Neisen Continues to Roll, Shoots 67 to Win Women's State Open at Hillcrest

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  ST. PAUL, Minn. – Exactly one year ago McKenzie Neisen was congratulating Lisa Grimes on her fourth Minnesota Women’s State Open title as Grimes cruised to an eight-stroke victory at Town and Country Club.

Fortunes were reversed this year and it was Neisen who distanced herself from the field Wednesday, carding a 5-under par 67 to defeat Grimes by five strokes to become the first golfer to win both the Women’s State Amateur and the Women’s State Open in the same season.

“This year has been amazing,” Neisen laughed Wednesday. “I hope to keep building off of it and learning from it. One day at a time—one shot at a time.”

Coincidentally, Neisen’s college teammate, Maddie McCrary, won the Texas Women’s State Open in early July by—five-strokes.

“She was one of the first amateurs to win it in a few years, so thinking about that, it’s pretty cool that both of us were able to be low-amateur and win. Finishing as low-amateur last year and to do again this year is pretty special,” Neisen said.

Neisen, New Prague Golf Club, couldn’t find a rhythm on the greens early during her round Wednesday missing three consecutive birdie putts on the first three holes before a three-putt bogey at the fourth hole put her at 1-over for the championship.

“I don’t think I had a feel for the greens right away,” Neisen said. “I knew I was reading my putts good but I didn’t have the right speed early on. I had a few throughout the round that were good putts but just hung on the lip.”

The soon-to-be sophomore got her round going at the par-4 sixth hole after sticking her approach to four feet and rolling in her birdie putt to get back to even par.

Neisen’s length off the tee was evident all day long as she reached the 476 yard, par-5 seventh hole in two, tapping in for birdie after her eagle putt came to rest hovering over the edge of the cup, refusing to fall.

Turning at 1-under with a two-stroke lead, Neisen’s momentum continued to build heading to the final nine as she put her approach at the 10th inside of five feet, dropping her birdie to move to 2-under.

Increasing her lead to three shots with a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-4 13th hole, Neisen would all but clinch the championship with a short birdie putt on the 14th as she took a five-shot lead with just four holes to play.

Neisen added a birdie at the 17th before rolling in an eight-foot par putt on the final hole to claim her first Minnesota Women’s State Open title.

“I put myself in better positions off the tee than I did yesterday. I didn’t miss many fairways and greens today and it helped that I had quite a few wedges into the greens. Most of my birdies came after wedges shots today.”

“I knew both [Grimes and Nause] were really good players and I think that pushed me a little bit throughout the day. I thought I would need a round under par for sure today,” Neisen said of her mindset entering the final round. “Since [Grimes] won the tournament last year I knew she was going to be tough so it definitely motivated me to do the same.”

Her remarkable 2015 season began in April as she won the Big 12 individual title to conclude her freshman season at Oklahoma State.

Along with partner Sarah Burnham, Neisen claimed the 2015 Minnesota Women’s State Amateur Four-Ball Championship in June before qualifying for her first U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, which will be her fifth USGA event.

Neisen cruised to an impressive 12-stroke victory a week ago at the Minnesota Women’s State Amateur Championship before her convincing performance Wednesday to win the Women’s State Open.

She heads to Portland, Ore., Friday, along with Burnham and high school teammate, Taylor Ledwein, to compete in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Portland Golf Club.

The defending champion Grimes began her round two shots off the lead, giving an admirable effort during the final round, carding a single bogey to shoot 2-under par 70 to finish in second place by five shots.

Grimes spun her approach from 100 yards at the par-4 third hole to within three feet where she would convert her birdie to get to 1-over for the championship.

Grimes rolled in seven consecutive pars before dropping a slippery, eight-foot birdie putt at the par-3 12th hole, cutting Neisen’s lead to two.

A three-putt for bogey at the 14th seemed to dampen any thoughts of catching Neisen as the deficit grew to five shots heading to the 15th tee.

Grimes would roll in a birdie on the 17th before closing out the championship with a par on the final hole to shoot 2-under par 70, finishing in second place at 144.

“I was thinking 67 coming in and that wouldn’t have done it,” Grimes said of her mindset before the final round Wednesday. “I missed one green today and it was on [No.16] so I can’t complain about that. I didn’t make enough putts. [Neisen] got on a birdie string and I got a little aggressive and had a three-putt that was my lone bogey, but I had to do something.”

“I didn’t play very well yesterday so I felt like I hit the ball a lot better today, I was happy about that but had mediocre putting today. If I would’ve putted well I think I could’ve gotten a little deeper,” she said. “I’m very impressed by [Neisen’s] game—her composure and I think she’s a good putter. She could’ve gone lower if she would’ve gotten a few more to the hole.”

Burnham, Rush Creek Golf Club, rebounded from an opening-round 77 by carding a 1-under par 71 Wednesday to finish in a tie for third place with Marisa Toivonen at 148.

First round co-leader, Martha Nause, carded a 6-over par 78 during the final round Wednesday to finish alone in fifth place at 150.



2015 MINNESOTA WOMEN’S STATE OPEN
HILLCREST GOLF CLUB
ST. PAUL, MINN.
6,072 YARDS, PAR 72


FINAL RESULTS
1. McKenzie Neisen, New Prague Golf Club, 72-67—139
2. Lisa Grimes, Alexandria Golf Club, 74-70—144
T3. Sarah Burnham, Rush Creek Golf Club, 77-71—148
T3. Marisa Toivonen, Red Wing Golf Club, 76-72—148
5. Martha Nause, Mendakota Country Club, 72-78—150
6. Olivia Herrick, Dellwood Country Club, 75-76—151
7. Stephanie Herzog, Red Wing Golf Club, 77-75—152
T8. Brenna Lervick, Island View Golf Club, 81-73—154
T8. Taylor Ledwein, New Prague Golf Club, 74-80—154
T10. Anna Laorr, Hazeltine Nat’l Golf Club, 79-77—156
T10. Emily Israelson, Vintage Golf Club, 78-78—156


For complete tournament results go to: http://mnpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpga15/event/mnpga1552/contest/4/leaderboard.htm