Schmitz Surges to Lead Minnesota Golf Champions After Two Rounds at Dellwood

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


  DELLWOOD, Minn. – For the first time in 12 years, Sammy Schmitz has the opportunity to do something no amateur in the state has been able to accomplish—knock off the best professional and amateur golfers to win the Minnesota Golf Champions.

Schmitz posted a 4-under par 68 during the second round Saturday at Dellwood Country Club and will take a sizeable four-shot lead over defending champion, Ryan Helminen, to Sunday’s final round.

“I kept the ball in play with no penalties—that’s two days with no penalties. I didn’t make any mistakes, I stayed patient and got up-and-down when I missed the green. It sounds simple, but I struck the ball really well today. Do that and keep the ball below the hole, you’ll have a good chance." 

Clayton Rask has dominated the event over the past several seasons, claiming five titles dating back to 2005, where his first victory came as an amateur at Minneapolis Golf Club as a member of the University of Minnesota golf team.

As one of seven players under par during Friday’s opening round, shooting 3-under par 69, Schmitz answered with an impressive, blemish-free round of 68 with three birdies on his front side before cruising over the final nine holes rolling in one birdie.

Sinking a short birdie at the second Saturday, Schmitz fell to 4-under for the championship before carding another at the par-4 fifth. A slippery, downhill birdie from 20 feet at the eighth gave Schmitz all the confidence he would need going forward as he jumped to the top of the leaderboard with just 18 holes to play.

“That was definitely a highlight that kept me in it,” Schmitz said of his birdie at No. 8 Saturday. “It could’ve easily ran off the green. I had a couple other five or six-foot putts that snuck in the hole and kind of kept things going.”

On a course where keeping the ball in the fairway is a must, Schmitz says he plans on staying aggressive playing with the lead during the final round Sunday.

“You try to play conservative off the tee but get aggressive after that. It’s a ball striker’s course and if you do that well, you’ll have some chances. I’ve been striking it well for two days so we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Schmitz’s best finish at the event came in 2013 when he finished as low amateur in second place behind Rask. 

After taking the early lead following a 6-under par 66 performance Friday, Ryan Helminen watched his lead evaporate by shooting a 3-over par 75 during the second round Saturday.

Helminen birdied the opening hole to start the second round, but gave back two shots with back-to-back bogeys at the second and third holes. A four-putt led to double bogey at the seventh and Helminen dropped to 3-under for the championship.

Stumbling at the 11th with another bogey, Helminen got back on track with a bogey at the 15th before failing to save par at the 16th. Rebounding for birdie at the 17th, Helminen finished the day at 3-under for the tournament and trailing Schmitz by four shots.

“I got off with a couple shaky putts early and had a four-putt at [No. 7] that derailed me a little bit,” Helminen said of his second round Saturday. “Overall I thought I hit it well, but still a little quirky on the greens. Yesterday I was hitting really good at the hole and make a few and you get four or five under early, it’s a lot easier to play instead of being two or three over.

“Hopefully get off to a good start tomorrow—I’m still in there, so I have a good shot. [Schmitz] is playing really solid, but I think I need to shoot something under par and see what happens. [Constable] is up there and he can shoot 65; Sammy is playing well, so I definitely have to be under par.”

Helminen trailed Donald Constable by two shots entering the final round of last year’s championship at Golden Valley Golf and Country Club before stringing together five birdies to win his first Minnesota Golf Champions tournament.

Constable, winner in 2014 at Golden Valley, along with Andy Jacobson and Jeff Sorenson will begin Sunday’s final round tied for third at 142, five shots back of Schmitz.

The 2017 Minnesota Golf Champions concludes Sunday with final-round tee times beginning at 10 a.m. at Dellwood Country Club.


For complete tournament results go to: https://mnpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpga17/event/mnpga176/contest/1/leaderboard.htm