Troy Johnson Continues to Roll at MGA Players' Championship; Lehman, Peterson and Bull Advance

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  WAYZATA, Minn. – After losing in the final match of the Minnesota Golf Association Players’ Championship a year ago, Trent Peterson moved closer to redemption Monday, winning his first two matches at Woodhill Country Club.

Peterson, Valleywood Golf Course, cruised to a 6 and 5 victory over Travis Mauer to open the Round of 64 during Monday’s morning session before grinding out a 3 and 1 victory over Andy Petersen in the afternoon, advancing to the Round of 16.

“I played steady in the first round,” Peterson said, “but in the afternoon I played a lot better and made some good birdies. I hit some close shots and had a few easy tap-ins. It was a good match up, I gave some holes away, but I played a lot better.”

Peterson won the opening hole of his first match against Mauer and never wavered as he made the turn with a 5-up lead. He increased his lead to 6-up before closing out the match on the 13th hole to win, 6 and 5. Andy Petersen, Green Lea Golf Club, took the early 1-up lead before Trent Peterson rolled in a birdie on the second hole to square the match.

Trent Peterson grabbed the lead on the ninth, but gave the 10th hole right back to Andy Peterson, and the match was square again. With birdies on the 11th and 14th holes, Trent Peterson jumped out to a 2-up lead and closed out the match with another birdie on the 17th hole to win, 3 and 1.

“My iron game was really good. I felt like I was 150-yards on every hole, so I’ve got my 8-iron figured out,” Peterson said.

Peterson lost to Minnesota Gopher Genki Hirayama, 3 and 2, a year ago at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn., but looks to become just the fourth player to win multiple championships as he won the 2009 crown at Northland Country Club.

Last year’s MGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year, Jim Lehman, outlasted both of his opponents Monday to advance to the Round of 16 and will face Woodhill’s own Christian Klein Tuesday.

Lehman, Windsong Farm, made quick work of Philip Mahal Monday, winning 6 and 4 before facing 2013 MGA Junior Boys’ Player of the Year, Jack Holmgren.

With a birdie on the opening hole, Lehman took the early lead held on to it for the entire match as he won three consecutive holes starting on the 8th to take a 4-up lead after 10.

Holmgren responded by winning the 11th and 12th to cut into Lehman’s lead, but another birdie on the 14th increased Lehman’s lead to 3-up. Holmgren, Baker National Golf Club, made rolled in a birdie on the 16th, but it was too late as Lehman closed out the match on the 17th with a par to win, 2 and 1.

“I was under par for both matches and I made no serious mistakes the whole day,” Lehman said following his two victories. “[Holmgren] is a very talented young player and I was fortunate to get off to a good start. I was 4-up through 10 ten holes which really helped because he got into the grind mode coming in.”

“I hit my driver in the fairway and I hit a lot of greens,” he said. “This is a perfect course for an older guy like me. I don’t have to hit it far to have a chance to make birdie, so I feel comfortable competing against the young guys on this type of golf course.”

Klein, Woodhill Country Club, had the daunting task of facing three-time MGA Player of the Year, Sammy Schmitz, during the opening round and rallied to win the final two holes of the match to force a playoff.

Klein rolled in a birdie on the 20th hole to eliminate Schmitz before going on to beat Joe McCormick, 1-up.

Fresh off his victory at the MGA Mid-Players’ Championship, Troy Johnson continued his stellar play Monday to advance to the Round of 16 and will face Jesse Bull in a rematch of the Mid-Players’ semifinal, which Johnson eventually won.

Johnson defeated Trent Sundbom, Enger Park Golf Club, before downing Bradley Wohlers, Manitou Ridge Golf Club, Monday afternoon to advance.

Bull, Golden Valley Golf and Country Club, got past Davis Tollette, 4 and 3, before beating Jesse Larson 3 and 2 to advance to the Round of 16.

“It was a little slow this morning and I was winning with some pars. On the back nine I still didn’t score that great, but I started getting my ball flight back,” Bull said. “I used that momentum into the second round, so I hit the ball really well against [Larson].”

“We had a great match; it certainly could’ve gone either way. I missed a couple and he missed a couple. Overall the difference today was fairways and greens, no question. I didn’t putt great but I was in fairways and on greens quite a bit.”

While happy with his performance to start the tournament Monday, Bull was fully aware that he’ll need to be at his best facing Johnson Tuesday.

Johnson comes into the Round of 16 with seven straight match play victories as he didn’t play the 17th or 18th holes once during the Mid-Players’ Championship. That pattern continued Monday as Johnson didn’t play holes 15 through 18 during his two opening matches.

“Troy is a player that doesn’t make many bogeys and he can make birdies as well as anyone,” Bull said. “In match play you really have to play your own game. You can’t focus on him because he’s so consistent and he won’t give you any holes.”

Sam Matthew, the 2013 MGA Amateur Champion, advanced to the Round of 16 with a pair of victories over Tim Kelley, Minneapolis Golf Club, and Jacques Wilson of Chaska Town Course.

The Round of 16 of the 36th MGA Players’ Championship is set to get underway Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at Woodhill Country Club in Wayzata, Minn.



36TH MGA PLAYERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
WOODHILL COUNTRY CLUB
WAYZATA, MINN.
6,575 YARDS, PAR 71


MONDAY’S ROUND OF 64 RESULTS
Christian Klein, Woodhill CC, def. Sammy Schmitz, Valleywood GC, 20 holes
Joe McCormick, Crow River GC, def. Max Mason, Spring Hill GC, 21 holes
Jim Lehman, Windsong Farm, def. Philip Mahal, Legends Club, 6 and 4
Jack Holmgren, Baker Nat’l GC, def. Clayton Curwin, Legacy Golf, 5 and 4
Jesse Bull, Golden Valley G&CC, def. Davis Tollette, Rum River Hills GC, 4 and 3
Jesse Larson, Le Sueur CC, def. Seth Heppner, Valley GC, 2-up
Troy Johnson, Rush Creek GC, def. Trent Sundbom, Enger Park GC, 5 and 4
Bradley Wohlers, Manitou Ridge GC, def. Jordan Ensrud, Links at Northfork, 2 and 1 Sam Matthew, Keller GC, def. Tim Kelley, Minneapolis GC, 2 and 1
Jacques Wilson, Chaska TC, def. Jay Barriball, The Wilds GC, default
Bob Cavanagh, Perham Lakeside GC, def. Dylan Baker, Chaska TC, 7 and 6
Johnny Larson, Dacotah Ridge GC, def. Sam Steinwand, Bunker Hills GC, 3 and 2
Jordan Hawkinson, Chisago Lakes GC, def. Jack Barnhart, Hastings CC, 4 and 3
Matt Rachey, Island View GC, def. Michael Oberg, Brackett’s Crossing CC, 1-up
J.T. Johnson, Valleywood GC, def. Eric Kolkind, Wild Marsh GC, 3 and 2
A.J. Oster, Rum River Hills GC, def. Randy Siemers, Pebble Creek GC, 4 and 3
Trent Peterson, Valleywood GC, def. Travis Mauer, Oak Marsh GC, 6 and 5
Andy Petersen, Green Lea GC, def. Thomas Brandabur, Windsong Farm, 1-up
Dalton Charboneau, Riverwood Nat’l GC, def. Chris Conklin, Hazeltine Nat’l GC, 2 and 1
Jonathan Hanner, Baker Nat’l GC, def. Scott Bodelson, Meadows at Mystic, 7 and 5
Freddy Thomas, Brackett’s Crossing CC, def. Andy Jacobson, Eagle Creek GC, 3 and 1
David Morgan, Mendakota CC, def. Michael Schmitz, Oak Marsh GC, 5 and 3
Dylan Gergen, Mendakota CC, def. Bennett Schroeder, Bent Creek GC, 5 and 4
Alex Kapraun, Somerby GC, def. Topher Baron, Bunker Hills GC, 4 and 3
Ben Welle, Village Green GC, def. Andrew Longbella, Edinburgh USA, 6 and 4
Conrad Hahne, Links at Northfork, def. Mike Melhus, Links at Northfork, 4 and 3
Ross Miller, Riverwood Nat’l GC, def. Daryl Schomer, Wapicada GC, 5 and 4
Grady Meyer, Windsong Farm, def. Andrew Layton, Keller GC, 2 and 1
Dominic Kieffer, Somerby GC, def. Jack Riester, Windsong Farm, 3 and 2
Andrew Benson, Minnetonka CC, def. Grant Exstad, Fiddlestix GC, 20 holes
Jesse Polk, Hastings CC, def. Michael Greenberg, Medina G&CC, 4 and 2
Justin Doeden, Legends Club, def. Andy Cleland, Territory GC, 9 and 7


MONDAY’S ROUND OF 32 RESULTS
Christian Klein def. Joe McCormick, 1-up
Jim Lehman def. Jack Holmgren, 2 and 1
Jesse Bull def. Jesse Larson, 3 and 2
Troy Johnson def. Bradley Wohlers, 5 and 4
Sam Matthew def. Jacques Wilson, 2 and 1
Johnny Larson def. Bob Cavanagh, 6 and 5
Matt Rachey def. Jordan Hawkinson, 4 and 3
J.T. Johnson def. A.J. Oster, 1-up
Trent Peterson def. Andy Petersen, 3 and 1
Jonathan Hanner def. Dalton Charboneau, 19 holes
Freddy Thomas def. David Morgan, 21 holes
Dylan Gergen def. Alex Kapraun, 20 holes
Ben Welle def. Conrad Hahne, 5 and 3
Ross Miller def. Grady Meyer, 4 and 3
Dominic Kieffer def. Andrew Benson, 4 and 2
Justin Doeden def. Jesse Polk, 2 and 1