Aldrich Pulls Away Late to Earn Second MGA Senior Amateur Title in Three Years

  LAKEVILLE, Minn. – After multiple close calls this season, Mark Aldrich fired a 2-over 73 Thursday at Brackett’s Crossing Country Club to earn his first victory of the season at the 104th Minnesota Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship.

Despite a string of bogeys mid-round, Aldrich rallied with a pair of birdies during his back nine Thursday to pull away from the field and claim a four-stroke victory over 2017 champion David Haslerud for his second MGA Senior Amateur title in three seasons.

“To finally finish one off and win is great,” Aldrich said Thursday. “I was close those other events, but this one means a lot. You have to beat very good players, day-in and day-out, and on a course that was long and tough—I’m very proud.

“My putter was definitely the thing that saved me. I might’ve had two three-putts in three days, but they were from a long way away, so my putter was the strongest part of my game.”

Aldrich began the 2025 season with a fourth-place finish at the Minnesota Senior Open at Keller Golf Course before falling to Bob Neuberger in the finals of the MGA Senior Players’ Championship at The Wilderness at Fortune Bay.

Leading by a stroke on the final hole of the Minnesota Public Golf Association Senior Public Links Championship in July, Aldrich finished with a double-bogey to finish third.

Entering Thursday’s final tilt with a three-stroke advantage over Haslerud, Aldrich appeared poised to lead the field for a third consecutive day, saving par on the opening hole by sinking a 10-foot putt.

Steady over his next six holes, Aldrich then ran into trouble with a three-putt bogey at the eighth before failing to get up-and-down after missing the ninth green, shrinking his lead to two.

Back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th would drop Aldrich into a share of the lead with Haslerud at 5-over, but the 57-year-old Aldrich fought back bounced his tee shot off the flagstick at the par-3 12th, leaving a tap-in birdie to regain the outright lead by two following a Haslerud bogey.

Taking advantage of the par-5 14th, Aldrich carded his second birdie of the round to distance himself with a three-stroke cushion.

Up by four at the last, Aldrich’s third from the sand stopped four feet from the hole, where he’d roll in a final par putt to claim the seventh state title of his career, shooting 3-over 216.

A final-round 69 in 2023 at Wayzata Country Club, the course on which he learned to play the game, led Aldrich to a four-stroke victory over John Brellenthin to claim the first individual title of his career.

“Winning a state championship is great, but I was so comfortable [at Wayzata] because I knew every inch of the grass over there,” said Aldrich, who likely wrapped up MGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year honors with his win Thursday. “To play out here on a different level and win is really nice.”

Aldrich earned his first state title in 2002 at the now defunct MGA Team Championship. He partnered with sister, Betsy, to claim the 2007 MGA Mixed Amateur Team Championship before winning a pair of MGA Amateur Four-Ball titles with partner Erik Christopherson in 2009 and 2011.

He was a part of the final MGA Team Championship winning team at TPC Twin Cities in 2013.

Looking for his first victory since winning back-to-back MGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball titles with partner Matt Yeager in 2020 and 2021, Haslerud narrowed the deficit early with a tap-in birdie at the fourth, but was unable to convert any birdie chances over his final 15 holes.

Haslerud, who notched a four-stroke victory over Jerry Rose at the 2017 championship at Island View Golf Club, carded back-to-back rounds of 3-over 74 to finish in second place at 7-over 220, while earning medalist honors in the 65-and-over Master Division.

“I needed to play steady and hope for the best,” Haslerud said, entering the final round three shots back. “Pulled even at one point and [Aldrich] kind of stepped on it and I took a step back. I didn’t do what I needed to.

“I was encouraged by some of my iron play. It was a long course for me, my first four holes, my approach shots were: 5-wood, 5-iron, 5-iron and 5-iron. Steady and not much flash, but if you would’ve told me I’d finish second at my age on a long course, I’d take it.”

Carding a final-round 75 Thursday, Jay Coatta finished in third place at 9-over 222, while Scott Ainsworth finished in fourth place at 10-over 223.