Klasse and Anderson Headed to U.S. Women's Amateur Championship Along With Iowa's Webb

By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  CHASKA, Minn. – Carding a 6-over par 78 in breezy conditions Thursday at Chaska Town Course, Leigh Klasse earned medalist honors and qualified for her sixth consecutive U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

Iowa’s Robin Webb qualified for her first USGA event in her first attempt at qualifying Thursday as she carded a 10-over par 82, while Lynn Anderson needed extra holes to claim the final qualifying spot as she qualified for her first national senior championship as well.

“It was a challenging day,” Klasse said after qualifying Thursday. “It was windy and this course is hard anyway—you’ve got to think on every single hole. It’s a tough course and there are a lot of long carries and you have to make smart choices.”

“I putted really well and had a lot of short putts for par. My speed was really good. These greens were very similar to Deer Run, what we’ve been putting on the last few days, so that helped a little bit.”

Klasse, Woodbury, Minn., got off to a slow start with three consecutive bogeys to open her round Thursday to quickly fall to 3-over before making another bogey at the sixth.

Rolling in her only birdie of the day at the par-5 ninth hole, Klasse turned at 3-over par. A bogey at the par-4 11th hole put Klasse back to 4-over before taking another bogey at the 15th to drop to 5-over.

Klasse rolled her eight-foot par putt just left of the cup on the final hole to finish the day at 78, qualifying for her 82nd USGA event as she has made the cut for match-play in each of her previous five appearances at the senior championship.

The five-time Minnesota Golf Association Senior Women’s Player of the Year said her birdie on the ninth hole gave her an edge mentally to play a stronger back nine.

“That was a good birdie. I was 4-over at that point and there’s just something about 39 versus 40 when you make the turn—I think it’s a psychological thing.”

Webb, Clive, Iowa, carded three early bogeys during her opening nine before taking a pair of double-bogeys at the seventh and ninth holes to turn at 7-over.

Finding more consistency on the final nine Webb moved to 8-over with a bogey at the 13th before finishing her day with back-to-back bogeys at the 17th and 18th holes to shoot 82.

“Today was challenging. On the front I had two double-bogeys on the par-5s, silly stuff, should’ve just stayed out of trouble but the course is gorgeous and I felt pretty solid off the tee box, but there was a lot to figure out with the strong wind,” Webb said after her round.

“I’ve never played in this before so I had fairly low expectations, although I’ve played a lot of state tournaments in Iowa. [Janece Schwartzkopf] and [Carroll Dethrow] asked me to come along and I thought, ‘What the heck?’”

Webb won the Open Division of the 2015 Iowa Women’s Amateur Championship in mid-July as she posted a 4-over par 75 during the final round to win by six shots at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames, Iowa.

Anderson, Hopkins, Minn., carded four bogeys and a triple-bogey at the par-4 6th to turn at 7-over before carding four bogeys on the final nine holes to finish in a three-way tie for third at 83.

Anderson outlasted Claudia Pilot and Brenda Williams on the second playoff hole to claim the final spot Thursday.

“I didn’t hit my first green until [No. 9] but I was rolling my putts well and that kept me in it and I made some good up-and-downs and then [on the back nine] started striking the ball a lot better,” she said.

Anderson recently turned 50 and qualified for her first USGA senior event after playing in multiple U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships as well as Women’s Amateur Public Links Championships.

“I wanted to qualify but after the turn I knew I had to keep grinding with the scores being higher. I just hung in there and stayed patient and I’m excited to get back—I’ve been away for five years.”

Brenda Williams, Minnetrista, Minn., and Claudia Pilot, Lake Shore, Minn., finished as first and second alternates, respectively.

The 2015 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship will be held September 26th to October 1st at Hillwood Country Club in Nashville, Tenn.