Kraft leads state stroke play tournament

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Dustin Jensen / For The Sun Laura Kraft plays a shot during the opening round of the state stroke play tournament at Hillcrest Golf Course on Monday. She leads by two strokes going into the final round. She’s attempting to win the tournament for the third straight year.

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Laura Kraft is one good round from another three-peat.

The former Blue Jay standout has a two-stroke lead after one round of the North Dakota Women’s State Stroke Play Tournament.

Kraft, who golfs collegiately at the University of Missouri, shot a 2-over par 74 and holds a two-shot lead over Theresa Burns of Bismarck going into today’s final round at Hillcrest.

“I felt like I played pretty well,” said Kraft, who won three straight high school state titles from 2010-12. “My irons were going pretty well. I’ve been working on that a lot this summer, so that was good to see.”

Kraft won last year’s stroke play state tournament at Heart River in Dickinson. She took the 2010 title at Grand Forks County Club.

Kraft had two birdies on the front nine and one more on the back and mixed in five bogeys in the round.

“I played a couple practice rounds recently (at Hillcrest). It’s nice to have that home-field advantage, and I get to sleep in my own bed,” she said.

Eight players participated in the championship flight. Kraft, Burns and Katie Nelson of Bismarck (77) had the only rounds in the 70s.

The tournament also featured four additional flights.

LeeAnn Townsend of Oxbow holds a commanding six-stroke lead over Dickinson’s Rachel Jahner, 76-83, in the first flight.

Another Oxbow golfer, Mary Johnson, tops the second flight (84), but Jamestown’s Theresa Haag is just one shot back.

Joyce Heinrich (94) and Maria LeFevre (95) are in the hunt in the third flight. The two Hillcrest members are right on the heels of leader Norine Maier (93) of Dickinson.

Karen Olson, a Jamestown Country Club member, leads the fourth flight by two shots over Greta Lynn Paulsen, 93-95.

The second and final round begins at 8:30 a.m.

N.D. State Stroke Play Tournament

At Hillcrest Golf Course, Par 72

First round

Championship flight

1, Laura Kraft, Jamestown, 74; 2, Theresa Burns, Bismarck, 76; 3, Kate Nelson, Bismarck, 77; 4, Annie Nelson, Bismarck, 83; 5T, Bonnie Rolle, Minot, 87; 5T, Lindsay Reede, Mandan, 87; 7, McKenzie McMillan, Bismarck, 88; 8, Alexandra Liedholm, Mandan, 95.

Flight 1

1, LeeAnn Townsend, Oxbow, 76; 2, Rachel Jahner, Dickinson; 3, Mary Adams, Grand Forks, 86; T4, Kayla Barke, Williston; T4, Sierra Bennion, Jamestown, 87; 6, Marilyn Collins, Minot, 88; 7, Ann Williams, Fargo, 89; 8, Diane Knote, Dickinson, 91; 9, Barb Johnson, Fargo.

Flight 2

1, Mary Johnson, Oxbow, 84; 2, Theresa Haag, Jamestown, 85; 3, Amy Bushaw, Grand Forks, 90; 4T, Lisa Hart, Bismarck 92; 4T, Margaret Kuntz, Bismarck, 92; 6T, Christy Beck, Dickinson, 93; 6T, Diana Somervilla, Minot, 93; 9T, Annette Beattie, Jamestown, 103; 9T, Cheryl Wold, Oxbow, 103.

Flight 3

1, Norine Maier, Dickinson, 93; T2, Joyce Heinrich, Jamestown, 94; 3, Maria LeFevre, Jamestown, 95; T4, Eunice Milne, Jamestown, 98; T4, Marsheila Lickteig, Mandan, 98; T6, Gail Ingwalson, Grand Forks, 99; T6, Shelley Kappes, Oxbow, 99; 8, Ardean Ouellette, Dickinson, 101; 9; Evelyn Burgard, Jamestown, 103.

Flight 4

1, Karen Olson, Jamestown, 93; 2, Greta Lynn Paulsen, Mandan, 95; 3, Marj Mick, Bismarck 99; 4, Reggie Johnson, Minot, 100; 5, Betty Ament, Jamestown, 102; 6, Ann Geiszler, Jamestown, 106; 7, Alana Knittel, Minot, 108; 8, Georgette Dorval, Dickinson, 114; 9, Carol Henke, Jamestown, 115.

Sun sports editor Dave Selvig can be reached at (701) 952-8460 or by e-mail at dselvig@jamestownsun.com

Tags: sports, golf