Baron and Freeman Share MGA Four-Ball Lead With Benson and Peterson

 HOPKINS, Minn. – Riding momentum from the 42nd state victory of his career at the Minnesota Public Golf Association Public Links Championship Sunday at Prestwick Golf Club, Trent Peterson and partner Brett Benson combined for eight birdies to shoot an 8-under 62 Tuesday for a share of the lead to begin the 64th Minnesota Golf Association Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Oak Ridge Country Club.

Benson and Peterson will enter Wednesday’s final round in a tie atop the leaderboard with Topher Baron and teammate Ben Freeman, who bounced back from an early bogey Tuesday to post a 62.

“Stress-free for the most post part, minus one hole,” Peterson said following his opening round Tuesday. “[Benson] made about an 8-footer for par to cover me. I hit a lot of greens and had a lot of good looks at birdie.”

“I know he can make birdies and pars from wherever he’s at, so I can freewheel it a bit and hit middle of greens and not too aggressive.”

Starting on the 10th hole Tuesday, Benson and Peterson carded a pair of early birdies and would turn in 4-under following back-to-back birdies at the 17th and 18th holes.
Chipping in for birdie at the second, Peterson helped moved his team to 5-under and added a birdie from 18 feet at the fourth.

Benson carded his second birdie of the round at the par-5 fifth with a two-putt before Peterson added one final birdie at the ninth from six feet for good measure, putting the twosome at 8-under 62 to earn a share of the lead with 18 holes to play.

“My game is okay coming in—I pressed a little bit at times,” Benson said Tuesday.

“Knowing he’s in the middle of the green, you try and knock something close. The par-3s I short-sided myself on all of them. Putting started to come around the last eight holes and I hit the driver pretty well.”

“Stay out of the rough—it’s thick out here,” Peterson said looking ahead to Wednesday’s final round. “Try to play our own ball and give ourselves a bunch of opportunities for birdie.”

Peterson partnered with Cory Blenkush to win the 2007 championship at Hastings Golf Club. Peterson also notched a pair of victories with J.T. Johnson at the MPGA Four-Ball Championship in 2013 and 2015.

Baron, whose lone state victory came at the Northland Invitational at Northland Country Club in 2015, and Freeman, who earned a victory at the 2010 MGA Mixed Amateur Team Championship with fellow Drake University golfer Olivia Herrick, bounced back from a bogey at the second by carding three straight birdies beginning at the fourth to move into red figures for the round.

A birdie at the ninth would send the pairing to their inward nine at 3-under for the championship before catching fire with five birdies over their final nine holes, including a 25-footer at the 15th, to finish their opening round in a tie for the lead at 8-under 62.

“Ben made everything, but on seven, we were both right and Ben got up-and-down from the bunker and that helped us stay on course after the start,” Baron said.

The course played tough with all the rain recently, even shots from the middle of the fairway were difficult to judge,” Baron said Tuesday. “The biggest thing is neither of us were ever out of a hole today, and hopefully we can replicate that and give each other good looks throughout tomorrow.”

Coming off his appearance at the U.S. Amateur last week at The Olympic Club and a strong showing at the MPGA Public Links Championship Sunday, finishing one shot behind the eventual winner Peterson, Armstrong and former Tommie teammate Frazier started fast Tuesday with four birdies over their first five hole to dart up the leaderboard at 4-under.

Turning in 5-under after a birdie at the eighth, Armstrong took advantage of the short, par-4 10th hole with a birdie to put his team at 6-under.

Unable to keep the momentum going over their last eight holes, Armstrong and Frazier would card one final birdie at the par-5 14th to remain within striking distance at 7-under 63, one shot off the lead.

Ekern, a Northfield High School senior and recent Minnesota Boys’ Junor PGA Match Play champion, and Weckwerth, a soon-to-be senior at Rochester Century High School, began with their day on the 10th tee Tuesday, carding five birdies before tallying two more over the final five holes to post a bogey-free 7-under 63 with one round remaining.

Helped by his ace at the par-3 16th from 172 yards with an 8-iron, Keith Goodman and Tom Whaley posted a 6-under par 64 Tuesday to earn a share of fifth place with 2020 champions David and Mike Christensen, 2019 MPGA Four-Ball champs Max Tylke and  Corey Schommer, Kevin Fecho and Tim McKenney, T.J. Moore and Adam Rosenthal, as well as the twosome of William Lewis and Stellan Orvick.

Tuesday’s round was also highlighted by recent MPGA Senior Public Links winner Jeff Teal’s ace at the 168-yard third hole with a seven iron for the fourth ace of his career, and first at an MGA championship.

The final round of the 64th MGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship is set to get underway at 8 a.m. Wednesday at Oak Ridge Country Club.