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Round One of the Mary Lou Was Stacked With Birdies, Bogeys and Wild Turkeys
(Photo courtesy of Randy Dodson)
By Beaux Yenchik, UGA Intern
Millcreek, UT – Round one is in the books and the ladies at the Mary Lou Baker Open have gone low.
Wasatch Mountain Golf Course is once again the host venue for the MLB Open – welcoming 40 players to the Midway area. Kerstin Fotu, the clubhouse leader, went on a birdie binge Wednesday en route to a 5-under-par 67. Close behind the leader was Haley Dunn at 4-under-par (68) and former champion Kelsey Chugg, who posted a 69 (-3). The Lake Course, which happened to be flooded with wild turkeys, played shorter than normal as it measured 5,800 total yards.
Fotu, after missing out at a qualifying spot Tuesday in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Qualifier, got off to a hot start by birdieing three of her first five holes but briefly blundered those birdies by bogeying the par-3 6th and par-4 7th to drop back to 1 under par. Quickly responding to the random onset of bogeys, Fotu birdied the 105-yard par-3 8th and then eagled the difficultly shaped par-5 9th.
The back nine proved to be a little tamer for the front-runner. Beginning with a birdie on the downhill 10th, Fotu then gave back that shot on the par-4 12th by bogeying the hole. She would then go on to birdie the 14th to shoot a 35 on the back.
Chugg, after her recent ventures at the Women’s U.S. Open and the Celebration of Champions at Shinnecock Hills, made her return to the Utah golfing scene. Despite her double-bogey blunder on 10, Chugg accumulated seven birdies on her card. Chugg described the greens as being firm but receptive with plenty of opportunities to shoot low scores.
Fotu, Dunn and Chugg finished as the only players in red figures. Cary Dehlin carded an even par 72 with Sue Nyhus and Laura Gerner rounding out the top 5 at 1 over par.
82-year-old Sally Millbank, adorned in pants that John Daly would approve, was partnered with 15-year-old Ellie Whitehead. The two represented the opposite sides of the age spectrum as being the oldest and youngest competitors in this year’s field. Millbank posted a 94 (+22) and Whitehead carded a 112 (+40).
For complete results from round one, CLICK HERE.