Lily and Tony Vincelli First Father-Daughter Winners at MGA Mixed Amateur Team Championship

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  NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Playing 36 holes of bogey-free golf, including a 3-under 69 Thursday at Northfield Golf Club, Lily and Tony Vincelli earned a two-stroke victory at the 32nd Minnesota Golf Association Mixed Amateur Team Championship, becoming the first father-daughter champions in tournament history.

“That’s cool—it feels pretty good,” the younger Vincelli said after her first state win Thursday. “My dad usually caddies for me, so he’s used to helping me, but the last two days I felt like I was able to help him, too.”

“It almost makes me cry thinking of my dad—he was looking down on us,” said Tony Vincelli, whose father Pat, winner of three state championships, including the 2014 MGA Senior Players’ Championship on his home course at Brackett’s Crossing Country Club, passed away in 2020.

Opening with a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead during Wednesday’s opening round, the Vincellis got off to an ominous start Thursday when Tony Vincelli’s tee shot on the first hole went out of bounds, forcing his partner to hit from the men’s tees.

“We did not get off to a good start,” said Lily Vincelli. “I was a little nervous, but we ended up making par.”

Settling into their round, Lily Vincelli sank a 3-footer for birdie at the sixth to push her team to 7-under for the championship.

A 7-iron by Lily Vincelli at the par-4 left her dad with a short, but downhill bender, which he made to get to 2-under for the round. Tony Vincelli rolled in an 8-footer at the 12th to give his team the only lead they would need, posting a final-round 69 to beat the team of Jovie and Hogan Ordal and the twosome of Sophia Yoemans and Nate Stevens, who finished tied for second at 7-under 137.

“Today we were trying to have fun and commit to our shots, Lily Vincelli said. “We definitely played better yesterday. We stayed positive and were confident with our shots. I did have a few more shots I didn’t commit to, but we held in there.”

“I didn’t play great today,” Tony Vincelli said. “I thought she played awesome—she played as good today or better. The key today was whenever one of us was put in a pressure situation, they came up big. When somebody had to do something and hit a good shot, they did it.”

Lily Vincelli’s previous best finish came at last season’s Minnesota State Junior Girls’ Championship at Le Sueur Country Club, placing tied for sixth.

Tony Vincelli won back-to-back Lyle Cran Shortstop titles in 2002 and 2003 for his only previous state victories. In 2019, he finished two shots back of Justin Burleson at the MGA Mid-Amateur Championship for his best result since he placed second at the Krugel Invitational in 2015.

The Ordals posted a tournament-low 64 Thursday to jump up the leaderboard following Wednesday’s 1-over 73. The brother-sister tandem carded four birdies over their opening nine Thursday before an eagle a two more birdies helped them to a second-place finish at 137.

Recently named Mr. Minnesota Golf Nate Stevens and partner Sophia Yoemans, winner of the 2019 championship, bounced back from an early bogey Thursday by carding five bogeys over their next 14 holes to threaten the leaders at 8-under. Yoemans and Stevens bogeyed their 36th hole to finish two shots back at 137.

Posting a 5-under 67 during Wednesday’s first day of competition, North Dakota State University golfers Leah Skaar and Jed Baranczyk carded a 71 during Thursday’s final round to finish in fourth at 138.