BEMIDJI, Minn. – Converting a pair of late birdie chances in breezy conditions Tuesday at Bemidji Town and Country Club helped Jesse Nelson to a second straight round of 2-under 69 to earn a two-stroke victory at the 95th Minnesota PGA Professional Championship.
Notching the biggest win of his professional career and first since winning a pair of section events in 2023, Nelson now advances to his third National PGA Professional Championship April 26-29 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore.
“I qualified once during the COVID year and it got cancelled, and I qualified again in 2021,” Nelson said following his victory Tuesday. “It’s such a cool event—the PGA of America puts on a great show and I’m excited to be a part of it.
“I kept it steady and hit the driver really well today and that was the big difference for me.”
Also joining Nelson at the national event next spring are Kyle Berg, Thomas Campbell and Grant Shafranski, Brent Snyder, Kris Kroetsch, Bennett Smed and Eric Rolland.
Entering Tuesday’s final round three shots off the lead, Nelson started with a double-bogey at the second before a pair of birdies at the third and fourth holes set him even for the round.
A birdie at the par-4 eighth moved Nelson to 3-under for the championship before trading bogeys at the 11th and 15th with birdies at the 12th and 16th to remain at 3-under for the championship.
Converting his birdie opportunity at the 18th helped the 39-year-old Nelson to a two-stroke victory over Berg for his first section championship victory.
“Ran into some trouble on two, but bounced back with birdie-birdie,” Nelson said. “Kind of coasted on the front—turned at 35, so I was happy about it.”
Monday’s 18-hole leader Kyle Berg began his final round with a bogey-bogey start before finding his footing with a birdie at the third to get back to 4-under for the championship.
Giving back a stroke with a bogey at the par-3 seventh, Berg answered by converting his birdie chance at the ninth to turn with the lead in 4-under.
He’d card a second straight birdie at the 10th to get back to level par for the championship, but he’d close out the final round with three bogeys over his final eight holes, carding 3-over 74 to finish two shots back of Nelson at 2-under 140.
Winner of the Twin Cities Open at The Wilds Golf Club earlier this season, Campbell fired a final-round 69 to finish tied for third with Shafranski, while Snyder’s two-day tally of even par 142 put him alone in sixth place to advance.
Kroetsch followed his opening-round 72 with an even par 71 to finish tied for seventh with Smed to earn a spot in the national championship, and Rolland claimed the final qualifying spot by finishing ninth at 2-over 144.