Klasse on Verge of Collecting 17th Senior Women's State Title

View full size image

  HUTCHINSON, Minn. – Erasing an early double-bogey with a pair of birdies on her back nine Monday, Leigh Klasse posted a 1-over par 73 to lead the 2017 Minnesota Golf Association Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Crow River Golf Club and in position to collect her 17th senior women’s state championship.

Starting on the 10th tee Monday, Klasse’s double-bogey at the par-4 11th was her only mishap of the front nine, carding eight pars to turn at 2-over for the round.

“My focus after that double was to just hit greens and give myself a putt for birdie, but mainly an easy par,” Klasse said Monday. “The greens were very soft so it was just making sure I took enough club to get there.”

Klasse, who has earned MGA Senior Women’s Player of the Year honors for the past seven consecutive years, put her approach at the par-3 second to 35 feet and sank her put to move to 1-over. Rolling her approach to five feet on the following hole, Klasse dropped her downhill birdie chance to draw even.

A bogey at the par-4 eighth put Klasse into the clubhouse with a seven-stroke lead ahead of Tuesday’s final round at 1-over par 73.

“The weather was tough—it finally quit raining around our 13th hole but then the wind intensified, so it was a wash,” Klasse said of the difficult conditions Monday. “The course was in great condition so the putts were rolling nicely.

“The plan for tomorrow is the same—hit greens and give myself birdie looks.”

Klasse won six of the last seven Minnesota Women’s Public Golf Association State Senior Public Links Championships, as well as six of the last seven Minnesota Senior Women’s State Amateur Championships. She’s also claimed four MGA Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball titles since 2011.

She posted back-to-back rounds of 73 at Inver Wood Golf Course to edge Lynn Anderson by two shots at the MWPGA State Senior Public Links Championship a year ago before cruising to a 10-stroke victory four weeks later at the Minnesota Senior Women's State Amateur in Owatonna.

Betsy Aldrich, of Woodhill Country Club, posted an opening-round 80 and will begin Tuesday’s final round seven shots back of Klasse, while Jacqueline Santopietro (Twin Cities Golf Club) and Claudia Pilot (The Pines at Grand View Lodge) fired rounds of 81 Monday to finish the first round in a tie for third.