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Eaton and Klasse Defend Women’s Four-Ball Championship Title

Longtime playing partners Kim Eaton and Leigh Klasse defended their 2019 Arizona Women’s Four-Ball Championship, holding on to win this year’s edition at -5 overall. Eaton and Klasse followed up a first round 66 (-6) with a final round 73 (+1), good enough for a one-shot win over Breyana Matthews and Mari Miezwa (-4; 71-69).

“Yesterday, my partner (Klasse) putted lights out and made everything,” said Eaton after the win. “Leigh had five birdies and I had three, so I was a help on a couple of holes.”

Liz Waynick and Sue O’Connor finished tied for third at 145 (+1 overall) with Corey Weworski and Jamie Hoffmann, followed by Molly Steffes and Tori Totlis rounding out the Top 5 at 146 (+2).

Matthews and Miezwa narrowed their first round, five-shot deficit to one stroke after firing two-under-par through 10. But Eaton and Klasse would convert a lone birdie and bogey through the next six holes, to hold the lead by one. Klasse came up big when she converted a birdie on the 16, which proved to be the difference.

“Today, we didn’t hit the ball very well,” said Eaton, a seven-time Senior Women’s Player of the Year. “We did not make too many putts, but Leigh made a very crucial putt on the 16th hole for a birdie. If she would not have made that on 16, we would have been in a playoff right now. We’re just excited to sneak away with the win.”

“It was a different day today – it wasn’t as easy as yesterday,” said Klasse. “Yesterday, everything was going in. I just kind of just saw the lines better. Today was totally different.”

This is the fourth Arizona Women’s Four-Ball Championship title for Klasse and Eaton as partners (2014, 2016, 2019 and 2020). Combined, they have competed in nearly 80 USGA Championships including the U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Women’s Senior Open, U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links.

In the Net Division, Barbara Ross and Susan Yauk (67-62; 129) played a stellar second round on Wednesday, winning the Four-Ball Championship Overall Net title by six shots over Jackie Byrd and Linda Torkington (70-65; 135).

Ross said starting and finishing strong was one of the keys to their winning performance. The teammates each commended the format of the tournament, saying they played well off each other and had a good partnership.

Ross and Yauk are excited to build on their win, with both players saying they are happy to see AGA Women’s tournaments being played again, and are planning on participating in more events in the future.