GLENWOOD, Minn. – Sinking a short eagle putt on the 36th hole at Minnewaska Golf Club Tuesday got Tracy Moen into a playoff at the 2026 Minnesota Golf Association Women’s Senior Amateur Championship, and a tap-in birdie on the first hole gave Moen her first state victory in nearly 30 years.
Playing her first event as a senior this week, Moen carded a final-round 76 to finish in a share of the lead before prevailing in extra holes with first-round leader and 2020 champion Adele Peterson.
“A little unexpected. I’m proud of myself—golf is hard,” Moen said following her victory Tuesday. “I played in college, but it doesn’t matter what your skill level is, it’s always hard. To be able to persevere through some rough patches, make some pars and finish with an eagle, I’m really happy I was able to do it.
“This is my first state-level competition in a long time. I was happy with the way I played yesterday, could’ve putted a little better, but overall, hit the ball well and was proud of myself for only being back [one stroke].”
A former University of Notre Dame golfer who grew up nearby in Alexandria, Minn., Moen had only tested her game at her home club at Edina Country Club, until deciding to challenge herself at this week’s MGA Women’s Senior Amateur.
“I play in club events, club championships and I’ve got good competition there with some younger gals,” said Moen, who turned 50 on July 17. “I’ve played in a couple of state events, but it was because they were at Edina.
“Working mom with two kids—I dropped my youngest off at college on Saturday and drove up here on Sunday.”
Carding a pair of birdies against three bogeys during her opening round Monday, Moen played the opening seven holes of Tuesday’s final round in 2-over before carding four consecutive bogeys beginning at the eighth, falling three shots off the lead.
But recovering with a steady back nine, Moen carded six consecutive pars before her shot of the championship on the final hole put her into a share of the lead.
“Today, I just wanted to hit good shots. You can’t control how your competition plays, so I wanted to play my own game,” she said. “Little bit a rough patch in the middle of the round—didn’t check the leaderboard all day, I didn’t think I was in it. I thought, ‘Let’s just finish well.’”
“Had a nice stretch of pars—couldn’t seem to find the bottom of the cup for a birdie. On 18 I hit a great drive and had a 9-iron in and hit my best iron shot of the day. I was feeling good because I got it back to 4-over for the day.”
Moen’s only previous state championship victory came nearly 30 years ago at the Resorters Tournament in 1997.
Peterson, who most recently claimed a pair of victories in 2022, began the day with a one-stroke lead and would play her opening six holes in even par before stumbling late on the front. A double-bogey at the eighth, sandwiched by bogeys at seven and nine put Peterson into a share of the lead at 5-over with Amy Schintz and Angela Ause.
The former LPGA veteran found her footing momentarily with a birdie at the 10th, but would card bogeys over three of her next seven holes.
On in two at the last, a tap-in birdie put the 63-year-old Peterson in the clubhouse with a share of the lead at 6-over 150.
Leaving herself with a lengthy birdie chance in the playoff, Peterson’s putt rolled past the cup before Moen tapped in for birdie to seal the championship.
“I knew I had four people right there behind me today, so I had to play like I did yesterday or even better,” Peterson said. “Wasted some shots down the stretch and three-putted once. I haven’t been playing much coming into the week, so I wasn’t sure where my game was.”
“When you get older and the 50s group comes in, we start fading out. They’re stronger—[Moen] bombs it. In the playoff I had 190 yards in, and she told me she had 135 yards.”
Peterson’s first state victory came at the 2020 championship at Woodhill Country Club. She’d win both the MGA Senior Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship and the MGA Senior Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in 2022.
Schintz, who won the 2024 championship at Eagle Creek Golf Club, followed her opening-round 74 with a 5-over 77 Tuesday to finish in third place at 151 for her second top-3 finish of the season.
Schintz and partner Kara Salava fell in a playoff at Stillwater Country Club to Lynn Anderson and Leigh Klasse in early June during the MGA Senior Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship.