Final Four: Hanstad, Tylke, Peterson and Conn Last Remaining at MGA Mid-Players

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  BREEZY POINT, Minn. – Starting with a field of 32 players early Monday, only four golfers remain following Tuesday’s quarterfinal round at the 18th Minnesota Golf Association Mid-Players’ Championship at Deacon’s Lodge.

Bryce Hanstad, the two-time defending champion, picked up two more victories Tuesday, moving his record to 16-0 since the beginning of the 2022 championship.

Eyeing the first three-peat in tournament history, Hanstad will first have to get past 2021 MGA Players’ champion Max Tylke, who survived a playoff to advance from pool play early Tuesday before reaching the semifinals with a victory over Jesse Polk, 3 and 2.

“First time I’ve ever played [Hanstad], so I’m excited—he’s going to be difficult. I’m going to have to play really well,” Tylke said after reaching the semifinal round. “It’s going to come down to who can hit the ball straight off the tee and make a couple more birdies. It should be a fun match; I’m looking forward to it.”

Eligible for the 30-and-over event for the first time, Tylke is in search of the 10th state victory of his career, recording at least one victory over the past eight consecutive seasons.

Tylke made a late run during the final round of pool play early Tuesday, but fell short to Wiemiller, 2 and 1, to force a playoff for a seat in the quarterfinal round.

“I did my job,” Tylke said of earning a spot in the quarters against Polk. “Second match was up-and-down, and as the wind picked up, it didn’t get any easier.”

Grabbing a 1-up lead with a birdie at the ninth, Tylke took control of the match with a two-putt birdie at the par-5 14th and hung on for the victory, 3 and 2.

“The key has been to make sure the high numbers are out of play," Tylke said. "Other than the last hole, I was pretty much in contention on every hole. With the conditions out here, you can get into a bogey or double-bogey situation, and in match play, that’s just giving away holes."

Trent Peterson, winner of the 2017 and 2019 championships, needed a pair of late birdies to get past Casey Nelson to reach the quarterfinal round Tuesday.

Taking advantage of early troubles by Jesse Larson to start the afternoon session, Peterson built a 3-up lead after nine holes before stringing together three birdies over a four-hole span to close out the match at the 14th hole, 6 and 4.

“I’m just getting my legs under me—yesterday morning was my first round in Minnesota this year,” Peterson said Tuesday. “I’ve been hitting the driver well and hitting a lot of greens. With the repetitions, getting better with each round.

“Early yesterday, I was a little tentative and steering the ball out there. “As I get more comfortable, I can actually just swing at it.”

Peterson faces Ryan Conn during the semifinal round early Wednesday.

Conn, who has fallen to Hanstad in the final each of the last two seasons, went undefeated in pool play before taking the lead for good at the ninth hole with a birdie during his quarterfinal matchup against Jeremy Tetrault.

Taking advantage of a Tetrault bogey at the 12th, Conn closed out the match by winning the 15th, 4 and 3.

Since winning his first state title in 2019 at the MGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship, Conn has finished inside the top-5 on 16 occasions, including a staggering six runner-up finishes.

The semifinal round of the 18th MGA Mid-Players’ Championship is scheduled to begin at 7:50 a.m. Wednesday at Deacon’s Lodge, followed by the start of the championship match.