Amateurs Claim Second Straight Win at MGA/PGA Cup Matches

  OAKDALE, Minn. – Behind a late surge Wednesday at Oak Marsh Golf Course, the amateurs from the Minnesota Golf Association edged the professionals from the Minnesota Section of the PGA to claim a 21-19 victory at the 49th MGA/PGA Cup Matches.

The MGA earns its second consecutive win at the championship, but the professionals possess a sizeable overall lead at 29-18-2 since the championship began in 1977.

“The format makes this such a fun event,” said Lynn Anderson, who along with partner Leigh Klasse, swept all four points from the team of Lori Money and Kathy Swanson. “The team competition and then one-on-one, so we don’t get to do that very often.
 
“As boring as it is, we hit a lot of fairways and greens. [Klasse] has been playing all winter, so her game’s always good.”
 
The MGA, who have taken 10 of the last 12 events from the professionals, also got a boost from the twosome of Jesse Larson and Jacques Wilson, who earned the sweep during their respective matches against Josh Baldus and Caleb Christensen.
 
“We got all of our points, which is the goal to help out our team as much as we can,” said Larson, who advance from the first stage of qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open last week at Oak Ridge Country Club. “[Wilson] got us off to a good start early and I got going in the middle of the round.
 
“I missed playing in this event for a few years, I played last year, but it’s just a cool invitation showing you played well the previous season. You get to represent the MGA in a team event, which is not something we do.”
 
University of Minnesota’s Jack Wetzel and the University of St. Thomas’ Owen Rexing each managed victories during their match against the PGA’s Bennett Smed and Brent Snyder, to help the MGA’s cause.
 
Shaking off his previous struggles at the event for the PGA Wednesday was Trey Fessler, who partnered with Chris Borgen to claim 3½ points from the MGA’s Peyton Coahran and Josh Esterley to provide a spark for the professionals.
 
“This event is great, but I think I’ve been swept every year I’ve played,” Fessler laughed after his round Wednesday. “You get to play as a team with guys you’re playing against all year. You feel the PGA camaraderie and you don’t get that a lot, so it’s fun to be teammates for the event and root for each other.”
 
Posting a 63 on his own Wednesday, including a 6-under 29 during his back nine, professional Wes Buntenbach and teammate Eric Cole did their part to secure four points in a losing effort for the PGA.
 
“Not a ton of pressure in a team event and you get to see the best players on both sides,” Buntenbach said Wednesday. “I know some of the MGA guys and know most of the PGA guys, so it’s low pressure and fun, but of course you want to win for your team.
 
“I’m viewing it as a great rep for [next week’s Twin Cities Open]. I was wedging it close and made some long putts.”
 
The largest margin of victory belongs to the professionals, defeating the MGA by 31 points in 1990 at Marshall Golf Club.

The two sides share the longest winning streak at seven when the PGA claimed titles from 1996-2002, while the MGA won consecutive tournaments from 2014-2021.

The 50th playing of the MGA/PGA Cup Matches will be contested at Edina Country Club.