Peterson Surges to 49th Career Victory with Sixth Title at MPGA Public Links Championship

  MEDINA, Minn. – It wasn’t the start Trent Peterson had hoped for to begin the final round of the 104th Minnesota Public Golf Association State Public Links Championship Sunday at Baker National Golf Course, but a flurry of four birdies over a five-hole span helped him finish the championship with an eight-stroke victory.

A final-round 69 Sunday helped Peterson become just the third player to win three consecutive championships since 1923, claiming his sixth win at the event to move ahead of Al Clasen as the tournament’s winningest player.

“These are the best public golfers in the state—it’s not easy to win,” said Peterson, who wins for the fourth time this season to push his career total to 49 state victories. “It’s still surprising every time I win, but I know I have it in me. Experience definitely showed today. You can lose a tournament on one hole, but you can’t win it on one hole. I was really patient today.

“Golf is mental—there are a lot of things going through your head for four or five hours. You have to be present, even when you’re up. You can’t be thinking about your victory speech because I’ve done that and it ended miserably. It does help that I’ve been in this position a number of times before.”

Peterson opened the championship with a bogey-free to take a two-stroke lead over Ryan Conn to Sunday’s final round, but following a sluggish start with an early bogey, Peterson watched as both Conn and Team Minnesota member Easton Fiddle moved into a share of the lead at 4-under. Fiddle would eventually take the outright lead with his fourth birdie of the front nine at the seventh.

But in true Peterson fashion, the 39-year-old came surging back during his back nine, sinking birdie chances at the 10th and 11th holes and converting a long birdie at the 13th to pull away from the field.

Sticking his approach to four feet at the 14th led to Peterson’s ninth birdie of the week and he’d cruise to an eight-stroke victory over Fiddle and Conn by shooting 8-under 136.

“I got a lot out of my round yesterday,” he said. “I hit it timidly, but kept it in play, which is important out here. Early today it just wasn’t clicking. Fanned a 7-iron on the second hole and had a tough up-and-down. My putter really saved me on the front—made a couple of good par putts from eight and 12 feet.

“[Fiddle’s] foot was on the accelerator; he was playing great. If he plays great and wins, good for him. But I kept telling myself to stay in it, make pars and keep giving myself chances. Had a 20-minute wait on 10 and got to reset a little bit. The swing clicked on the 10th tee box—I felt better and I felt confident.”

Beginning with his win at the MPGA Mid Public Links last season, Peterson has now won six consecutive MPGA championships with his victory Sunday.

Peterson began the season with a win at the MPGA Four-Ball at Monticello Golf Club with partner Nick Jarrett before he’d earn his fifth consecutive win at the MPGA Mid Public Links at New Prague Golf Club.

His third victory came at the Loren Krugel Invitational at Mankato Golf Club, his fourth straight at the event.

With three top-5 finishes to his credit this season, Fiddle was seemingly headed towards his second victory of the year before he stumbled with back-to-back birdies mid-round Sunday.

He’d bounce back with a lengthy birdie putt from the back of the 12th green but would play his final six holes in 4-over to close out the championship with his second runner-up finish of the season by shooting a final-round 73.

“Last couple of days were okay. Obviously, played pretty good on the front nine, but the last nine didn’t go my way,” Fiddle said following his round Sunday. “Felt like I had the yips from three feet on a few holes.”

Fiddle, a junior at White Bear Lake High School, began the summer season with a fifth-place finish at the Class AAA championship at Bunker Hills Golf Club. He’d win his second straight MPGA Junior Public Links title a week later before falling in a playoff at the Minnesota State Junior Boys’ Championship at the Minikahda Club.

“I think this season has been a little bit down from last year, but my putter has been starting to heat up, which has been helping.”

Notching his third top-10 of the 2026 season, Conn was turned away from his first state victory since claiming the 2023 MPGA Combination Championship with partner Ralph Baxley.

A round of 2-under 70 to begin the championship Saturday put Conn two shots back of the lead entering Sunday’s final tilt, and he would earn a share of the lead thanks to a pair of birdies during his front nine to reach 4-under.

But the former University of Wisconsin golfer was plagued by a string of three consecutive bogeys to start his back nine Sunday, posting a final-round 74 to earn a share of second at 144.

Matthew Chandler fired a final-round 75 Sunday to follow up his 1-under 71 during Saturday’s opening round to finish in fourth place at 146.