnesota Senior Women's State Amateur

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  MENAHGA, Minn. – In search of her fifth consecutive Minnesota Senior Women’s State Amateur Championship, Leigh Klasse fired a 78 during the opening round Sunday to sit tied for the lead with Claudia Pilot at Blueberry Pines Golf Club.

With the exception of two holes Sunday, Klasse played a very consistent round as she began on the back nine and made five consecutive pars before taking a triple-bogey on the 15th hole.

Klasse, Keller Golf Club, remained at 3-over for the next eight holes before taking another triple-bogey at the par-4 sixth hole. Klasse made three straight pars to finish her round tied with Pilot at 6-over par 78.

Pilot, a two-time winner of the event, began her round on the tenth hole and got off to a very slow start with a double-bogey on the 12th to quickly drop to 2-over. A bogey on the 13th put her at 3-over before taking another double-bogey at the 16th.

Pilot made a third double-bogey on her front nine at the 18th hole, making the turn at 8-over par 44.

Pilot, the Pines at Grand View Lodge, grinded over her final nine holes with four birdies and two bogeys to finish the opening round at 6-over par 78.

Brenda Williams will begin Monday’s final round two shots off the lead as Williams carded an 8-over par 80 to sit in third place.

Williams, Windsong Farm, began on the tenth hole and dropped to 3-over through five holes with a bogey at the 12th and a double-bogey at the 14th. After back-to-back bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes, Williams made the turn at 5-over.

Another double-bogey at the second, put her at 7-over before making bogey on the following hole to fall to 8-over. Williams found a groove over the final six holes, rolling in consecutive pars to shoot 80.

LeeAnn Townsend, Detroit Country Club, and Alison Hurley, Minnesota Valley Country Club, sit tied for fourth place after the opening round as the two fired rounds of 9-over par 81.

The final round of the Minnesota Senior Women’s State Amateur Championship begins Tuesday with split tee times starting at 8 a.m.


For complete tournament results go to: https://www.ghintpp.com/mngolf/TPPOnlineScoring/ResultsStroke.aspx?id=877