Murphy Shoots 68 to Take Early Lead at MPGA Senior Public Links

  MAPLEWOOD, Minn. – Firing a 2-under par 68 Saturday at Goodrich Golf Club, Greg Murphy took the early lead at the 2015 Minnesota Public Golf Association Senior Public Links Championship.

Murphy will take a one-stroke lead into the final round Sunday as both defending champion J.T. Johnson and Randy Siemers carded rounds of 1-under par 69 Saturday to open the championship tied for second.

Murphy, Keller Golf Club, recorded back-to-back birdies at the fourth and fifth holes Saturday but would make the turn at even par after back-to-back bogeys at the eighth and ninth holes.

He would get back to 2-under par with another pair of birdies at the 10th and 11th holes before giving away a stroke with a bogey at the 12th.

Murphy would finish his day on a high note as he rolled in his birdie putt at the par-3 17th to shoot 68, sitting atop the leaderboard following the first round of play.

Johnson, Valleywood Golf Course, opened the tournament with birdies at the fourth and eighth holes before making bogey at No. 9 to make the turn at 1-under.

He played a steady back nine with nine consecutive pars to shoot 69 and finish the opening round one shot off the lead.

Carding a 4-under par 67 during the opening round at last year’s championship, Johnson would shoot 76 on the final day to defeat Paul Commers by one stroke at 143 to win his first MPGA Senior Public Links Championship at Pokegama Golf Course.

Siemers, Pebble Creek Golf Club, will also begin the final round Sunday one shot off the lead as he carded 69 during the initial 18 holes of competition Saturday.

A birdie at the par-5 fourth hole quickly dipped Siemers into red numbers but he would follow it with a bogey at the fifth.

Rolling in his second birdie of the round at the seventh, Siemers would make the turn at 1-under par before rolling in three more birdies, countered with three bogeys over the final nine holes to finish the day tied for second at 1-under par 69.

Ser Lee, Goodrich Golf Club, and Rick Frieburg, Monticello Country Club will begin the final round Sunday tied for fourth as both players carded rounds of 2-over par 72 Saturday, four shots off the lead.

The final round of the 2015 MPGA Senior Public Links Championship gets underway Sunday, with tee times beginning at 9 a.m. at Good Rich Golf Club.


For complete tournament results go to: http://tpp.ghin.com/Club/Scoring/resultsStroke.aspx?id=61723&fid=99719