Peterson Slides into a Familiar Spot, Leads MGA Mid-Amateur Championship

  ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. – Winner of five Minnesota Golf Association Mid-Amateur titles over the past nine seasons, Trent Peterson put himself into position Tuesday to collect his sixth victory after posting a 5-under 67 at Minneapolis Golf Club to take the 36-hole lead.

With four victories to his credit in 2026, another state win Wednesday would send Peterson into rarified air—the 50th of his career.

“I hit my driver so good today—probably the best I’ve hit it all year, so I was never in trouble,” said Peterson, who will take a one-stroke lead over Jacques Wilson into the final round. “My irons were great, hit 16 greens.

“Had so many good looks for birdie and didn’t make many, that was the most frustrating part. I felt like I played so much better than my score. But I’m still happy with five under.”

Even through his first four holes Tuesday, Peterson would string together three consecutive birdies beginning at his fifth hole to reach 6-under for the championship.

Failing to capitalize on birdie chances early on his back nine, Peterson made up for it by drilling an eagle putt from 40 feet at the par-5 third.

Following a bogey at the sixth, Peterson moved in front of the field by dropping his birdie look from 15 feet at the par-4 eighth, carding a 5-under 67 to take the lead.

“If I play like I did today I will be in a great position,” he said. “Playing all day from the fairway makes golf a lot easier.”

Wilson, who claimed the 2017 MGA Players’ Championship at The Jewel Golf Club, backed up his opening round 70 with a 5-under 67 Tuesday, helped by three birdies and an eagle during his back nine to pull within one shot of Peterson at 7-under 137.

“I pretty much stuck to my game plan the whole day,” the 31-year-old Wilson said Tuesday. “With some of the length advantage I have off the tee out here, I can play pretty aggressively. Gave myself a lot of short irons and wedges into the holes, even some of the par fives.

“I took advantage of the good holes, a couple of sloppy bogeys on some pretty easy holes, which was frustrating, but I was happy with 5-under.”

Carrying momentum from a birdie on his final hole Monday, Wilson got off to a quick start to his second round Tuesday, dropping a pair of birdies at the first and fourth before a bogey at the eighth.

The former Charleston Southern University golfer opened with a bogey on the back Tuesday but would swing momentum back in his favor by playing his next five holes in 4-under, fueled by converting an eagle from 15 feet.

Wilson credited a late up-and-down after missing the 16th green as his best hole of the day to keep his round intact to remain near the top of the leaderboard with one round to play. The former Minnetonka High School golfer said he’ll wait to see where he finishes on the leaderboard to determine his final-round strategy.

“If guys go out, get to double digits going into tomorrow, my strategy changes a little bit. I’ll kind of have to force it a little bit more,” he said. “And if we're a little bit closer, I think strategy doesn't change.

“Same clubs off all the tees and just trust the process. Go out there and try to play good golf tomorrow. If I shoot 5 under tomorrow and it's still not good enough, then hats off to whoever wins.”

This season, Wilson has finished inside the top-10 in all three starts he’s made: the MGA Mid-Players’ Championship (quarterfinals), the Minnesota State Open (tie for seventh) and he finished in a share of third place at the MGA Amateur Championship in July at StoneRidge Golf Club.

First round co-leader Andy Stahlman fired an even par 72 Tuesday at Brookview to sit in a share of third place with Nick Jarrett, Tony Vincelli and Jesse Larson at 6-under par 138, just two shots back of Peterson’s lead.

The final round of the 39th MGA Mid-Amateur Championship will begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday at Minneapolis Golf Club.

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