Tylke Ties Course Record with a 64 at Owatonna for Come From Behind Victory at MGA Mid-Amateur

  OWATONNA, Minn. – Facing a six-stroke deficit entering Thursday’s final round of the 38th Minnesota Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship at Owatonna Country Club, Max Tylke was well aware that he’d need a special round to have a chance.

“Obviously, at the start of the day you knew you just had to play well,” said Tylke, who posted a 1-over 72 at Owatonna during the second round Wednesday. “Had to get off to a good start, throw something out there and hope for the best.

“Today I took a different approach. I wanted to attack more aggressively, stop trying to hit to a spot and just start playing the golf course. Yesterday I was playing not to make a bogey. Today I wanted to play it the way I needed to.”

Tylke executed his plan perfectly during the final round Thursday by firing the low round of the championship this week, a 7-under 64, helped by a 30-foot birdie putt at the 17th to tie a course record and claim a one-stroke victory over Ben Greve and Trent Peterson for his second state title of the season.

The 32-year-old Tylke claimed MGA Men’s Player of the Year honors last season despite a frustrating total of six runners-up at state events before he claimed the Worthington Labor Day Classic late in the season.

“I learned a lot from [the 2024 season]. I haven’t been in contention as much this year, but the times I was, I capitalized,” said Tylke, who claimed the MGA Mid-Players’ Championship at The Wilderness at Fortune Bay in June. “You take the sour parts of finishing second or third and move on. It’s a cool experience to win twice in a season, and to come from behind like I did. Just played a great round today.”

Following an early birdie at the third, Tylke chipped in for birdie at the fourth before saving par from 10 feet at the fifth to remain at 5-under for the championship.

Stringing together four consecutive birdies to begin his back nine Thursday, including a pair of two-putt birdies at the 10th and 12th holes, Tylke quickly jumped to the top of the leaderboard in a share of the lead at 9-under.

After leaving his approach 30 feet left of the pin at the par-4 17th, Tylke drilled his birdie putt to take the outright lead for the first time before getting up-and-down at the par-3 18th, sinking his par putt from four feet to clinch his 13th state title by shooting 10-under 204.

“I knew I had to give myself chances to make birdies, that was the only way you’re going to come back,” Tylke said. “The putt on 17 was a steal. I hit it and it was perfect—never left its line, went right in the back and then I knew I had a chance if I played 18 well.

“I got up-and-down from some places you don’t expect to. You get out of play and make sure you don’t make anything worse than a bogey. I took advantage of what I learned—improved by eight shots.”

Tylke enjoys the first two-win season of his career since 2019 when he claimed the Minnesota Public Golf Association Four-Ball Championship, as well as the MPGA Mid Public Links.

Searching for his first state win since the 2022 MGA Amateur on his home course at Olympic Hills Golf Club, former University of Minnesota golfer Ben Greve made a charge on the final day by posting a second straight round of 68 to finish one shot back in a share of second with Peterson at 9-under 205.

“I hit it really good the first three rounds and putted horribly,” Greve said Thursday. “Made a putter change today and putted better. I just didn’t make anything coming in—I was all around the hole the last five holes and nothing went in.”

Greve bounced back from a triple-bogey at the second by carding three birdies over his next seven holes to turn in 6-under for the championship.

Earning a share of the lead with a string of three straight birdies to open his back nine, Greve moved to 9-under, but failed to convert multiple birdie chances down the stretch, narrowly missing on each of the final three holes.

A winner of four events already this season, Peterson was turned away from his third title in as many weeks Thursday after posting a final-round 69.

“A couple of slip-ups, but a couple of good birdie putts at the same time,” Peterson said Thursday. “I shot 2-under—I’m happy. Not happy I didn’t win, but I lost to a 7-under. Not much you can do, [Tylke] played great. I didn’t give anything away, he earned it.”

The 38-year-old appeared poised to collect a fifth state victory for the first time in his career, but stumbled mid-round with three bogeys over a six-hole stretch.

Peterson bounced back with a birdie at the 16th to give himself a chance, but would make par at each of his final two holes to earn a runner-up finish at 9-under 205.

Jason Pendleton, the 36-hole leader entering the final round, posted a 3-over 74 Thursday to finish in fourth place at 6-under 208, while Jesse Larson also carded a 74 on the final day to finish in seventh at 4-under 210.