NDSU Teammates Galvin and Simonich Survive Playoff to Win MGA Four-Ball

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  BECKER, Minn. – Despite a late bogey during the final round Wednesday, North Dakota State University teammates Josh Galvin and Ian Simonich carded a 4-under 68 and survived a one-hole playoff with 2020 champions Dave and Mike Christensen at Pebble Creek Golf Club to claim the 61st Minnesota Golf Association Amateur Four-Ball Championship.

“I haven’t had the feeling of a real tournament win since the Pine to Palm in 2020,” Simonich said. “I’ve been close a few times and finished runner-up last year, but I never seem to get there on the last day. Josh has had such a great summer, and he knows how to get it done, so I was hoping to see that and get it going today.”

“This is my first MGA win–it’s always nice to have one,” said Galvin.

Following a 6-under 66 during their opening round Tuesday, Galvin and Simonich entered Wednesday’s round one shot back of the leaders, quickly erasing the deficit with a birdie at the par-5 second.

The two would give back a stroke with a bogey on the ensuing hole, but Simonich answered by sinking a 40-foot putt for birdie at the fourth to put his team back at 7-under for the championship.

Galvin, a graduate of Maple Grove High School, rolled in a 15-footer for birdie at the eighth, and two-putted for birdie at the ninth to send his team to their final nine holes at 3-under for the day.

Simonich’s short birdie at the par-4 10th put the two at 10-under for the championship before they took the outright lead with a birdie at the 14th with another two-putt birdie from Galvin.

The Bison teammates would stumble into the clubhouse at 10-under 134 following a bogey at the par-5 16th to finish in a share of the lead with the Christensens, forcing a playoff.

In for par on the first playoff hole, Galvin and Simonich watched both Dave and Mike Christensen three-putt for bogey to give Galvin and Simonich a victory in their final event of the summer season.

“We got off to a rocky start and the vibe was a little bit off,” Simonich said. “We needed to make birdies—being one behind really good players like Pedersen and Winter and the Christensens.”

“We didn’t waste many birdies—the only hole we both birdied today was [No. 2],” Galvin added, “we picked the right time to make birdies.”

Simonich, the former standout at Moorhead High School who earned MGA Junior Boys’ Player of the Year honors in 2019, earns his fifth state victory in as many seasons and finally pushes past his three runner-up finishes in his last six starts at state events. 

Earning his first state win at the Minnesota State Junior Boys’ Championship at Pioneer Creek Golf Course in 2019, Simonich then was a part of the winning squad at the MGA Junior Team Championship the following month, earning medalist honors in the process.

Galvin’s first state victory came last season at the Birchmont Golf Tournament last season at Bemidji Town and Country Club, before he would defeat Simonich by 10 strokes to win the Red River Amateur Championship at Moorhead Country Club in June.

Both Galvin and Simonich will begin their junior season for the Bison this fall.

The cousins Christensen, who were looking for their second win at the championship in four seasons, got off to a sluggish start during Wednesday’s final round by playing their first six holes in even par.

Mike Christensen moved his squad to 8-under with his birdie at the seventh before Dave Christensen drilled a 25-footer for birdie at the ninth, turning in 2-under for the round.

Despite multiple chances during their back nine, the Christensens mustered just one birdie during their back nine when Mike Christensen converted his birdie opportunity at the 13th.

Dave Christensen kept his team’s chances alive by sinking a 15-footer for par at the par-3 17th before dropping a knee-knocker from four feet at the 18th to force extra holes.

“It was a tough day, really a battle,” Mike Christensen said following the final round. “It was awesome to see the two pars Dave made on 17 and 18 that we needed.

"This is golf—it’s the game we’ve grown up with and love. The highs and lows are what bring you back. We let one slip, but the important thing is we were out there together and able to compete.”

“The wind today really kept us off balance and we were on defense more than we were the first round,” Dave Christensen said. “We knew the pins were going to be in tougher spots and the course was going to be drier. Nothing around the greens felt very comfortable today, but another top finish for us at a state event is great. A little hard to swallow how it finished.”

Brett Benson and 2007 champion Trent Peterson flirted with the lead Wednesday, after entering the final round one shot back of the leaders.

Peterson’s birdie at the short par-4 11th moved his team to 9-under for the championship before earning a share of the lead following Benson’s birdie at the par-5 16th.

But a bogey on the final hole proved fatal as Benson and Peterson posted a final-round 69 to finish in third place at 9-under 135.

University of Minnesota golfers Connor Glynn and Harry Plowman Ollington fired back-to-back rounds of 68 to finish fourth at 136, while Gopher teammates and first-round co-leaders Jacob Pedersen and Brock Winter finished fifth at 137.