The MGA Edges Minnesota PGA at 48th MGA/PGA Cup Matches

NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Taking an early lead Monday at Northfield Golf Club, the amateurs from the Minnesota Golf Association held on for a slim victory over the professionals from the Minnesota Section of the PGA, 21-19, to claim the 48th playing of the MGA/PGA Cup Matches.

Each side has traded wins over the past five seasons, but the Minnesota PGA maintains the overall lead at the championship 29-17-2.

Leading the way for the MGA was the senior pairing of Leigh Klasse and 2024 MGA Senior Women’s Player of the Year Linda Goodno, who collected all four possible points over the team of Lori Money and Kathy Swanson.

“We played very well as a team,” Klasse said following the round on a cold and blustery day in Northfield Monday. “A big key was that we stayed in the short grass with it being as windy as it was. Trying to get around or on the green to get up-and-down for par.

“It’s always fun playing with [Money and Swanson] and it’s fun a four-ball event when there’s not a whole lot of pressure, but you still would like to play well. Early in the season, so it’s a good way to gauge where you’re at.”

Recent University of St. Thomas graduate Matt Armstrong and partner Jacques Wilson, winner of the 2017 MGA Players’ Championship, combined to turn in a strong performance from the MGA, sweeping four points from the twosome of Trey Fessler Chris Sauer.

“Played in a lot of crosswinds, which put an emphasis on hitting the ball in the center of the clubface,” Wilson said Monday. “We were never really out of position. We hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens and had looks at birdie on probably two-thirds of the holes.

“Of all my years playing in Minnesota, this is my first time playing—I love team events. It’s a great event and I’ve known [Fessler] for a long time, so it’s nice to have some bragging rights.”

Narrowing the MGA’s lead down the stretch, the professionals got a boost from the pairing of Chris Borgen and Matt Vandelac, who swept all four points from the twosome of Dave Carothers and Matt Yeager.

Alayna Eldred and Jennifer Huber, contributed by taking three points away from amateurs Betsy Kelly and Nicole Reineke, while Don Berry and Eric Chiles combined for three points against five-time MGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year Jerry Rose and 2022 MGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year John Brellenthin.

The twosome of Joel B. Johnson and Jonathan Hanner claimed a crucial three and a half points late in the match against professionals Thomas Campbell and Matthew Sandquist to help the MGA earn its 17th win of the series, which began in 1977.

The largest margin of victory belongs to the professionals, defeating the MGA by 31 points in 1990 at Marshall Golf Club.

The two sides share the longest winning streak at seven when the PGA claimed titles from 1996-2002, while the MGA won consecutive tournaments from 2014-2021.