STILLWATER, Minn. – Hours after claiming victory at the 2026 Arizona Women’s Senior Four-Ball Championship on Sunday at the Persimmon Course at Anthem Golf and Country Club, Leigh Klasse was on a late flight to the Twin Cities, landing on Minnesota soil early Monday.
Klasse and partner Lynn Anderson combined for a 2-over 75 during the opening round Monday at Stillwater Country Club before the twosome rallied with three birdies over their final five holes and survived a one-hole playoff over Kara Salava and Amy Schintz Tuesday to capture the 2026 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship.
“We’ll never stop playing this tournament—some of the others we might as we get older, but this one for sure will be on our calendar next year again,” Anderson said. “As we get older, these 50-year-olds come in and they’re bombing it, so you’ve got to play two solid days.”
“I love Lynn as a partner, and I just love the partner events. No matter what’s happening, we’re still having fun,” said Klasse, who teamed with Robin Krapfl to earn a three-stroke victory in Arizona Sunday. “It was a crazy schedule—took the red-eye and got here about [5:30 a.m. Monday], so I got about two or three hours of sleep.”
The win Tuesday marks the fifth time Anderson and Klasse have collaborated for a four-ball victory, recording their first victory since the 2018 championship at Majestic Oaks Golf Club.
Anderson and Klasse entered the final round three shots off the lead but wasted little time narrowing the margin when Anderson rolled in a lengthy birdie putt on the opening hole.
Giving back a stroke with a bogey at the second, Anderson and Klasse carded a second bogey at the par-4 11th to 3-over for the championship, two shots back of the lead.
Adopting a more aggressive approach back nine Wednesday, Klasse sank a 35-footer for birdie at the 14th before Anderson chipped in for birdie at the 16th to reach 1-over.
Klasse rolled in her 8-footer for birdie at the 18th before a bogey by Salava and Schintz on the final hole forced extra holes as both teams finished the 36-hole championship at even par 146.
“I knew we had to birdie 18 to give us a shot,” Klasse said. “Unfortunately for them, they helped us a little bit.”
A tap-in birdie on the first playoff hole gave Anderson and Klasse their fourth victory at the championship over the past 10 seasons.
“We needed to make some putts today and we needed to make some birdies,” Klasse said Tuesday. “Yesterday we were close and never capitalized on it. Then we had some dumb bogeys. Even today, we had a three-putt bogey, but we were able make some putts.”
“On the back side things really started clicking,” Anderson said. “We just struggled yesterday getting the ball to the hole. Chip shots were left 10-12 feet short and then our putts were short.”
Anderson and Klasse first teamed up to win the 2015 Minnesota Women’s Golf Association Senior Four-Ball Championship at Northland Country Club, successfully defending their title in 2016, 2017 and again in 2018.
Klasse also won the championship in 2011 at The Bridges with Mary Hoisser and won again with Hoisser in 2013 at Rochester Golf and Country Club. While Anderson was out with an injury, Klasse claimed another title with Barbara Miller at Crooked Water Golf Club in 2021.
A disappointing finish for Salava and Schintz Tuesday as Schintz reached the first playoff hole, the par-5 first, in two, but watched her birdie putt from three feet wrap around the cup, refusing to fall.
Linda Goodno and Alison Hurley, winners of the 2024 championship at Crooked Water Golf Club, tallied a round of even par 73 Tuesday to finish in third place in a scorecard playoff over defending champions Tracey Donesky and Andrea Luther at 1-over 147.
Sarah Fjelstul and Pam Kowalski fired a 3-over 76 during Tuesday’s final round to earn a two-stroke victory over Linda Holzemer and Colleen Strong in the First Flight, shooting 9-over 155.
In the Second Flight, back-to-back rounds of 79 lifted the twosome of Lori Bremer and Emilee Burow to a five-stroke victory over Kore Grate and Lee Valsvik.
After carding an 82 during Monday’s opening round, the team of Robin Goetz and Tracy Reilly backed it up with an 83 during the final round Tuesday to better the twosome of Janice Barstad and Jeri Meola by four strokes in the Third Flight.
Melanie Jaeb and Emi Sako beat their opening-round 86 Monday by one stroke during Tuesday’s final round to edge Kim Lucio and Beth Markoe by two shots in the Fourth Flight.
Finishing Monday’s first round of play with a three-stroke advantage in the Fifth Flight, the pairing of Joanne Cady and Susan Raber doubled their lead with a final-round 91, cruising to a six-stroke victory over Cindy Kunkel and Karen Struder.