Benson and Peterson Pull Away Late to Win MGA Four-Ball
HOPKINS, Minn. – Opening the 64th Minnesota Golf Association Amateur Four-Ball Championship with an 8-under 62 Tuesday at Oak Ridge Country Club,...
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WILLMAR, Minn. – Stringing together five birdies over their final seven holes Wednesday, the twosome of Braydon Pulcanio and Collin Ramos used a late rally at Eagle Creek Golf Club to finish with a share of the lead before escaping a three-way playoff to win the 65th Minnesota Golf Association Amateur Four-Ball Championship.
Pulcanio and Ramos began the final round with a one-stroke advantage and would birdie the final two holes to card a final-round 64, finishing tied with the team of Bryant Black and Andrew Olson and the twosome of Corey Schommer and Max Tylke, eventually sealing their first individual state victories with a birdie on the third playoff hole.
“It was a lot of fun—a good memory heading to college with my teammate,” Pulcanio said Wednesday. “Fun to get it done and show our game off. More of a laid-back week than normal individual events.”
“I haven’t gotten to play with Braydon a bunch, but it was a lot of fun,” Ramos said. “Got together were able to get this one and hopefully keep it going at St. Thomas.”
Pulcanio and Ramos, both members of Team Minnesota and soon-to-be freshman at the University of St. Thomas, fired a 9-under 63 during their opening round Tuesday to pace the field and carry a one-stroke lead into the final day of competition.
But the two failed to build momentum, managing just three birdies over the first nine holes Wednesday before taking a bogey at the par-4 ninth to turn in 11-under for the championship.
Pulcanio, a former Benilde-St. Margaret’s standout, helped to create a spark on the back nine with three birdies over the first five holes, while Ramos tapped in for birdie at the 13th to help his team to 15-under.
Knocking a mini driver to the middle of the 17th green, Pulcanio two-putted for birdie before sinking a critical birdie putt from the back edge of the 18th to force a three-way playoff.
Ramos returned the favor on the first playoff hole, sinking his birdie opportunity from 18 feet to extend the championship before Pulcanio chipped to tap-in distance on the third hole to close out the championship with a birdie.
“We hit the ball a lot better yesterday and gave ourselves a lot more opportunities,” Pulcanio said. “Made birdies on different holes, which is always great in four-ball and wanted to do the same thing today. Just had to scramble a little bit more, especially on the front nine. Just started off slow—I three-putted for bogey when [Ramos] was out of the hole. Made birdies on the par-5s, but not what we wanted though.”
“Yesterday we were always in play off the tee, and we both had good looks, and today it was one or the other—mostly Braydon,” said Ramos, a 2026 Mr. Minnesota Golf finalist. “We didn’t make many putts on the front nine, didn’t have many opportunities either.”
Ramos helped lead Totino-Grace to the Class AA team title in 2023 at Ridges at Sand Creek, while Pulcanio played a role in Benilde-St. Margaret’s Class AAA team title the following season at Bunker Hills Golf Club.
Pulcanio and Ramos are the second Tommie teammates to win the championship over the past three seasons. Owen Rexing and Zach Rouleau claimed the 2024 championship at The Jewel Golf Club.
Beginning the final round one back of Pulcanio and Ramos, Bryant and Olson wasted little time moving into contention Wednesday, carding five birdies over the final six holes of the front nine to turn with the lead at 13-under.
Schommer and Tylke, winners of the Minnesota Public Golf Association Four-Ball Championship in 2019 at Southbrook Golf Course, followed up their opening-round 64 with a 9-under 63 Wednesday, helped by Tylke’s birdie on the final hole send him team into a playoff.
A birdie on the final hole Wednesday lifted the team of Daryl Schomer and Bryan Fleegel to a final-round 66 and into fourth place at 14-under 130, while 2021 champions Nick Jarrett and Matt Norgaard finished tied for fifth with Joel B. Johnson and Brad Johnson at 131.
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