The Sammy Express Rolls through the 1st Day of the Mid-Players' Championship

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MORTON -- Sammy Schmitz put an exclamation point on his 2011 season by winning the Minnesota Mid-Amateur Championship by seven shots. It was his first state title, and it secured the MGA Player of the Year Award for the 31-year-old former St. John's All-American.

As strong as that finish to last year was, his start in 2012 has been equally impressive. In his first tournament, the State Publinx Mid-Amateur, he  won by seven shots once again. Another indication of how well he's been playing is that in an early season practice round at Hastings Country Club, the site of this year's State Amateur, he put together an 8-under-par 64. 

So it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that on Monday, Schmitz won a pair of relatively easy victories in his first two matches in the MGA Mid-Players' (Mid-Am Match Play) Championship at Dacotah Ridge GC. 

In his opening match, he dispatched Mark Caprio 8&6. He had to go an extra three holes  in his second match before winning 5&3 over Christopher Kowalczyk. (That result was incorrectly reported on the MGA website as 9&7, but the actual score was 5&3.) 

By comparison, Schmitz's next opponent, Jesse Bull, the former University of North Dakota hockey player-turned tournament golfer, had a long day on the course Monday. But he won 7&6 over Phillip Mahal in the first round and 3&1 over 2010 Mid-Players' champ Greg Melhus in the second.

Another player who had a short day at the course was Jonathan Hanner, the reigning State Publinx champ. He never saw the 16th tee in his two victories, 5&4 over Brent Grossman and 4&3 over Tim Andersen. 

6th MGA Mid-Players' Championship 

At Dacotah Ridge Golf Club

Par 72, 6,642 yards

Morton

First-round results 

Sammy Schmitz def. Mark Caprio 8&6

Christopher Kowzlczyk def. Steve Tax 1 up

Jesse Bull def. Phillip Mahal 7&6

Greg Melhus def. J.T. Johnson 2&1

Geoff Klein def. Blake Onkka 3&2

Joe Burgess def. Kane Bauer 1 up

Jonathan Hanner def. Brent Grossman 5&4

Tim Andersen def. Tom Heidrick 2&1

Troy Johnson def. Peter Sax 6&5

Andy Jacobson def. Kennedy Cherulyot 2&1

James Lehman def. Anthony Daffer 20 holes

Mitch Thronell def. Gary Lawson 4&2

Jesse Larson def. Tony Gabriel 2&1

Shane Johnson def. Jeff Gallagher 6&5

Joel B. Johnson def. Michael Coffey 4&3

David Steingart def. John Holmes 2 up

Round of 16

Schmitz def. Kowalczyk 5&3

Bull def. Melhus 3&1

Klein def. Burgess 3&2

Hanner def. Andersen 4&3

Jacobson def. Troy Johnson 3&1

Lehman def. Thornell 3&2

Larson def. Shane Johnson 2 up

Steingart def. Joel B. Johnson 4&3