The first round of the 59th Iowa Senior Women’s Amateur Championship featured high temps and low scores as the state’s best senior women worked their way through Stone Creek Golf Club in Williamsburg. By the time the day ended, two players rose to the top of the leaderboard as Kim Kieckhaefer and Laura Leszczynski posted matching rounds of (+1), 72.
Kieckhaefer’s scorecard featured consistent play from start to finish. Thanks to a birdie on the par five ninth, she opened up the championship with an even-par 36. A birdie on the par-three 14th helped offset back-to-back bogeys as the Cedar Rapids resident closed with four-straight pars for her second straight 36. Ten years removed from her lone Iowa Senior Women’s Amateur title, Kieckhaefer will look to once again hoist the trophy.
Co-leader Leszczynski had a much different go of the nine-hole track. Opening the championship with a triple bogey eight on the first, she rebounded nicely, playing her final 17 holes in two under par. Rolling in six birdies, including two on the final three holes, the three-time defending champion put herself in contention to become the first player since 2005 to capture four straight Iowa Senior Women’s Amateur titles.
Just behind the past champ is Jesup’s Michelle Klein who earned a final round pairing following a two-over-par round of 73.
In the Super Senior Division, Creston’s Janis Owens leads the way following her opening round of (+5), 76. Going out in 41, Owens steadied the ship and reeled off nine straight pars to post an even-par 35 on her closing nine. Just behind Owens sits defending Super Senior Champ Jennifer Corkrean after posting (+7), 78. Rounding out the top three is Janece Schwartzkopf of Sebring with a solid round of (+8), 79.
Final round action gets underway this morning,
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