Late Birdies Give Anderson 3-Stroke Lead in Mid-Amateur

View full size image

ROSEVILLE -- Fall arrived in the Twin Cities on Monday. One of those upleasant fronts that meteorologists talk about blew in around midnight, and with it came clouds, cooler temperatures and rain, although not that much of the wet stuff. 

On a somewhat similar but even uglier day in May of 2009, John Anderson turned in a virtuoso performance in the final round of the Minnesota State Senior Open, shooting a 5-under-par 67 on The Links at Northfork to win the tournament by five strokes.

He was at it again on Monday. This time it was the first round of the State Mid-Amateur (for players 30 years old or older) at Midland Hills Country Club, and the 53-year-old Anderson put together a 4-under 68 to claim a three-stroke lead.

Through 14 holes, he hadn't really distinguished himself. He was 1 under at that point. But then he birdied the 354-yard, par-4 15th, the 195-yard, par-3 16th and the 530-yard, par-5 17th and separated himself from the pack.

Troy Johnson, the 2010 Mid-Am champ, shot a 71 and is tied for second with J.T. Johnson, a former State Publinx Mid-Am champ (but not related to Troy). 

Another stroke behind are the defending champ, Sammy Schmitz, and last year's runner-up, Steve Chesley, the former state high school champion who took a lengthy break from tournament golf, mainly because he wasn't playing all that well, and then pretty much found his game when he returned to action four years ago.

Since rejoining the fray in his late 30's, Chesley has held his own against the college guys, winning the Krugel Invitational at Mankato GC twice and finishing in the top 10 at the 2010 State Amateur.

He had what had to be Monday's most interesting round. You could almost describe it as bi-polar. Things didn't look too promising after he completed the back nine (his first nine) at Midland in 40 strokes. But he had a four-hole stretch of virtually perfect golf in the middle of the front nine. 

It started with a birdie at the 408-yard, par-4 third hole and really got going on the next hole, a 136-yard par-3, where Chesley dunked a wedge shot for a hole in one. He nearly holed another, shorter wedge shot, for a second consecutive eagle at the 474-yard, par-5 fifth. After tapping in for a birdie there, he bogeyed the par-5 sixth, but bounced back by nearly making another hole in one at the 174-yard, par-3 sixth hole, where his tee shot came to rest within 6 inches of the cup. 

Chesley concluded the nine the way he started it, with two pars, for a 32. 

There are 231 players in this year's Mid-Am -- there were 239, but a DQ, an NC, four NS's and two WD's reduced the number -- and they are playing two courses during the first two rounds: Midland Hills and Town & Country Club. Wednesday's final round will be played at Midland.

Of the players who were in the top five at the end of Monday's opening round, only Schmitz played T&C. The 2011 MGA Player of the Year got off to a less-than-stellar start, with bogeys at the first two holes. Over the next 13 holes, he made five birdies and two bogeys to get to 1 under, but a bogey at the par-5 16th put hm back at even par. 

MINNESOTA GOLF ASSOCIATION

State Mid-Amateur Championship

At Midland Hills (par 72, 6,533 yards)

Roseville

and at Town & Country Club (par 72, 6,381 yards)

St. Paul 

First-round results

1. John Anderson                68

T2. J.T. Anderson                71

T2. Troy Johnson                71

T4. Sammy Schmitz            72

T4. Steve Chesley              72

T6. Kane Bauer                   73

T6. David Steingart            73

T6. Don Howe                     73

T6. Jim Lehman                  73

T6. Tony Daffer                   73

T6. Andrew Layton            73

T6. Carl Horsch                  73

T6. Will Hickey                   73

T6. Bradley Andvik            73

T6. Phil Ebner                    73

T6. Philip Mahal                73