Birdies Come Early & Often for Snyder in North Star Open Victory

DELLWOOD, Minn. -- Brent Snyder got off to a fast start in Thursday's final round of the North Star Open, and he also finished with a flourish on his way to a three-stroke victory.

The 37-year-old teaching professional at Troy Burne birdied the second and third holes at Dellwood Country Club, then gave one back with a bogey at the fourth, but he added another birdie at the par-5 fifth. With a front-nine 34 (2 under), he remained one stroke behind first-round leader Jon Reigstad. Then Reigstad started to go in the wrong direction, with consecutive double bogeys. Snyder made up for a bogey at the 10th with a birdie at the 12th, and he added two more birdies, at the 15th and the par-5 17th, to ellminate any suspense about the outcome.

Having made four birdies and an eagle in the opening round, Snyder made six birdies on Thursday while shooting a second straight 4-under-par 68 and posting a 36-hole total of 136.

The victory was worth $15,000 to the 2013 Minnesota PGA Player of the Year, from a total purse of $40,000.  

Donald Constable, a former State Amateur champ (2011) who spent one year on the PGA Tour, also made six birdies on Wednesday, but he found them harder to come by on Thursday. He had to settle for three and a 71, but the resulting aggregate of 139 was good enough for second place. 

Reigstad was 2 under for the day and 7 under for the tournament when he arrived at the par-3 12th hole. The birds were singing, and everything was right with the world at that point. But things went wrong quickly, as he made a double bogey at the 12th and followed it with another double at the par-5 13th -- and two more bogeys. In other words, he was 6 over par in four holes. He could have packed it in after that, but he battled back with birdies at the 16th and 17th to salvage at 74, and that earned him a share of third place at 141.

He tied with Max Mason, who recently completed his eligibility at Wichita State, and Alistair Docherty, a second-year pro from Vancouver, Wash. Mason committed the Cardinal Sin of tournament golf when he bogeyed the par-5 17th on Wednesday, but he made up for that by birdying all four par-5's on Thursday in a 70. 

Van Holmgren, the recently crowned Minnesota state Class AAA high school champ, played his last six holes in 2 under and shot 70, which put him at 142 and gave him a share of sixth place, along with Ross Miller and five-time Minnesota PGA Player of the Year Jeff Sorenson.   

MEN'S PROFESSIONAL GOLF

North Star Open

At Dellwood Country Club

Par 72

Dellwood, Mn. 

Final results 

1. Brent Snyder, Troy Burne                    68-68--136

2. Donald Constable, Spring Hill              68-71--139

T3. Jon Reigstad, Keller GC                    67-74--141

T3. Max Mason, Orono                            71-70--141

T3. Alistair Docherty, Vancouver, Wash.  69-72--141

T6. Van Holmgren, Wayzata                    72-70---142

T6. Ross Miller, Dellwood                         70-72--142

T6. Jeff Sorenson, Minikahda                   69-73--142

T9. Kelly Kretz, Eau Claire                        72-71--143

T9. Jon DuToit, Chaska                             70-73--143

T9. Brad Marek, Arlington Hts. Ill.             69-74--143