A 68 Gives O'Brien First-Round Lead at MGA Mid-Amateur

By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  ROCHESTER, Minn. – It’s been a little over a year since Joe O’Brien regained his amateur status and he’s wasted little time showcasing his playing abilities.

He claimed the 2015 Minnesota Golf Association Mid-Players’ Championship at Wayzata Country Club in June before contending during the first two rounds of the Minnesota State Open at Mendakota Country Club in July.

O’Brien fired a 4-under par 68 at Somerby Golf Club Tuesday to open the 28th MGA Mid-Amateur Championship on top of the leaderboard by one shot.

A field of 186 players will play one round each at Somerby Golf Club and Rochester Golf and Country Club before the top 60 players, plus ties, will advance to the final round at Rochester Golf and Country Club Thursday.

The first round couldn’t have started much better for O’Brien as he rolled in back-to-back birdies on the first and second holes to quickly drop to 2-under for the tournament.

Adding another pair of birdies at the 11th and 12th would put O’Brien at 4-under par before he sank his birdie look at the par-4 15th, moving to 5-under.

O’Brien, Rush Creek Golf Club, made just one mistake Tuesday as he carded a bogey at the 16th and would finish the opening round at 68.

Joe McCormick will begin Wednesday’s second round just one shot behind O’Brien as McCormick fired a 3-under par 69 Tuesday at Somerby.

McCormick, Crow River Golf Club, got off to a solid start as well, rolling in his birdie chances on two of the first three holes to quickly move to 2-under par.

Taking advantage of another birdie opportunity at the par-4 10th hole, McCormick moved to 3-under before taking a bogey at the 12th. He would answer by rolling in a birdie look at the 14th, but fell back to 1-under after a double-bogey at the 16th.

McCormick, who qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship on Thursday at Edinburgh USA, carded an eagle on the final hole Tuesday to finish the opening round at 3-under par 69, trailing by a stroke.

Jesse Polk, Somerby Golf Club, and Jesse Larson, LeSeuer Country Club, both carded rounds of 1-under par 71 at Somerby Golf Club Tuesday to finish the first day of competition tied for third.

The 2015 Mid-Amateur Championship continues Wednesday with tee times scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. at both Somerby Golf Club and Rochester Golf and Country Club.