Conzemius, Armstrong, Hanstad and Stevens Still Standing at MGA Players

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  HASTINGS, Minn. – For a second consecutive day, Joe Conzemius remains the player to beat at Hastings Golf Club.

Playing on his childhood course at this week’s 46th Minnesota Golf Association Players’ Championship, Conzemius earned the tournament’s top seed by firing a 9-under 63 during qualifying Monday.

On Tuesday, the 2003 Hastings High School graduate picked up two victories to begin the match play portion of the championship to advance to the semifinals Wednesday, searching for his fourth state title since 2017.

“My game held up pretty well,” Conzemius said following his quarterfinal victory Tuesday. “I didn’t make as many putts today, but it was harder out there. The wind was really blowing—I had a hard time gauging it on a few shots.

“Pars were good scores, and if you could sneak in a birdie, it was a bonus.”

Conzemius rallied during his back nine of his opening match against University of St. Thomas golfer Owen Rexing to advance with a win, 3 and 2.

Facing Brent Dickerman during the quarterfinals late Tuesday, Conzemius took advantage of a Dickerman bogey at the sixth and converted his birdie chance to take the only lead he would need, going on to defeat Dickerman, 3 and 2.

Winner of the 2017 Minnesota Public Golf Association State Public Links Championship at Hastings Golf Club, Conzemius’ game plan this week revolves around his ability to get off the tee.

“Keep the ball in play,” he said. “This is a course where if you’re in the fairway, you’ve got wedges in your hands and chances to make birdies. If you’re offline, you’re punching out and going to be scrambling for par.”

Conzemius will face another Tommie golfer in Matt Armstrong during Wednesday’s semifinal round.

Armstrong, winner of the 2022 MGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship with partner Cole Nasby at Le Sueur Country Club, won the first hole of his match against Joel B. Johnson early Tuesday and cruised to the quarterfinal round with the victory, 7 and 6.

Facing 2021 champion Max Tylke during Tuesday’s afternoon session, Armstrong took an early lead but trailed Tylke by one heading to the back nine.

Pulling even with Tylke by carding birdie at the 13th, Armstrong took his second lead of the match at the 15th before Tylke struck back with birdie at the 16th.

A two-putt par at the 18th gave Armstrong the victory, 1-up, to reach the semifinals for his first time in four appearances at the championship.

After falling to Brock Winter in the finals a year ago at St. Cloud Country Club, former Northfield High School standout Nate Stevens on Tuesday rallied during his quarterfinal match late on the back nine to reach the semifinal round Wednesday, moving closer to his first state win since claiming back-to-back Class AAA individual state titles in 2021 and 2022.

“I was actually glad to see it was going to be windy today because I feel like I can flight the ball pretty well and use it to my advantage,” Stevens said Tuesday.

The University of Notre Dame golfer took an early lead against Augsburg University’s Stellan Orvick, and never looked back, advancing to the quarterfinal round with his victory, 3 and 2.

Facing University of New Mexico’s Carson Herron Tuesday afternoon, Stevens trailed by three after 10 holes—losing the 10th despite making birdie.

Stevens rolled in a 25-footer for birdie at the 11th and then converted his birdie chance from eight feet at the 12th to pull within one of Herron.

Capitalizing on bogeys by Herron at the 13th and 15th, Stevens took his first lead of the match before both Herron and Stevens birdied the 16th.

Getting up-and-down to save par at the 17th earned Stevens a spot in the semifinals for the second time in as many seasons. He will face two-time MGA Mid-Players' champion Bryce Hanstad during the semifinal round early Wednesday.

“I stayed really patient and tried not to get frustrated when I was playing decent golf and losing holes,” Stevens said. “That was the key to sticking with it on the back nine.

“There are a ton of birdies out here, so you can’t get ahead of yourself.”

Hanstad, who was denied a third consecutive MGA Mid-Players’ title a week ago when he fell in the semifinal round to Max Tylke at Deacon’s Lodge, moved two steps closer to his sixth state win Tuesday after escaping his Round of 16 match against University of St. Thomas golfer Owen Rexing in 21 holes.

A former Colorado State University golfer, the 37-year-old Hanstad bounced back from an early deficit against former University of Minnesota golfer Jacob Pedersen, took control of the match by winning three consecutive holes beginning at the fourth, taking the lead, 3 -up.

The two each carded eight consecutive pars before Hanstad closed out the match at the par-3 15th with a par to advance, 4 and 3.

The semifinal round of the 46th MGA Players’ Championship is scheduled to begin Wednesday at 7:46 a.m. at Hastings Golf Club.