Defending Champ at MGA Players Championship is Ousted; More Upsets Follow

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter23@hotmail.com 


  EDINA, Minn. – The opening day of the 35th Minnesota Golf Association's Players Championship had more than a few suprises Monday at Interlachen Golf Club.

A threat of lightning caused nearly an hour delay as players, officials and spectators were evacuated from the golf course as the first round was finishing and the second round began. Once play resumed, more than a few matches had unexpected finishes.

Defending champion Andy Jacobson won his morning match against Jay Chapman, 3 and 2 but struggled in the afternoon match against David Rehfeldt of StoneRidge Golf Club. In a back and forth battle, Rehfeldt managed a 2-up lead through six holes with two birdies on the front side. The players were on the sixth fairway when tournament officials suspended play.

Fatigue and temperatures were becoming a factor as Rehfeldt said he began to feel ill shortly before play was halted.

"I almost didn't finish--if that rain delay doesn't hit, I would've quit," Rehfeldt said. "I had heat exhaustion so bad I could hardly stand up. I was a little concerned for a little while; I was going to give it one more hole and if it hadn't gotten better I would've conceded even though I was up two."

The stoppage allowed Rehfeldt to regain his composure but after play resumed Jacobson battled back on the ninth as he birdied the the 530-yard par-5 to draw within one.

Both players parred the 10th hole and Jacobson capitalized on a miscue by Rehfeldt on the 11th which led to bogey and Jacobson squared the match with seven holes to play.

It would be as close as Jacobson would get as he bogeyed three of his next four holes and Rehfeldt took a 2-up lead to the 16th. Both players made par on 16 and again on 17 as Rehfeldt clinched the match, 2 and 1.

"My short irons saved me all day. Inside of 120 yards I'll hit it inside of 10 feet eight out of 10 times," Rehfeldt said. "I probably had 15 putts inside of 10 feet today. The difference in the afternoon was that I kept the ball in play. I hit some fairways and greens. On 15 I hit a shot out of the rough with a 4-iron and kept it under some leaves that ran up to about eight feet--it's the best shot I've hit all year."

"I didn't really know he was the defending champion. I'm just happy to be playing still and happy to be breathing," Rehfeldt laughed.

Rehfeldt will face 2012 MGA Co-Junior Player of the Year Dominic Kieffer, Somerby Golf Club, in the Round of 16 Tuesday. Kieffer defeated Philip Mahal during Monday's opening round 2 and 1. Then in the afternoon, Kieffer made quick work of Geoff Klein of LeSueur Country Club, winning 6 and 5.

"I feel like my game was ready for today. I made a couple of clutch putts this morning down the stretch that was the difference. Off the first tee of the second match I figured it was going to be a close match but I made four birdies on the front side and was able to get out to a good lead," Kieffer said.

Both Kieffer and Klein made par on the first hole but that was a close as it would come. Kieffer won four straight holes, and with birdies on the sixth and ninth, had a commanding 6-up lead at the turn. Klein would win the 12th hole before Kieffer clinched the match on the 13th to win 6 and 5.

Greg Melhus, Links of Northfork, had an impressive first day as he upset third-ranked Matt Schneider, Pokegama GC, 2 and 1 in the morning session.

Schneider was one of two players who qualified for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship Sunday in Grand Rapids, Minn.

"I played nice and steady this morning. I got off to a quick start because Matt (Schneider) three-putted the first hole and then I birdied the second so I was 2-up early. He didn't control his spin on the greens as well as I did with his approach shots and it got him into trouble a few times. I made a couple of nice putts and was able to win the match," Melhus said.

Melhus has experience winning at Interlachen as he won the MGA Mid-Players Championship at in 2010.

In the afternoon session Melhus faced Miles Death, Burl Oaks GC, and again got out to a quick start with a birdie on the second and grabbed a 2-up lead with a par on the third.

"I had a similar match in the afternoon; I got off to an early lead again. From there I played safe with the lead and didn't make any mistakes. He got close a couple of times but then he'd make a mistake and this is a course that you can make a bogey at any point whether it's your tee shot, iron shot or pitch," Melhus said.

Death evened the match with a birdie on the sixth but Melhus won the next two holes and carried a 2-up to the 11th hole. Death won the 11th and 14th holes, but Melhus responded by winning the very next hole to maintain his 2-up lead before clinching the match on the 17th to win 2 and 1.

No. 5 ranked Kyle Beversdorf, Rush Creek GC, was another victim of the first round as he was upset by Kyle Pike 6 and 5. Pike went on to win his second round match as well, defeating Bennett Black, Alexandria GC, 2 and 1.

No. 7 ranked Jesse Bull, who lost to Troy Johnson in the Mid-Players Championship match at Island View Golf Club Thursday, was ousted in the first round losing to Dalton Charboneau, Sundance Golf Course, 1-up. Charboneau came from 2-down after 12 holes to win three of the final six holes to win.

In his afternoon match, Charboneau faced Scott Bodelson, Meadows at Mystic, where he started strong by winning the first hole and would never look back as he took a 4-up lead to the 14th hole and would clinch on the 16th to move to the Round of 16 Tuesday.

Sammy Schmitz, Valleywood Golf Course, advanced to the Round of 16 for the second straight year. Schmitz cruised in his first round match against Jeff Ferron, Valleywood Golf Course, winning 5 and 3.

Schmitz won the first three holes and had a 4-up lead at the turn. Schmitz increased his lead on the 14th before sealing the match on the 15th for the victory.

Schmitz faced former Gopher Jon DuToit, Chaska Town Course, in the Round of 32 and had all he could handle. Schmitz again got an early lead by winning four straight holes and taking a 4-up lead into the turn.

But DuToit wouldn't go quietly as Schmitz's 4-up lead vanished quickly and DuToit won holes 13, 15 and 16 to cut Schmitz's lead to 1-up with two holes to play. Both would par the 17th and Schmitz would clinch the match with a par on the final hole to win 1-up.

"I played really sharp this morning. I struck the ball well and started off well with some birdies and things were going good. Then in the afternoon I started going a little sideways off the tee and I was hitting out of the rough a lot," Schmitz said.

"I was 4-up with six to play and I won 1-up on the last hole. (DuToit) came back; I was 1-up with two to go and he drained a 25-footer to stay in the match. He bogeyed 18 and I had a 4-footer for par that he conceded.  Fatigue was a big difference; I don't play 36 holes a lot and it showed last week at Island View. Things tend to get a little sloppy in the afternoon rounds," Schmitz said.

Schmitz was eliminated in the third round last year at Windsong Farm in Independence, Minn., by Scott Thomas.

2008 winner Trent Peterson advanced to the Round of 16 as well with a close 1-up victory over Tyler Lowenstein, Rush Creek Golf Club, in Monday's morning session before cruising to a 5 and 4 victory over Charlie Braniff, St. Cloud Country Club, in the afternoon

"The first round I had couple of three-putts to give away holes and my driver found the trees and the rough a couple of times; I was just in survive mode. I was 3-up through nine but slowly let it slip away. It was all square coming into 18 and I hit a great shot to about two feet to make birdie and win," Peterson said.

In the second round Peterson said he hit his irons and driver better but still couldn't putt the ball.

"The greens are tough, my speed is good but I'm just not making any putts. I was hitting greens and two-putting for par puts pressure on my opponent. He missed a couple of greens and wasn't able to make par on a couple holes. But the key is definitely fairways and greens," he said.

Players will tee off for the Round of 16 beginning at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday

35th MGA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP
INTERLACHEN COUNTRY CLUB
EDINA, MINN.
PAR 72, 6,967 YARDS


ROUND OF 32 RESULTS

Rehfeldt def. Jacobson, 2 and 1
Kieffer def. Klein, 6 and 5
Polk def. Passanante, 4 and 3
Scanlon def. Butler, 2 and 1
Buege def. Benson, 4 and 3
Bell def. McCain, 4 and 2
Pike def. Black, 2 and 1
Peterson def. Braniff, 5 and 4 
Schmitz def. DuToit, 1-up
Carpenter def. Olson, 4 and 3
Charboneau def. Bodelson, 3 and 2
Matthew def. Auman, 4 and 2
Melhus def. Death, 2 and 1
Gustafson def. Gergen, 4 and 3
Hirayama def. Blackman, 2 and 1
Dan Moline def. Maxwell Tylke, 1-up

ROUND OF 64 RESULTS

Andy Jacobson, Eagle Creek GC, def. Jay Chapman, Interlachen CC, 3 and 2
David Rehfeldt, StoneRidge GC, def. Jordan Hawkinson, Chisago Lakes GC, 1-up (19 holes)
Dominic Kieffer, Somerby GC, def. Philip Mahal, Baker National GC, 2 and 1
Geoff Klein, LeSueur CC, def. Karter Smith, Ironman GC, 2 and 1
Jesse Polk, Hastings CC, def. Derek Brinker, Minnesota Valley GC, 3 and 2
Andrew Passanante, Moorhead CC, def. Topher Baron, Sawmill GC, 3 and 2
Kyle Scanlon, Stillwater CC, def. Greg Werner, Wilds Golf Club, 7 and 6
John Butler, Links at Northfork, def. Alex Uloth, Crystal Lake GC, 3 and 2
Colton Buege, Fox Hollow GC, def. Sam Morse, Highland National GC, 2 and 1
Andrew Benson, Minnetonka, def. Robert Stocker, St. Cloud, 1-up
Robert Bell, University Les Bolstad, def. Eric Kolkind, Wild Marsh GC, 1-up (19 holes)
Andrew McCain, Braemar GC, def. Alex Kline, Links at Northfork, 4 and 3
Cory Pike, Elk River GC, def. Kyle Beversdorf, Rush Creek GC, 6 and 5
Bennett Black, Alexandria GC, def. Dillon Schultz, Springfield GC, 1-up (20 holes)
Trent Peterson, Valleywood GC, def. Tyler Lowenstein, Rush Creek GC, 1-up
Charlie Braniff, St. Cloud CC, def. Dave Carothers, Wild Marsh GC, 6 and 5
Sammy Schmitz, Valleywood GC, def. Jeff Ferron, Valleywood GC, 5 and 3
Jon DuToit, Chaska TC, def. Gus Kellom, Rush Creek GC, 4 and 3
Hudson Carpenter, Stillwater CC, def. Leif Carlson, Valleywood GC, 5 and 4
Trenton Olson, Village Green GC, def. Bobby Thomas, Brackett’s Crossing CC, 1-up (21 holes)
Dalton Charboneau, Sundance GC, def. Jesse Bull, Golden Valley G&CC, 1-up
Scott Bodelson, Meadows at Mystic, def. Eric Deutsch, Rochester CC, 1-up
Nick Auman, Links at Northfork, def. Tim Hamm, Rush Creek GC, 3 and 1
Sam Matthew, Midland Hills CC, def. Andrew Layton, Keller GC, 3 and 2
Greg Melhus, Links at Northfork, def. Matt Schneider, Pokegama GC, 2 and 1
Miles Death, Burl Oaks GC, def. Tony Vincelli, University Les Bolstad, 2 and 1
Dylan Gergen, Mendakota CC, def. Kane Bauer, Valleywood GC, WD
Scott Gustafson, Hazeltine National GC, def. Tony Krogen, Rush Creek GC, 4 and 3
Genki Hirayama, University Les Bolstad, def. Jesse Larson, LeSueur CC, 1-up (19 holes)
Josh Blackman, Mankato GC, def. Alex Thorson, Austin GC, 10 and 8
Dan Moline, Ridgeview GC, def. Brian Loushine, Chisago Lakes GC, 4 and 3
Maxwell Tylke, Valleywood GC, def. Patrick Larkin, St. Cloud CC, 2 and 1