Conzemius Earns Fourth State Title with Win at MGA Players' Championship

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  HASTINGS, Minn. – Carding a final-round 69 on his childhood course at Hastings Country Club, Joe Conzemius claimed the 2017 Minnesota Public Golf Association State Public Links Championship for the first amateur win of his career.

Playing his first competitive event at Hastings Golf Club this week since his first win, Conzemius edged Bryce Hanstad Wednesday, 1-up, to claim the 46th Minnesota Golf Association Players’ Championship.

“This is such a special place to me. It’s where I learned to play the game and it’s where I fell in love with the game," Conzemius said following his win. “I saw a lot of familiar faces around the golf course this week, and to be able to come out here and play well was really fun.”

At 39, Conzemius becomes the oldest player to win the championship since Joe Stansberry won the 1995 championship over Jay Coatta at Minneapolis Golf Club, also at 39-years-old.

“I’m getting older, and you never know if you’re going to get another win,” he said. “Winning golf tournaments is really hard, especially the [MGA Players and MGA Amateur] when you’re playing against the young kids and the college kids.

“This proves a lot to me—I can still come out and hang with the best players in the state.”

Trading punches most of the front nine during the final match Wednesday, Conzemius and Hanstad remained deadlocked through nine holes before Conzemius’ two-putt birdie at the 10th gave him the lead for good.

He followed it by dropping a 30-footer at the 11th to take a 2-up lead.

Hanstad pulled within one after a Conzemius bogey at the 13th, but Conzemius countered by rolling in a 10-footer for birdie at the 15th.

Making a late charge, Hanstad birdied the par-5 16th to cut Conzemius’ lead in half going to the final hole, but a two-putt par sealed a fourth state title for Conzemius.

“It’s been a lot of golf this week. You wake up, you’re a little tired and a little sore, and not swinging as free as you were at the beginning of the week,” Conzemius said. “You still have to find a way to get the ball in the hole."

Firing a 9-under 63 in dreadful conditions to claim the championship’s top seed during the qualifying round Monday, Conzemius was clearly the player to beat, playing 85 holes in a cumulative 10-under par this week.

Conzemius defeated University of St. Thomas golfer Owen Rexing, 3 and 2, to begin match play early Tuesday to reach the quarterfinal round for the first time in his seven appearances at the championship.

He then downed Brent Dickerman, 3 and 2, to reach Wednesday’s semifinal round where he ousted Tommie golfer Matt Armstrong, 2 and 1, to face Hanstad in the championship match.

Falling to Hanstad during the quarterfinal round of the MGA Mid-Players’ Championship at Deacon’s Lodge a week ago, Conzemius got a glimpse of what was in store for the finals Wednesday.

“I play a lot of golf with Bryce—he’s a good friend,” he said. “What was on my mind is that he’s a damn good player, and to win the match, I’d have to play really well. When you play Bryce, you can’t get behind him because he doesn’t give you anything or give holes away.”

Following his win in at the MPGA State Public Links in 2017, Conzemius earned his second state title with partner Will Hickey at the MGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Oak Ridge Country Club in 2018.

His third title came in 2022 at the MPGA Four-Ball Championship at Elk River Golf Club with partner Jordan Hawkinson.

Wednesday’s finish marks yet another impressive performance by the 37-year-old Hanstad, who claimed back-to-back MGA Mid-Players’ titles in 2022 and 2023 before opening the 2024 season with a round of 64 at the Twin Cities Open, where he placed fourth.

Advancing to the semifinal round each of the last two weeks, Hanstad has now earned six top-5 finishes, including a pair of victories since 2022.

“It was a little bit of a struggle—lost my swing this afternoon and, unfortunately, paid the price for it,” Hanstad said following his runner-up finish. “My putter and short game really carried me through this week and made up for it.”