Rasinski Wins MPGA Junior Public Links Championship at Emerald Greens

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  HASTINGS, Minn. – Paced by a bogey-free final 18 holes Sunday, Noah Rasinski earned a three-stroke victory over Carter Haley and Benjamin Johnson at the 2015 Minnesota Public Golf Association Junior Public Links Championship at Emerald Greens Golf Course.

Rasinski improves on a second-place finish last year at Bunker Hills Golf Club as Luke Johanson won his second straight title by four strokes at 1-under par 107.

“There aren’t that many tournaments left in the season so it feels good to get a win,” Rasinski said Sunday following his round. “I scored really well and only made two bogeys. I got most of what I could out of the round." 

Rasinski birdied the fourth hole during the first round Sunday to move to 1-under before failing to get up-and-down for par at the sixth.

Bouncing right back with another birdie at the par-5 seventh hole, Rasinski dipped below par for the round but would turn at even par with a bogey on the ninth. Rasinski rolled in four birdies on the back nine Sunday and would finish his opening round at 4-under par 68.

The top 14 players advanced to a final nine-hole round Sunday as Rasinski wasted little time with a birdie on the first hole to move to 5-under. He would add another birdie at the par-5 14th hole and would clinch the tournament at 6-under par 102.

“When I got to the back nine I started clicking and shot 32 with no bogeys,” Rasinski said after his win Sunday. “My driver was really on and I was in the middle of the fairway all day. You’re going to get a lot of chances out here if you do that. I finished with a good birdie on [No.18] and that kind of pushed me into the next round.”

“I was three down to [Brock Winter] to start so I thought I would need to shoot something really good. I told myself to play my game and see what happens. [Winter] started with a double and I birdied so we were square right there. I birdied both the par-5s on that nine and kind of put it on cruise control.”

Haley, the 2014 Class AA individual champion, carded three consecutive birdies to finish the front nine of the opening round Sunday before adding another at the par-5 10th hole to quickly jump to 4-under for the championship.

“That doesn’t happen very often,” Haley said of his birdie streak. “I’ve only done that a few times in my life so I was pretty excited about that.”

After back-to-back bogeys at the 15th and 16th holes, Haley would finish his first round at 2-under par 70. He would card a 1-under par 35 during the final nine holes Sunday to finish second at 105.

“I started off pretty well even though I wasn’t making any putts,” Haley said following his round Sunday. “My ball striking was really good and I think I missed three or four greens. I thought if I could get to 5-under I’d have a chance.”

Despite a third-place finish individually, Haley led Mankato East to its first team title in June before claiming the Minnesota Golf Association State Junior Boys Championship at Eagle Creek Golf Club in early July.

Johnson carded one birdie and one bogey during the opening nine Sunday before rolling in three birdies on the back to finish the first 18 holes at 3-under par 69.

During the final nine holes, Johnson rolled in nine consecutive pars to shoot even par 36 to finish tied for second at 105.

Winter carded an opening-round 65 to lead the field but came back with a 5-over par 41 over the final nine holes to finish fourth at 106.



2015 MPGA JUNIOR PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
EMERALD GREENS GOLF COURSE
HASTINGS, MINN.
6,361 YARDS, PAR 72


FINAL RESULTS
1. Noah Rasinski, 68-34—102
T2. Benjamin Johnson, 69-36—105
T2. Carter Haley, 70-35—105
4. Brock Winter, 65-41—106
5. Harrison Cooper, 72-34—106
6. Matthew Garside, 71-38—109
7. Daniel Chi, 74-37—111
T8. Justin Tanquist, 75-37—112
T8. Trey Fessler, 75-37—112
10. Caleb VanArragon, 76-39—115