Aldrich, Peterson and Williams Punch Tickets to U.S. Senior Women's Amateur

August 9, 2021 | 4 min.

 
By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. – A double-bogey at the 18th hole at Bent Creek Golf Club kept Betsy Aldrich from qualifying for the 2018 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. She finished as first alternate, never receiving an invitation to the national championship at Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club in Vero Beach, Fla.
 
Coming off a win in the Executive Division of the 100th Resorters Golf Tournament Saturday at Alexandria Golf Club, Aldrich carded a 3-over 75 at Minneapolis Golf Club Monday to qualify for her first U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship along with Adele Peterson and Brenda Williams.
 
“This is a great opportunity and it should be a lot of fun,” said Aldrich, who qualified for her fifth USGA championship Monday.
 
Aldrich, Peterson and Williams will travel to Point Clear, Ala., September 10-15 to compete at the 59th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at The Lakewood Club. The USGA cancelled the 2020 championship due to the pandemic.
 
Aldrich, the defending Minnesota Golf Association Senior Women’s Player of the Year, carded three bogeys during her front nine Monday and would slip to 4-over for the tournament before drilling her eagle putt from 30 feet at the 15th after reaching the par-5 in two.
 
A bogey at the par-3 16th would put Aldrich into a share of the lead with Peterson at 3-over 75.
 
“I was pretty steady and hit my driver well—I got into a couple of fairway bunkers,” said Aldrich.
 
Picking up four wins in 2020 to help her earn her first Player of the Year nod last season, Aldrich has three previous appearances at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship and most recently qualified for the 2019 U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., where she missed the cut after 36 holes of play.
 
Peterson, who spent seven seasons on the LPGA Tour from 1986 to 1992, earned a trip to her first USGA championship since she played in the U.S. Women’s Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa., in 1992.
 
Regaining her amateur status and returning to competitive golf after more than 25 years away, Peterson captured the MGA Women’s Senior Amateur Championship at Woodhill Country Club last season. During her four appearances at state championships, Peterson has finished no worse than seventh.

“I don’t really know what to expect, but I love USGA events,” Peterson said following her round Monday. “My experience with [U.S. Women’s Opens] were they always played them long, you had to hit it straight, the rough was grown out and the course always plays fast.
 
“I struggled on the way in—I finished with two bogeys. I wasn’t looking at the leaderboard, but on 15 I had a three-foot eagle putt and missed it. Then I went par-bogey-bogey.”
 
Peterson carded a pair of bogeys over her opening nine Monday, turning in 2-over before getting back a stroke her birdie at the par-5 15th. Bogeys at the 17th and 18th put Peterson into a share of the lead with Aldrich at 3-over 75.
 
Playing in the inaugural Land O’ Lakes Legends Classic last week at The Meadows at Mystic Lake, Peterson was reunited with her LPGA Tour peers, shooting an-opening round 81 before bouncing back with a 3-over 75 during the final round Saturday.
 
“It was a little stressful—I played the Tour for a while and knew most of the girls out there,” Peterson said. “It was nice to see everybody because it had been 25 years seen I’d seen a lot of those people.”
 
A pair of late birdies helped Williams card a 3-over 76 Monday, claiming the final qualifying spot as she advanced to her seventh U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship since 2010. Her best performance at the tournament came in 2011, where she advanced to the Round of 32 at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn.
 
“I played really well—I chipped really well and had a lot of really beautiful shots today,” said Williams, who earned low-amateur honors at last week’s Land O’ Lakes Legends Classic by shooting 10-over 154. “I feel like I’ve been really my irons really well.
 
“I’m very excited to go back, I really wanted it. I even said I was nervous this morning and I don’t often get nervous for events.”
 
Williams started slow Monday with two bogeys over her first three holes, but settled into her round with consecutive pars to close her front nine at 2-over. She opened her back nine with a double-bogey at the par-3 10th and fell to 5-over with a bogey at the 13th.
 
Getting a stroke back by knocking in a 20-foot birdie putt at the 14th, Williams began to build momentum and chipped inside of two feet at the 15th, leading to her second straight birdie. Despite a bogey at the last, Williams claimed the final qualifying spot with her round of 76.
 
Leigh Klasse, who has advanced to match play at the previous 10 straight national championships, posted a 5-over 77 Monday to finish in fourth place, potentially missing her first U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur since 2010.
 
Claudia Pilot, who has made eight appearances at the national event, carded a 7-over 79 to finish fifth.
 
Klasse and Pilot finished as first and second alternates, respectively.
 

 

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