Putter Lifts Baxley to Second Win at Twin Cities Championship

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  MEDINA, Minn. – After earning the first state title of his career at the Twin Cities Championship in 2006 at Edinburgh USA, Ralph Baxley waited 17 years before his next state victory, winning the Minnesota Public Golf Association Combination Championship last season at Pebble Creek Golf Club.

Less than nine months later, Baxley collected his third state championship, trickling in a 15-foot par putt on the final hole Sunday at Baker National Golf Course to edge Trent Peterson to win his second Twin Cities Championship crown.

“It’s kind of cool to win this tournament 18 years apart,” Baxley said following his win Sunday. “The fact that you can maintain the game for that long. I had a spell where I completely lost all sense of direction, but I’ve been working really hard and building everything back.

“I’ve been playing solid all year, but I’ve just been battling the putter and now the putts are finally going in.”

Firing a 1-over 73 Saturday at Theodore Wirth Golf Course, Baxley entered Sunday’s final round two shots off the lead and chipped in for birdie on the opening hole to quickly rise to the top of the leaderboard.

He took a step back with bogey at the third, but answered by converting back-to-back birdie chances at the fourth and fifth holes to reach 3-under for the championship.

Following a bogey at the par-4 ninth, Baxley two-putted from 10 feet at the 10th for birdie, and rolled in his 20-foot uphill putt for birdie on the ensuing hole.

Baxley failed to get up-and-down at the par-3 12th, resulting in bogey, but found his footing over his final six holes by making consecutive pars, including his final putt from 15 feet at the 18th after finding a greenside bunker with his approach.

“I knew the line was good, but I thought it was going to dive off at the end because I mishit it,” Baxley said of his final putt. “I heeled the putt slightly and thought I left it short. I was kind of surprised it got there—got a little lucky.

“Down the stretch I wasn’t really making anything, but at the same time, I wasn’t making any mistakes.”

With his win Sunday, Baxley put to rest a string of three runner-up finishes at the event since 2019, due in large part to his putter.

“I actually switched putters today—I missed a lot of short putts during the round yesterday,” he said.

Last season, Baxley joined forces with Ryan Conn to claim a three-stroke victory at Pebble Creek for both Baxley and Conn’s second state victory.

Entering Sunday’s final round with a share of the lead with Bobby Frazzini, Peterson struggled early by bogeying two of his first three holes before drawing even with back-to-back birdies at the fourth and fifth.

Peterson again took back-to-back bogeys at the seventh and eighth holes to turn in 1-over for the championship.

A two-putt birdie at the par-5 10th helped Peterson pull within one shot of the lead, but he was unable to capitalize on multiple birdie chances down the stretch, including an 8-footer at the 18th to force a playoff.

“I’m hitting my driver really well right now, but chipping was not good—it’s where I lost all my shots today,” Peterson said following his round Sunday. “Rough start with bogey-bogey, and that kind of put me behind the ball. Battled back and had a couple of putts coming in and just couldn’t make them.

“Ralph played good today, and he deserved to win.”

Former University of Minnesota golfer Harry Plowman Ollington carded a 2-over 74 to finish in a share of third place with 2018 champion Erik Bredesen at 3-over 147.



THE 33RD TWIN CITIES CHAMPIONSHIP
BAKER NATIONAL GOLF COURSE
MEDINA, MINN.
6,785 YARDS, PAR 72


SUNDAY’S FINAL RESULTS
1. Ralph Baxley, Bunker Hills GC, 73-70—143
2. Trent Peterson, Bunker Hills GC, 71-73—144
T3. Harry Plowman Ollington, University GC, 73-74—147
T3. Erik Bredesen, Doctor Krebs’ Hacks, 74-73—147
T5. Connor Herman, Fox Hollow GC, 77-71—148
T5. Braeden Sladek, Geneva GC, 74-74—148
T5. Matthew Foehse, Columbia GC, 74-74—148
T5. Topher Baron, Bunker Hills GC, 73-75—148
T5. Bobby Frazzini, Windsong Farm, 71-77—148
10. Joel B. Johnson, Links at Northfork, 77-73—150