Redman Cruises to Minnesota Senior Women's Stroke Play Championship with a 67 at Keller

  MAPLEWOOD, Minn. – A string of early birdies Thursday at Keller Golf Course helped professional Michele Redman to a round of 5-under 67 to earn a four-stroke victory at the third installment of the Minnesota Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship.

“I haven’t played in a tournament in a couple of months, so I was really trying to get some rust off,” Redman said Thursday. “I put the ball on the right side of the pins a few times and made a lot of birdie putts.

“Pretty good day. I had a couple of squirrely shots and I left a couple out there.”

In control of her iron play from her opening tee shot Thursday, Redman carded three consecutive birdies over the first three holes of the round from inside of six feet to quickly jump  on the top of the leaderboard at 3-under for the day.

A two-putt birdie at the 10th put Redman at 4-under for the championship before another tap-in birdie at the 14th.

Bouncing back from her first bogey of the round at the 15th, Redman rolled in a 15-footer for birdie at the 16th, but again would give back a stroke at the 17th to drop to 4-under.

She would finish by tucking in her birdie look from six feet at the 18th to earn a four-stroke victory over Angie Ause, shooting 5-under 67.

Redman began her career on the LPGA Tour in 1992 and would collect a pair of victories and 77 career top-10 finishes, while representing the United States at four Solheim Cups.

She tallied more than $5.7 million in earnings up to her final season in 2011.
Redman then began coaching the University of Minnesota women’s golf team in 2011 before retiring in 2020.

On the LPGA Legends Tour, Redman has notched three victories, most recently in 2017 at the BJ’s Charity Championship.

She will travel to Chula Vista, Calif., in three weeks to compete in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open at San Diego Country Club, where she has earned a pair of top-10 finishes in six appearances at the championship.

“Getting ready for that, so that’s why I decided to play this week,” she said. “Getting back into my routine and get comfortable over the ball was the goal. There are some good players, so I still had to play well.”

Ause, a former professional who won the inaugural event at StoneRidge Golf Club in 2023, played a steady front nine Thursday, converting one birdie chance from short-range at the par-5 third and would turn in 1-under for the championship.

Rolling in a second birdie from 12 feet at the par-3 15 moved Ause to 2-under for her round but a bogey on her final hole put her in the clubhouse at 1-under 71, four shots back of Redman.

“I haven’t been hitting the ball very well lately, but I was able to manage the misses well enough,” Ause said Thursday. “Made some putts and some good par saves.”

Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame inductee Leigh Klasse posted a 3-over 75 during her round Thursday to earn a share of third place with professional Kathy Swanson.
Last season, Lynn Anderson and Alison Hurley each carded rounds of 2-over 74 to earn a share of medalist honors at Keller Golf Course.