Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2017 - 30

MGA WOMEN'S AM
Women's
MGA WOMEN' S AMA TEUR
* BY NICK HUNTER *
* PHOTOS BY MARK BRETTINGEN, JEFF LAWLER,
W.P. RYAN *
Prep Record-holder Claims Her First
State Amateur Championship
D
espite a string of bogeys to begin her back nine, Kate
Smith held off defending champion Sarah Burnham
(and a surging Taylor Ledwein) to win the 2017 MGA
Women's Amateur Championship July 26 at Northland Country
Club.
Smith, who entered the fi nal round with a three-shot lead
over 18-hole leader Alex Stewart, would card four bogeys over
her fi rst six holes on the back nine to fall into a tie for the lead
before two-putting for victory on the fi nal hole after late bogeys
by both Burnham and Ledwein.
" This might be one of the biggest wins I've had, " Smith said
afterward. " The people who have won this trophy, the competition
I was up against ... to win at this course is amazing.
Coming out of [freshman season at Nebraska], I think I'm a
much better golfer and this makes me excited for the future. "
Smith opened the championship with a round of 75 Monday
and followed it with one of just two scores below par all
week, a 3-under par 69, to take the 36-hole lead by three shots
to the fi nal round.
Playing a back-and-forth front nine, Smith bogeyed the
opening hole before rolling in a short birdie at the fi fth to
remain even for the day. Her lead slipped to two following a
bogey at the seventh, but rolling in a second short birdie at
the par-3 eighth would put her to the back nine at even for the
round, still carrying a two-shot advantage.
" I had a good front with a couple birdies-the birdie on
30
MINNESOTAGOLFER Fall 2017
[No. 8] was crucial, so I felt good going into the turn, " she said.
Smith's troubles started at the 10th with a three-putt bogey
before failing to convert a short birdie putt at the 11th. She
was unable to get up-and-down for par at the 12th, then rolled
her approach off the back edge at the 14th for another bogey.
Meanwhile, Burnham birdied the 13th and parred the 14th to
put her one shot back of Smith.
" My putter decided to not work for a while, so that was frustrating, "
Smith said of her start to the fi nal nine Wednesday.
" It was a mental block and I didn't feel like I had much going.
Sarah kept knocking it close, so it was hard to keep going
knowing my putter wasn't going well because that's such a big
thing out here. "
Struggling to reach the green at the par-4 15th, Smith needed
to roll in a tester for bogey as her lead evaporated with just
three holes to play.
" I was pretty nervous, " Smith said about Burnham pulling
even late in the fi nal round. " With her record-it's tough to go
up against that. "
Burnham couldn't get her short par putt to fall at the 17th
and dropped back to 6-over, while Ledwein (who was playing
in the group ahead of Burnham and Smith) three-putted for
bogey at the 17th to slip to 6-over as well.
" You don't expect to go a shot up from making par-that
was a bit of a gift, " Smith said of Burnham's late bogey to regain
the lead. " I've had my struggles on 18, so I just wanted to get
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Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2017

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