By Rick Anderson

For the Grays Harbor News Group

WALLA WALLA —By her own admission, it was Hoquiam resident Gretchen Klein’s biggest-ever golf victory.

Klein led wire-to-wire to capture the Washington State Women’s Golf Association Senior Amateur tourney that concluded Wednesday at the Walla Walla Country Club.

With rounds of 75-76-80, the 59-year-old Klein finished with a 54-hole total of 231 and a one-stroke victory over Michelle Hood of Sammamish.

Composed exclusively of private-club members, the WSWGA is the oldest women’s golf association in the state, having been formed in 1922. Klein represents Grays Harbor Country Club.

“It’s a pretty big deal,” Klein said Friday. “I feel so honored to have my name on the trophy with all the past winners.”

Among the other perks, Klein earned the Ann Swanson Trophy for the low qualifier (based on the first-round score). The winner of numerous WSWGA titles and an inductee into several area golf Halls of Fame, Swanson grew up on Grays Harbor before moving to the Seattle area.

Klein entered the final round with a two-stroke lead over Hood, her playing partner for the final 18 holes. Although tied on a couple of occasions, she never relinquished the lead.

She still owned a two-stroke advantage before surviving some anxious moments on the par-5 finishing hole.

Klein’s tee shot found the trees and long rough and her attempted recovery hit a tree and ricocheted nearly into the adjacent 10th fairway.

With Hood destined for a par, Klein needed to get down in two from off the back of the green to avoid a playoff. She wound up rolling in a sliding downhill six-foot bogey putt to seal the victory.

Klein said fine ball-striking on her opening round wound up being crucial.

“I hit the ball pretty well. My driving was working well and I hit a lot of greens,” she related. “The third day, I just kind of hung in there.”

The victory capped a run of solid play for Klein. She and her husband, Ed, won a recent couples tournament in Skagit County by 15 strokes.