Peterson's Putter Helps Him Earn a Second MGA Players' Championship Win

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  BRAINERD, Minn. – Before turning professional, Trent Peterson won the 2008 Minnesota Golf Association Players’ Championship over Tom Jenkins at Northland Country Club.

Regaining his amateur status in 2011 after trying his luck on mini-tours, Peterson quickly rose to the top of amateur golf in the state, winning three times shortly thereafter. Peterson claimed the Minnesota State Open for the first time in 2014 at Mendakota Country Club.

For the past three seasons the MGA Players’ Championship has been the most frustrating for Peterson as he finished runner-up in back-to-back seasons, losing to Minnesota Gopher Genki Hirayama at Interlachen Country Club in 2013 before Johnny Larson defeated Peterson in a playoff at the 2014 event at Woodhill Country Club.

Peterson was eliminated during the semifinals of the championship a year ago at Spring Hill Golf Club, losing to eventual winner Sam Matthew, 1-up.

The 2014 MGA Player of the Year put together one impressive round after another this week, defeating 2015 MGA Mid-Players’ champion Joe O’Brien, 4 and 3, Wednesday in the championship match at The Classic at Madden’s Resort to claim the trophy once again.

“This is the fourth year in a row that I’ve made the semifinals so to finally be able to get it done again feels amazing,” Peterson said following the win Wednesday. “I’ve been so close; this win might actually feel a little better because I’ve been playing really well the last couple of years.”

A determined Peterson putted his way into the late stages of the tournament as he trailed just 11 of the 89 holes he played over the course of six rounds.

“I putted fantastic all week and this morning’s round I putted lights out,” he said. “I made some great putts this afternoon. I have a routine and when you stay in your routine, you stay less nervous and it’s easier to play well.”

Peterson and O’Brien began the first four holes deadlocked Wednesday, even as both players put their approaches inside of three feet at the third. O’Brien would take the first lead of the match after Peterson found the hazard short of the fifth green.

Following a drop, Peterson put his fourth shot to the front of the green where he would concede the hole as O’Brien had eight feet left for birdie. Peterson bounced right back by dropping his six foot birdie putt at the sixth to even the match.

O’Brien got into trouble at the seventh, finding the hazard and then the edge of the sand after taking a drop. After rolling his fourth over the green, O’Brien conceded the hole to give Peterson his first lead of the match, 1-up.

Winning his third consecutive hole at the par-4 eighth, Peterson extended his lead to 2-up with a bogey. Reaching the par-5 10th green in two, Peterson eased his downhill eagle putt right of the hole for a tap-in birdie and would take a 3-up lead with eight holes to play.

Fully in control of the match, Peterson snuggled a 4-iron inside of three feet at the par-3 12th hole, converting birdie to take a commanding 4-up lead with only six holes to play.

As he did for the duration of the championship, Peterson shut down any possibility by his opponent to gain momentum during the match. Looking as though O’Brien could two-putt for a par to win the 13th, Peterson drained a 20-footer from the front fringe to halve the hole, as O’Brien could only shrug his shoulders and smile.

O’Brien would stay alive at the 14th with a fantastic sand save, but the two would have the next two holes as Peterson closed out the match at the 15th to win, 5 and 4.

During his semifinal match against Jon Sauer, Peterson rolled in three consecutive birdies starting at the par-3 second hole to take a 3-up lead before extending his lead to 5-up following back-to-back bogeys by Sauer at the fifth and sixth.

A birdie by Peterson put lead to 6-up at the turn, but with birdies at the 10th and 12th holes, Sauer showed signs of life to cut the deficit to four. A bogey by Sauer at the 13th gave Peterson another 5-up lead and he would close out the match at the 14th with par to win, 5 and 4.

O’Brien, Rush Creek Golf Club, advanced to the final match after defeating David Christensen, 1-up, during the semifinals Wednesday.

“I felt good—my ball-striking was there and my putting was really, really solid,” O’Brien said of his play before the final match Wednesday. “I was excited to be in contention but my putter kind of failed me this afternoon when it was a strength this morning.

“I thought I could get at least one of them back at [No. 13] and he made a putt from 20 feet up the hill and that was pretty much the dagger.”

After regaining his amateur status in early 2015, O’Brien defeated four-time MGA Player of the Year Sammy Schmitz at the 2015 MGA Mid-Players’ Championship at Wayzata Country Club for his first amateur victory.

“I’ll take away a lot of confidence from this week, I wasn’t playing very well coming in,” O’Brien said Wednesday. “It gives me a little boost going into the State Amateur and State Open and it gets me re-energized for the rest of the year.”