Stevens, Pedersen and Birdwell Winners at MGA Players’ Championship; Defending Champ Conzemius Out

 WAYZATA, Minn. – In just his second appearance at the Minnesota Golf Association Players’ Championship in 2023, University of Notre Dame golfer Nate Stevens fell in the final match to Brock Winter at St. Cloud Country Club.

 

Making a deep run again last season, Stevens dropped his semifinal round match to Bryce Hanstad at Hastings Golf Club.

 

Looking to flip the script this season, Stevens picked up his first win of the championship Tuesday, 6 and 5, over Jonathan Hanner at Spring Hill Golf Club to advance to the quarterfinal round for a third consecutive season.

 

“I didn’t like that feeling, so I’m trying to extend the lead a little bit longer,” Stevens said of his recent late exits at the championship. “I really like this course, so I would like to win a couple more matches and spend more time here.

 

“I played pretty steady—I was putting well, hitting my lines well and rolling it with good speed. Short game was solid and I didn’t get out of position very much, which helped.”

Taking an early lead against Hanner Tuesday, Stevens increased the margin to two after sinking his birdie chance from five feet at the fifth.

 

Hitting his approach to just a few inches at the seventh, Stevens’ birdie was conceded and he’d go on to win the next three holes to turn with a 5-up lead.

 

Hanner struck back with a birdie at the 10th, but Stevens countered by winning the 11th to regain his 5-up lead.

 

In a greenside bunker in two at the par-5 13th, Stevens hit out to three feet and closed out the match with one final birdie to advance, 6 and 5.

 

“You’re not really thinking about scores, you’re thinking more about position in match play and where you are relative to your opponent,” Stevens said Tuesday. “That’s the beauty of it; you don’t have to worry about score or play for par or birdie.”

 

“I’ve been working on some things, so sometimes it feels like you can carry somethings over to the course easier in match play.”

 

Stevens, seeded No. 8 after the qualifying round to begin the championship, will now face Jake Heinrich, who ousted defending champion Joe Conzemius during the Round of 16 Tuesday.

 

Falling to Hanstad at last year’s championship during the quarterfinal round, former University of Minnesota golfer Jacob Pedersen is looking for a strong finish yet again after losing his semifinal match in 2023.

 

Pedersen quickly went to work against Nick Jarrett with an eagle at the par-5 third, leading to a quick 3-up lead before back-to-back birdies helped Pedersen extend his lead to six.

 

He’d close out his match with a par at the 13th, 6 and 5, and will now square off against another Gopher in Kyler Schwamb during Wednesday’s quarterfinal match.

 

“Getting into the match after stroke play, I was hitting it really nice and let him make the mistakes—played smart,” Pedersen said Tuesday. “Ball-striking with the irons was working, fat side all day. Middle of the green works pretty well in match play.

 

“Hopefully make some more putts tomorrow. You need a couple of those 10-footers to go in. Get them started on the right line. Other than that, I wouldn’t change much.”

 

A 2024 graduate, Pedersen said he’s still trying to figure how his game will respond following the end of his collegiate player career.

 

“I’ve been a working man for about eight months now,” he said. “I don’t get worse if I don’t practice because I don’t think about it. I don’t think it’s been a negative so far—I haven’t played in a tournament in months. Once you get going, it’s like riding a bike and you start to feel it a little bit.”

 

Making his first appearance at the championship this week, University of Illinois golfer and former Spring Lake Park High School standout Jake Birdwell pulled away late during his match against University of St. Thomas golfer Owen Rexing Tuesday, winning four consecutive holes beginning at the 13th to advance, 4 and 2.

 

Birdwell, the 2024 Minnesota Boys’ Junior PGA Championship winner, will face Bethel University golfer Will Karkoc during the quarterfinal round early Wednesday.

 

University of Minnesota golfer Mason Roloff edged Ryan Conn in a back-and-forth battle Tuesday, winning the 18th hole with a par to advance to the quarterfinal round to meet South Dakota State University’s Drew Teeter.

 

The quarterfinal round of the 48th MGA Players’ Championship will begin at 8:32 a.m. Wednesday at Spring Hill Golf Club.