Neisen Cruises to Women's State Amateur Victory at Interlachen

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  EDINA, Minn. – After winning her second consecutive individual Class AAA state championship at New Prague High School in 2014, Kenzie Neisen captured a Minnesota Women’s State Match Play Championship crown before beginning her freshman season at Oklahoma State University last fall.

Over the past year Neisen’s game has continued to progress as she completed her first collegiate season by winning the Big 12 individual championship before qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship two weeks ago at White Bear Yacht Club.

On Wednesday Neisen brought a four-stroke lead into the final round of the 2015 Minnesota Women’s State Amateur Championship at Interlachen Country Club, and after carding a 3-over par 76, claimed the title by 12 strokes over defending champion Cassie Deeg, Anni Heck and Heather Ciskowski, who finished tied for second at 157.

“This is one of my favorite summer tournaments and for it to be at Interlachen was really fun,” Neisen said following her round Wednesday. “It’s kind of sad that we couldn’t play three rounds because this is such a nice golf course.”

“I was thinking making par was going to be really good today considering how windy it was. I was trying to stay patient, manage the wind with different shots and try to keep it together,” she said.

Carding the best round of the tournament Monday with a 4-under par 69, Neisen distanced herself from the field before heavy rains washed out the second round Tuesday, trimming the 54-hole championship to just 36 holes.

Beginning her final round on the tenth hole Wednesday, Neisen struggled off the tee early in the round but would scramble to make par on each of the first three holes before failing to get up-and-down for par on both the 13th and 14th holes, dropping to 2-under for the championship.

Neisen found trouble off the 15th tee but rebounded with a magnificent punch shot that rolled to inside five feet where, she would two-putt for par.

Rolling in her first birdie of the round at the 16th hole after putting her approach to eight feet, Neisen would give a stroke back at the 17th with a bogey after finding the left greenside bunker.

Neisen would turn at 2-over par after another solid up-and-down on No. 18 to close out her front nine. After leaving her approach short of the sloped green, Neisen’s third shot rolled past the flagstick but trickled back to within four feet where she would make par.

A three-putt for bogey at the first hole put Neisen at 1-under for the championship before she fell to even with another bogey at the par-3 fifth hole.

With four holes to play Neisen held a double-digit lead and would card three consecutive pars to remain at 1-under par for the round heading to the final hole.

Neisen spun her approach to six feet from the flagstick on the 18th, where she would convert her birdie opportunity to finish her round at 76, 12 strokes ahead of the field at 1-under par 145.

“My putting struggled today,” she said. “I didn’t make a lot of putts besides the one on [No. 18], which saved me a little bit. Throughout the day I was able to throw in a few good approach shots, but I think I managed my misses well.”

Deeg, who won last year’s championship by five strokes at Forest Hills Golf Club, played her front nine at 4-over par with three bogeys and a double-bogey before rolling in her birdie chance at the 18th.

Opening her back nine with a birdie at the par-4 second, Deeg carded back-to-back bogeys at the third and fourth holes before taking a triple-bogey at the sixth.

Deeg would finish the championship with three consecutive pars to tie for second place at 11-over par 157.

“Today was a struggle—the wind was really tough and I think it was harder on the back nine,” Deeg said after the final round Wednesday. “I was trying to play each hole as its own and not make any big numbers, which I did until [No. 17]. It was tough putting, I felt like the ball could go anywhere.”

Confident in her putting after the opening round, Deeg said a few long putts during the opening round was one of few bright spots in difficult conditions Wednesday.

“I was just trying to manage, really. I missed a couple of putts but I still felt comfortable on the greens, I don’t feel like I gave up a lot of strokes there and I felt like I got off the tee pretty well today,” she said.

Heck won the Minnesota Junior Girls’ State Championship at Burl Oaks Golf Club earlier this month and more recently qualified for the 40th Junior PGA Championship after shooting even par 144 at Giant’s Ridge Golf and Ski Resort in Biwabik, Minn., July 16.

Making the turn at 6-over Wednesday, Heck would card three bogeys with a birdie on the final hole to shoot a final-round 81 to finish tied for second at 157.

Ciskowski, a soon-to-be sophomore at the University of Minnesota, opened the championship with a 7-over par 80 during Monday’s opening round.

Posting the second best round of the day Wednesday, Ciskowski would card three bogeys with a double-bogey to make the turn at 5-over before finding her rhythm on her back nine.

The Gopher would birdie the par-3 fifth hole before giving back a shot at the sixth with a bogey, but would end her round at 4-over par 77 with a birdie at the eighth hole to finish the championship tied at 157.