Lehman, Larson, Peterson and Doeden Reach Semis at MGA Players' Championship

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


WAYZATA, Minn. – Minnesota native Tom Lehman won the Minnesota Golf Association Players’ Championship in 1980 and successfully defended his crown in 1981 at Woodhill Country Club.

After 33 years, another Lehman looks to hoist the Players’ Championship trophy at Woodhill as Jim Lehman downed Christian Klein, 4 and 3, before fighting off Jesse Bull Tuesday to earn a spot in the semifinals against Johnny Larson.

Lehman, Windsong Farm, continued his strong play Tuesday as he opened his morning match against Klein with back-to-back birdies on the second and third holes before taking a 3-up lead on the fourth after a Klein double-bogey.

Klein, Woodhill Country Club, cut into Lehman’s lead on the sixth hole and rolled in a birdie on the ninth hole to trail by just one heading to the back nine. Lehman settled in on the final nine holes to win both the 10th and 11th holes to take a 3-up lead and increased it to 4-up after winning the 13th.

With both players making par on the 14th, Lehman closed out his match on the 15th as Klein was unable to stage a late comeback.

Jesse Bull, Golden Valley Golf and Country Club, presented the biggest challenge for Lehman as he took an early lead as Lehman made bogey on the opening hole.

Bull rolled in a birdie on the fourth hole to take a 2-up lead, but Lehman came charging back by winning three consecutive holes to finish the front nine and take a 1-up lead to the back.

Bull squared the match on the 11th, once again taking advantage of a Lehman bogey, but would run out of gas from there as Lehman took control of the match on the 14th, before knocking his approach on the 411-yard, par-4 15th hole to a couple of feet with a blind shot from the fairway.

Lehman made his birdie on 15 and after Bull made bogey on the 17th, Lehman closed out the match, 3 and 1.

“I got off to a good start again this morning. My opponent [Klein] had a rough start so I got up early and he had a nice little comeback, but I played really solid,” Lehman said. “I made a bunch of pars and was around even for the round and this afternoon it was the same thing, just even par golf—nothing fancy. For an old guy I did okay.”

Lehman said the shot of the tournament was his approach on the 15th as he held a 1-up lead late with Bull beginning to struggle.

“I was only 1-up at the time and he had a tough spot in the trees. I was in the fairway but somewhat blocked by an overhanging tree and had to hit a cut 7-iron, which is not my normal shot, and I hit it to two feet and made birdie,” he said.

Last year’s MGA Senior Player of the Year, Lehman, who’s 56, says he playing some of his best golf recently.

“I had a really good year last year and I would say I’ve been investing in my game,” he said. “I’m trying to play in more tournaments over the winter and I feel like my investment is paying off. It’s kind of a fun thing for an older guy to beat some of these younger players. I couldn’t win the senior event, maybe I can win this one.”

Johnny Larson, Decotah Ridge Golf Club, took down 2013 MGA Amateur Champion Sam Matthew, 1-up, before edging J.T. Johnson by the same score with a late surge to advance to the semifinals.

Matthew took a 1-up lead after winning three consecutive holes against Larson, but Larson rallied right back to win the next three holes to take a 2-up lead after 14.

Matthew rolled in a birdie on the 15th to trail by just one, but Larson would hang on to win with three straight pars to close out the match.

In his afternoon match against Johnson, Larson trailed early after Johnson made birdie on the second hole. Larson responded with a birdie on the fifth to even the match.

Johnson made birdies on the seventh and ninth holes and took a 2-up lead to the 15th hole. Larson won the next three holes to swing the match in his favor and held off Johnson as both made par on the final hole to win, 1-up.

“I played really good in the morning and in the afternoon I hit a couple of squirrely shots—it gets to be a long day,” Larson said. “I finished as well as I could have. I was down two holes with four to go and made a couple of birdies to sneak it out.”

After advancing to the semifinals, Larson said accuracy off the tee is crucial at Woodhill.

“I’ve been keeping it between the trees, this is a really tight golf course,” he said. “Yesterday was the first time I saw the course so I hit a lot of 3-irons and 3-woods off the tee to keep it in play. The greens are perfect so I need to keep making putts and keep the ball in the fairway tomorrow.”

Trent Peterson, Valleywood Golf Course, cruised during both of his matches Tuesday, beating Jonathan Hanner, 6 and 4, before downing Dylan Gergen, 6 and 5, to advance to the semifinals for the second straight year.

“I played good this morning. I was one or two under and really took advantage of the par-3s,” he said. “I chipped in on 13, which was the dagger because I made birdie on the next hole to finish it off.”

Peterson never trailed during his quarterfinal match against Gergen, Mendakota Country Club, and took a commanding 5-up lead after 11 holes. He closed out the match on the 13th hole to win, 6 and 5.

“This afternoon I played just flawless,” Peterson said. “I was 6-under after 13 holes—no bogeys, just pars and birdies. I’m hitting my irons good and hitting fairways; I’m giving myself good looks and keeping the ball below the hole, so it’s making it a lot easier.”

Peterson will face Justin Doeden in Wednesday’s semifinals as Doeden downed Dominic Kieffer, 1-up, Tuesday before winning the final hole during his afternoon match to defeat Ross Miller, 1-up.

In a back and forth quarterfinal match, Miller, Riverwood National Golf Course, took the early lead but Doeden fired back numerous times to keep the match close.

Winning the seventh and eighth holes, Doeden evened the match heading to the back nine and grinded his way to his first lead of the match on the 15th hole with a birdie.

Miller dropped a birdie putt on the 17th to even the match once again, but Doeden closed out the match on the final hole with a par to win, 1-up.  



36TH MGA PLAYERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
WOODHILL COUNTRY CLUB
WAYZATA, MINN.
6,575 YARDS, PAR 71


TUESDAY’S ROUND OF 16 RESULTS
Jim Lehman, Windsong Farm, def. Christian Klein, Woodhill CC, 4 and 3
Jesse Bull, Golden Valley G&CC, def. Troy Johnson, Rush Creek GC, 1-up
Johnny Larson, Decotah Ridge GC, def. Sam Matthew, Keller GC, 1-up
J.T. Johnson, Valleywood GC, def. Matt Rachey, Island View GC, 6 and 4
Trent Peterson, Valleywood GC, def. Jonathan Hanner, Baker Nat’l GC, 6 and 4
Dylan Gergen, Mendakota CC, def. Freddy Thomas, Brackett’s Crossing CC, 4 and 3
Ross Miller, Riverwood Nat’l GC, def. Ben Welle, Village Green GC, 5 and 4
Justin Doeden, Legends Club, def. Dominic Kieffer, Somerby GC, 1-up


TUESDAY’S QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
Jim Lehman def. Jesse Bull, 3 and 1
Johnny Larson def. J.T. Johnson, 1-up
Trent Peterson def. Dylan Gergen, 6 and 5
Justin Doeden def. Ross Miller, 1-up