LAKE ELMO, Minn. – Former University of Minnesota golfer John Brellenthin earned his first state victory as a senior in 2018 by claiming the Minnesota Senior Open at Hastings Golf Club at the age of 54.
Winning on his home course at The Minikahda Club, Brellenthin collected his second senior victory at the Minnesota Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship three years later.
Following an MGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year award and four consecutive wins with former Gopher teammate Tim Peterson at the MGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship, Brellenthin has elevated himself as one of the best senior players over the past decade.
Shaking off a slow start Wednesday at Royal Golf Club, Brellenthin tallied four birdies over a six-hole span during the final match of the 27th MGA Senior Players’ Championship to come from behind for a victory over John Spreiter, 2 and 1, to capture the eighth state title of his career.
“Tournaments are hard to win and it’s a big deal to me,” Brellenthin said after his sixth state win in as many seasons Wednesday. “You’ve got to be a little lucky to win a match play event. I hung in there, accepted my bad shots and got the right bounce at the right time.
“This week is kind of an endurance test. Playing 36 holes is tough, and I had a lot of tough matches. I think it was 108 holes, so you’re going to have your ups and downs. But I was fortunate and, at times, I played really well.
”With his victory on Wednesday, Brellenthin matches Steve Whittaker as the only players to win the MGA Senior Players’ Championship, the MGA Senior Amateur and the Minnesota Senior Open.
“I haven’t won a state title since 2021 because they’re hard to win,” he said. “There are a lot of really good players. I played well at times, but golf is hard. I generally haven’t played that well in match play, so I’m happy to have won all three. I’m ecstatic.”
Carding three consecutive bogeys to start the final match Wednesday, Brellenthin faced his biggest deficit since his second match of pool play against J.T. Johnson.
“I was a little tired, but I got off to a horrible start,” he said. “I didn’t hit the club face until the fourth hole. I was walking to the tee thinking, ‘This is going to be a really quick match.’”
But getting help from his putter with birdies from inside of 12-feet at the fourth and fifth holes before dropping a 50-footer for birdie at the seventh to tie the match.
Taking advantage of a Spreiter bogey at the eighth, Brellenthin took his first lead of the final match before sinking his birdie opportunity from inside of six feet at the ninth to stretch his lead.
Firmly in control with a 3-up lead through 10 holes and helped by a par save from 12 feet at the 16th, Brellenthin held on for the victory and closed out the match with a par at the 17th to win, 2 and 1.
As the championship’s No. 3 seed this week, Brellenthin opened with a victory over 2019 champion Jim Lehman, 4 and 3, before his comeback win over Johnson during the second round of pool play.
Brellenthin made quick work of Chris Tollefsrud, 8 and 6, to finish pool play undefeated, and held on for a quarterfinal victory over Scott Fenwick, 2 and 1.
A pair of late birdies during his semifinal match against Matt Yeager forced extra holes for the first time this week, and Brellenthin would sink his birdie putt from off the green in the playoff to earn a spot in the championship match.
Denied his first win in 24 seasons Wednesday, Spreiter said he was thankful to be in contention late in the championship this week.
“That’s some of the best golf I’ve played in a long time,” Spreiter said Wednesday. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in the thick of things, so it was nice to be in the hunt again. I hit some really quality golf shots that I haven’t hit under pressure before.
“I got off to a good start, but I knew it was only a matter of time. [Brellenthin] started making birdies—he was 4-under for the last 15 holes. That’s the thing with match play, you think you’re in the driver’s seat and all of a sudden, it can switch. John putted extremely well—I don’t know if he missed anything inside of 10 feet.”
A frequent walker during the majority of his rounds, Spreiter said a new strategy paid dividends this week, allowing him to preserve energy during six rounds of golf in a three-day span.
“Us being able to use carts—there’s a lot of distance between tee boxes and greens. I walk every day at home and carry my bag most of the time,” he said. “I made the mistake of walking the first three rounds of pool play last year and it was wet and cool. I said I have to have something left if I’m able to get through.”
Opening the championship as the tournament’s 21st seed, Spreiter grabbed an early lead against Jeff Nygaard and never looked back, hanging on for the victory, 1-up, during the first round of pool play.
Trailing David Haslerud by two with two to play, Spreiter staged a late rally to earn half a point by winning the final two holes during the second round Monday before pulling away late in his match against Leif Carlson to advance to the quarterfinal round.
A strong front nine Tuesday against 2024 champion Tim Peterson, Spreiter built a 3-up lead after nine holes, and cruised into the semifinals with the victory, 2 and 1.
Facing defending champion Bob Neuberger early Wednesday, Spreiter got a boost from a pair of early birdies to begin his back nine to pull away from Neuberger, eventually closing out the match at the 15th to reach the finals with a victory, 3 and 2.
Spreiter’s first state title came in 1984 at the MGA Players’ Championship at The Minikahda Club before winning the first of his three MGA Mid-Amateur titles in 1996 at Stillwater Country Club. He won his second in 2002 at Interlaken Golf Club before his most recent state victory in 2004 at Somerby Golf Club.