Tylke Grinds His Way to MGA Players' Championship Win Over Christensen

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  WAYZATA, Minn. – While not entirely the two stress fractures and torn ACL that ailed Tiger Woods during his memorable run at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, Max Tylke has been playing on a fractured left knee for the better part of two months.
 
He hobbled to a round of 71 at Legends Club early last month to finish as second alternate at U.S. Open Local Qualifying, where he would advance to the second round of qualifying to play 36 holes at The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Fla.
 
Playing with Jamie Quesnel at the Minnesota Public Golf Association Four-Ball Championship, Tylke limped his way to a fourth-place finish before heading to Chambers Bay to compete with Quesnel at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship after qualifying for the event last fall.
 
Gingerly managing his way through six exhausting rounds of golf this week at Spring Hill Golf Club, Tylke defeated Mike Christensen, 2 and 1, Wednesday to win the 43^rd Minnesota Golf Association Players’ Championship.
 
“The mindset this week was always the same—you had to hit your driver in play. As long as you had your ball in play, you could at least manage with pars most of the day. Every round I played, I focused on making minimal bogeys,” said Tylke, who carded 15 bogeys during his six matches this week, of which only three came during his back nine. “As long as you’re not giving holes back, at least you’re making them earn it.
 
“It’s comforting to know that I can at least manage my golf game competitively and be there come the last day and actually pull through. This is something I can learn from and use moving forward, so this means a ton. I’ve never won an MGA event individually.”
 
The 27-year-old Tylke collects his eighth state championship victory Wednesday, earning at least one win in six consecutive seasons.
 
“I think getting older has made me understand that shooting a good round is great, but a good round is only as good as the next,” he said. “If you can’t put together rounds, and here it’s six, but if you can't play well continuously, it doesn’t matter come the last day.”
 
A bogey by Christensen at the first gave Tylke a quick lead before his birdie putt from 40 feet curled in the left side of the cup at the second to take a 2-up lead.
 
Taking advantage of both par-5’s on the front nine late Wednesday, Christensen drew even with Tylke with birdies at the third and fifth holes, but fell one back after a bogey at the sixth.
 
Sinking a 6-footer for birdie at the 10^th, Tylke extended his lead to two, but carded his second bogey of the final round on the ensuing hole to cut his lead to one. With Christensen struggling off the tee late, Tylke’s approach at the 13^th spun back inside of three feet for one final birdie as he closed out the championship by sinking a 6-footer for par at the 17^th to win, 2 and 1.
 
“I had not played the first few holes very well this week, but I had two quick looks and made a really good putt on two,” Tylke said Wednesday. “That was probably the best paced putt I hit all week, which was comforting out of the gate. I’d been struggling getting putts to the hole—the greens are not easy by any means.
 
“It’s such a grind. I think I took my medicine more than I usually would this week. I was trying to make sure I continued to give myself chances for par. Keeping the ball in play and minimizing mistakes. I was more willing to make sure I was in the correct spots, whether it was 20 or 30 feet instead of trying to hit it to five feet. I think that paid off in the end.”
 
Tylke opened the championship by ousting 2017 MGA Senior Amateur champion David Haslerud, 5 and 3, early Monday before advancing to the Round of 16 with a playoff victory over 2007 MGA Amateur winner Bryce Hanstad.
 
Eliminating Tim Peterson from the championship early Tuesday, 3 and 1, Tylke would then face two-time champion Trent Peterson during the quarterfinal, 1-up. He played his final nine holes in 1-under during his semifinal match against 2018 champion Sammy Schmitz to advance to the final match with his fifth victory this week, 3 and 1.
 
Tylke played golf at Eastview High School, winning the Minnesota Boys’ Junior PGA Championship at Marshall Golf Club shortly after graduating in 2011, but would have to wait five seasons before his next state championship, which came at the MPGA State Public Links at Loggers Trail Golf Course in 2016.
 
The following season, Tylke partnered with Alexandra Stewart to win the MGA Mixed Amateur Team Championship at Chaska Town Course for his third state win. He claimed his second MPGA State Public Links Championship in 2018 at Riverwood National and enjoyed his first two-win season in 2019 at both the MPGA Four-Ball Championship with partner Corey Schommer at Southbrook Golf Course and then the MPGA Mid Public Links Championship at Emerald Greens Golf Club.  
 
Entering the 2021 season, Tylke’s most recent win came at the Worthington Classic early last fall. Sprinkle in 10 top-5 finishes and a handful of appearances at USGA championships dating back to 2014, and it’s easy to see why Tylke has quickly and quietly become one of the state’s most consistent players.
 
Making his first appearance at the championship this week, Wednesday’s loss during the championship match for Christensen meant he was denied the opportunity to add his name to list of Players’ champions, which include cousins Mark and David Christensen.
 
“When you look back on it, I think I’ll appreciate this experience—a good friend on the bag at a top course in the state and playing as well as I did for six matches,” said Christensen, who turned 44-years-old on Wednesday. “It was a special week and you don’t have these chances often.”  
 
Christensen picked up victories over Josh Galvin and Matt Pfingsten to begin the championship Monday before downing Casey Nelson and Nate Adams to reach the semifinal round early Wednesday.
 
Down by two after nine holes to Miles Death during the semifinal round, Christensen rallied with an eagle and two birdies to come from behind and advance to the final round, 4 and 3.
 
“I felt confident going into the last match,” he said. “Max really is a solid player—he’s not going to make many mistakes. He’s a good wedge player and a good putter and I was impressed, especially with the injury he has.
 
“It got to be a long week and I didn’t drive it as well in the last match. All week I’ve driven it really well and I wasn’t really in position as I had been. I was putting so well, I didn’t give my putter a chance to make up ground today.”
 
Christensen is coming off a pair of victories during the 2020 season, claiming the Northland Invitational at Northland Country Club last August before teaming with cousin David Christensen to win the MGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Crow River Country Club.
 
The 44^th MGA Players’ Championship will be played at Dacotah Ridge Golf Club in Morton, Minn.