Baxley Wins Third Twin Cities Championship, First to Win Back-to-Back

MEDINA, Minn. – Rolling in a short birdie putt on the 17th hole Sunday at Baker National Golf Course helped Ralph Baxley edge Jacob Van Dusen by one shot to claim the 34th Twin Cities Championship.

With a final-round 69, Baxley earned his third victory at the championship Sunday to become the first player in tournament history to successfully defend his title.

“A win is verification of where my game is at right now,” Baxley said after his fourth state title Sunday. “I’m working on it—you need a hobby, so I’m still working with coaches. I got my putter figured out last season and now I actually enjoy putting because it used to be a huge weakness.

“I’ve been putting really well this year, so I just needed to give myself chances,” Baxley said following his fourth state title Sunday. “I couldn’t get anything close to the hole yesterday and found a way to make bogey with a lob wedge in my hands.

“I played better than my scored yesterday, and today I was able to clean those mistakes up.”

A birdie on his final hole Saturday to begin the tournament with a 2-under 70 at Meadowbrook Golf Course helped Baxley remain within striking distance of first-round leader Chase Hoops, who fired a 4-under 68 as the tournament moved back to familiar surroundings Sunday.

“It’s nice to know the course so nothing jumps out,” said Baxley, who carded a final-round 70 last season at Baker National Golf Course to earn a one-stroke victory. “You’re not laying up in a hazard or anything like that because you know the lines.”

The 42-year-old Baxley played his opening nine in 1-under Sunday before chipping in for birdie at the 11th to earn a share of the lead.

Just off the 13th green, Baxley then rolled in a birdie from 20 feet to reach 5-under for the championship.

Following his second bogey of the final round after missing his par putt from 12 inches at the 16th, Baxley showcased his short-iron prowess late in the round by wedging his approach to three feet at the 17th, where he’d convert one final birdie opportunity to put him in front of the field with a final-round 69 to post a 5-under 139.

“I’ve been putting really well, so I just needed to give myself chances,” Baxley said. “I couldn’t get anything close to the hole yesterday and found a way to make bogey with a lob wedge in my hands.

“I’m playing really good coming in except off the tee—I’m afraid to hit anything with a headcover. All I did was hit driving irons this week. Luckily, I’m hitting my irons so good that it didn’t really matter, but it’d be nice to have more wedges in my hand. Right now, if you put a peg under the ball, I don’t know where it’s going.”

Baxley won his first Twin Cities Championship at Edinburgh USA in 1992 before winning his second 32 years later at last year’s championship at Baker National, edging 2016 champion Trent Peterson by a stroke. 

Along with his three wins at the Twin Cities Championship, Baxley also claimed the 2023 Minnesota Public Golf Association Combination Championship with partner Ryan Conn at Pebble Creek Golf Club.

Fairleigh Dickenson University senior Jacob Van Dusen also posted an opening-round 70 Saturday and began his final round by playing his first nine holes in 1-under.

The former Eden Prairie High School golfer remained at 3-under for the championship until the 17th hole, where he’d sink his birdie chance from six feet to pull within one shot of Baxley’s lead at 4-under.

A par at the last would give Van Dusen a runner-up finish at 4-under 140 in his first state tournament appearance of the season.

“My mindset was that this is the type of course where you can make a lot of birdies, but it’s also the type of course where you can make some big numbers,” Van Dusen said Sunday. “Game plan was to get wedges in my hands, try to go two, three or 4-under and give myself a chance.

“I had a couple of long three-putts that kind of cost me a little bit, so it would’ve been nice to eliminate those. I handled my emotions greatly—it’s been a long road for me the last few years with some personal stuff. This is probably my sixth tournament round in the last three years, so there’s a lot to take away shooting 4-under for two rounds.”

Coming off a runner-up finish a week ago at the MPGA Mid Public Links Championship at Fox Hollow, Bobby Frazzini seemed poised for another strong finish Sunday before his chances were derailed by a double-bogey at the par-4 17th.

Frazzini opened with a 2-under par 70 to open the championship Saturday at Meadowbrook Golf Course to set up Sunday’s final round in a share of seventh place two shots off the lead.

An early birdie followed by an eagle at the par-5 fourth helped Frazzini quickly narrow the deficit, turning in 3-under for the championship with a double-bogey at the seventh.

A pair of early birdies during his back nine put the former Wayzata High School golfer in sole possession of the lead down the stretch, but a double-bogey at the 17th would put Frazzini into the clubhouse in a share of third place with Miles Bolinger at 3-under 141.