Teal Downs Tollefsrud in Playoff for First State Win in 10 Seasons at MPGA Senior Public Links

  MAPLE PLAIN, Minn. – Following his final-round 72 Sunday at Pioneer Creek Golf Course, Jeff Teal survived a one-hole playoff against Chris Tollefsrud to win the 87th Minnesota Public Golf Association Senior Public Links Championship.

With his tap-in birdie on the first playoff hole, Teal collected his first state victory since winning the MPGA Senior Match Play Championship in 2015, where he defeated Steve Whittaker at Emerald Greens Golf Course.

“It’s been a while—I’m 65, so I know I’ve got to get it,” Teal said Sunday. “With these young guys coming in it’s getting tougher and tougher. It’s fun to win; I guess I’m on the 10-year program.

“Fortunately, I’ve been healthy enough where I can get it out there a little way, which helps me at my age.”

Entering Sunday’s final round two shots off the lead with his 4-under 68 during the opening round Saturday, Teal got off to a less-than-ideal start with a bogey at the fourth followed by a double-bogey at the sixth.

He would battle back with a birdie at the eighth to turn in 2-under for the championship.

Helped by his putter during his inward nine, Teal tapped in for birdie at the 10th before rolling in his birdie chance from six feet at the 11th to earn a share of the lead at 4-under for the tournament.

Missing the 13th green led to a bogey for Teal, but he’d drop his birdie opportunity from 12 feet at the 14th to join Tollefsrud on top of the leaderboard at 4-under.
Finishing his final round with consecutive pars, Teal pitched inside of two feet at the first playoff hole and tapped in for his birdie to claim his first win in 10 seasons.

“My plan was to stay in the game as long as I could and try not to make any big mistakes,” Teal said following his win Sunday. “That’s kind of how it worked out and made some good birdies on the back nine to get back into it.

“I drove the ball really well, especially yesterday. The course is nice and firm and wasn’t overly long. I’m usually pretty decent with my wedges and had a lot of good wedges into par-4s.

Posting a 1-under 71 during his opening round, Tollefsrud moved into contention Sunday after playing his opening nine in 2-under.

He took a step back with a bogey at the 12th, but earned a share of the lead after back-to-back birdies at the 14th and 15th holes, including his putt from 10 feet at the 15th to reach 4-under for the championship.

Unable to get up-and-down for par after going long with his third at the first playoff hole, Tollefsrud would take a bogey to finish second after playing 36 holes of regulation at 4-under 140.

“It was fun and the course kind of suits me,” Tollefsrud said after the final round Sunday. “I need big, wide fairways and got into a groove of making pars. Today, I got more used to the course and stuck to it. I managed my game.

“I advanced from [U.S. Senior Open Local Qualifying] earlier this year—kind of a surprise more than anything. Had a chance to see those really good players and kind of took a step backwards after that, and was getting a little more nervous playing. It was nice to have an event like this to get me back focused.”

First-round leader Mark Aldrich took a two-stroke advantage to Sunday’s final round, but would card three bogeys against two birdies during his opening nine, but managed to extend his lead to three.

But a pair of double-bogeys during his final nine, including the final hole, hampered the 2023 Minnesota Golf Association Senior Amateur champion, posting a final-round 75 to finish third at 3-under 141.

Yet another close call for Aldrich as he notched a fourth-place finish at the Minnesota Senior Open at Keller Golf Course in June, and followed it by advancing to the finals of the MGA Senior Players’ Championship before falling to Bob Neuberger at The Wilderness at Fortune Bay.

John Brellenthin, the 2018 Minnesota Senior Open and 2021 MGA Senior Amateur champion, followed his opening-round 69 with a 1-over 73 Sunday to finish fourth at 2-under 142.