Aldrich, Klasse and Williams Fall During Opening Round of Women's Sr. Match Play

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Claudia Pilot, Grand View Lodge, the 2021 MGA Women’s Senior Amateur Match Play Championship, June 27 at Monticello Country Club, Monticello, Minn. In the championship finals, Pilot def. Christine Dean, 3 and 2. Photos by W.P. Ryan.

 
 MONTICELLO, Minn. – Minnesota Golf Hall of Famer inductee Claudia Pilot has more than 25 state championship victories to her credit. Among them are a pair of wins at Minnesota Women’s Public Golf Association Match Play Championship in 2004 and 2005.
 
But Pilot has never won the championship at the senior level, finishing as runner-up to Leigh Klasse in 2013 at The Jewel Golf Club in her only appearance in the finals.
 
Pilot moved one step closer Friday, defeating Brenda Williams, 1-up, at Monticello Country Club to reach Saturday’s semifinal round to face Barb Miller.
 
Williams, winner of the 2011 championship, took the early lead with a birdie on the opening hole, but Pilot would tie the match on the ensuing hole with a par. Williams took advantage of a Pilot bogey at the sixth to regain a slim lead before Pilot returned the favor at the par-4 ninth to pull even.
 
After trading the 10^th and 11^th holes, Pilot carded a birdie at the par-5 12^th to take her first lead of the match before Williams pulled even at the 14^th with a par. Pilot won the par-3 17^th hole to take a late lead and the two would halve the final hole with par, giving Pilot the win, 1-up.
 
Miller carded just one bogey during her opening nine to take a 1-up lead over two-time defending champion Betsy Aldrich Friday, but Aldrich’s birdie at the 10^th would even the match. Aldrich took her first lead at the 15^th, but Miller bounced back with a birdie at the 16^th to even the match and would win the final hole with a par to down Aldrich, 1-up.
 
A birdie at the opening hole gave Cathy White the only lead she would need against the six-time champion Klasse, and she would extend her lead to two by winning the sixth with par.
 
Building a sizeable lead by winning the 12^th and 13^th holes, White held off Klasse for the win, closing out the match at the 17^th with a par, 2 and 1. White will face Christine Dean in Saturday’s second semifinal match.
 
The semifinal of the 2021 MGA Women’s Senior Amateur Match Play Championship is set to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at Monticello Country Club.