Chasing Her Second Win of 2023, White Jumps in Front at MGA Women's Senior Amateur

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  WINONA, Minn. – Teaming up with Barb Miller at Owatonna Country Club in, Cathy White earned the first state championship win of her career, claiming the Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship.

Following Monday’s opening round of the 2023 MGA Women’s Senior Amateur Championship at The Bridges, it’s White and Miller who find themselves on top of the leaderboard once again.

White posted a 9-over 80 to take a one-shot advantage to Tuesday’s final round over Miller and four-time MGA Women’s Senior Four-Ball champion Lynn Anderson.

“I was driving the ball really well today,” White said after her opening round Monday. “I’m hoping to pick up my iron game and my putting because every green I missed, I bogeyed the hole. Fairways and greens is all I’m trying to do.

“I was playing well coming into the week—75 or 76 was my worst score, so I was really looking forward to this week. This course is tough because you really have to place your shots."

White got off to a hot start Monday, sinking her birdie chance from six feet at the first, but would card back-to-back bogeys at the second and third to slip to 1-over for the round.

Playing her next six holes in 4-over, magnified by a double-bogey at the par-5 fifth, White would turn in 5-over.

Finding her footing briefly to begin her back nine, White made consecutive pars during her first two holes, including the par-5 11th, which played as the toughest hole on the course Monday, and yielded just one par to the 63-player field.

“That’s the hole that saved me today—it’s a tough par-5. I hit two great shots and then hit it to 10 feet,” said White, who cut her approach around trees at the 11th. “I missed the [birdie] putt, but that was an amazing shot for me.”

White would drop two shots with bogey at the 12th and 13th holes, slipping to 7-over for the round, and would finish her day by taking two more bogeys over her final four to take the opening-round lead at 9-over 80.

Miller was helped by a pair of birdies during her front nine Monday, turning in 2-over before a pair of double-bogeys derailed her final nine holes, finishing at 10-over 81 and in a share of second with Anderson.

“Good front, bad back—just got into some bad spots and a lot of unforced errors on the back,” Miller said Monday. “Played well on the front with a couple of nice birdies—I was putting everything on the green. On the back I started to miss greens and was scrambling. The rough around the greens is very thick and snarly.

“I felt really confident coming into the week—this was the course I grew up on. But it’s been 40 years since I’ve played this course consistently. It’s changed some, but I know where the trouble is. I know where not to get above the hole and know what to stay away from.”

Anderson, whose most recent state win came in 2018 when she teamed with Leigh Klasse to win the MGA Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Majestic Oaks Golf Club, began her round on the 16th hole during Monday’s shotgun start.

Taking a step back with a bogey at the 17th, Anderson converted her birdie opportunity at the first to draw even for the round.

She played her next eight holes in 6-over, but managed to limit the damage late in the round, playing her final six holes in 3-over.

Christine Dean, who claimed the 2022 MGA Women’s Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship with partner Adele Peterson at Whitefish Golf Club, carded an 11-over 83 and will begin the final round two shots back of the lead in fourth.

Christine Anderson fired an 11-over 82 Monday to lead the First Flight by two strokes over Luanne Cortesi and Molly Baker.

Cheryl Jones and Mary Backhaus both posted a 21-over 92 during the opening round to earn a share of the lead in the Second Flight, two strokes clear of Kathy Hubert-Wyss with 18 holes to play.

A 23-over 94 helped Lori Bremer to a one-stroke lead over Deb Webster, Kay Rasmussen and Laurie Etrheim in the Third Flight, while Doreen Eddy posted a 28-over 99 to lead the Fourth Flight by two strokes over Cindy Kunkel.

In the Fifth Flight, Sue Olafson carded a 33-over 104 to lead Pat Stewart by two strokes ahead of Tuesday’s final round.

Long time MGA rules official and volunteer Kathryn Sartain posted a 1-over 72 to lead the 65-and-over Masters Net Division, taking a five-stroke advantage over Cherie Riesenberg to Tuesday’s final round of play.

The final round of the 2023 MGA Women’s Senior Amateur Championship is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at The Bridges.