Brischke Fires 71 to Medal, Five Others Headed to Senior PGA Professional Championship

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


  FOREST LAKE, MINN. – Surviving a late scare Tuesday at Forest Hills Golf Club, Craig Brischke posted a final-round 71 to earn medalist honors at the 2017 Minnesota Senior PGA Professional Championship as well as a spot in the national championship next month.

Entering the final 18 holes in a three-way tie for the lead, Brischke was cruising with a four-shot lead with three to play before carding a double-bogey at the 16th and a bogey at the 17th. He would two-putt for par on the final hole to finish at 1-under par 143, two shots better than Brad Schmierer and three-time defending champion Don Berry.

“I hung in there—I didn’t finish the way I wanted to. Over the last four holes the wind kicked up over 20 mph and playing these short, tight courses it’s tough,” Brischke said after his win Tuesday. “It would’ve been nice to be in the 60’s, but my goal was to be low and I was, so I’m not going to complain.

“I was looking forward to playing; I haven’t played in a whole lot of tournaments. It’s the first back-to-back rounds I’ve played since the [Tapemark Charity Pro-Am], which is early June. When I have gotten out I’ve been hitting it really good. When your game is good, you’re more relaxed than when it isn’t good. I’ve been in contention before when I was younger and not playing good—that’s tough.”

Playing in the final group with Schmierer and Larry Norland Tuesday, Brischke was unable to get up-and-down for par from off the front edge of the green at the second, but would sink a long birdie putt at the par-3 third to draw even for the round.

Reaching the par-5 fifth in two, Brischke tapped in his birdie chance and rolled in 6-footer for birdie at the sixth to quickly take sole possession of the lead at 2-under for the tournament.

Finding the left edge of the green at the par-3 10th, Brischke continued to roll by chipping in for birdie as he would play the par-3’s at 3-under par for the round. A tap-in birdie at the 14th put Brischke to 4-under where his lead grew to four shots over Schmierer and Berry.

A three-putt after failing to reach the 16th green in regulation led to a double-bogey before Brischke found trouble off the tee at the 17th. Punching out short of the green, he put his third to the back edge of the green and couldn’t save par and would take a one-shot lead to the final hole.

After Schmierer missed his par putt from six feet, Brischke rolled in his short par putt to seal the tournament and qualified for his third straight national tournament with a 36-hole score of 1-under par 143 Tuesday.

“I just laid up too far back at [No. 16]. Otherwise I played really good a hit a lot of good shots,” Brischke said Tuesday. “The big thing was the three [birdies on par-3’s]. That was it. I played them at 4-under and this week probably picked up three to five strokes on those guys. That’s where I separated myself a little bit.”

Schmierer fired a 1-over par 73 Tuesday to earn a trip back to the national event for the second straight year. He missed the cut to play the weekend, but will have a slight leg up on the competition next month playing in Scottsdale where he spends his winters.

“I get to go to Scottsdale where I live, so at 64 years-old, I’m very happy about that,” Schmierer said Tuesday. “To qualify two years in a row is pretty good.

“I was thinking 70 would get in—I thought 2-under would be a good score for two days. I played better today and my putting overall—I thought I rolled it really well and I just could make anything. I made a lot more putts yesterday, but I putted better today. Only one three-putt in two days is good.”

Playing his front nine at even par with two birdies and two bogeys, Schmierer found a groove mid-round Tuesday, but failed to capitalize on the putting surface, burning a number of edges during his final round.

Momentum appeared to swing in Schmierer’s favor when he rolled in a six-foot birdie putt at the 17th to pull within one of Brischke, but he would bogey the final hole after hitting his approach short of the 18th green.

The 2017 Senior PGA Professional Championship will be played September 28-October 1 at the Cochise and Geronimo Courses at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Thanks to a fourth-place finish at the national tournament last November, Berry earned an exemption into this year’s event. Mike Flaherty posted a 36-hole score of 2-over par 146 to earn a return trip as well as Mike Barge, who finished at 4-over par 148 Tuesday.

Dean Zahn, the head professional at Moccasin Creek Country Club in Aberdeen, S.D., carded a final-round 76 Tuesday to earn the final qualifying position at 5-over par 149.



2017 MINNESOTA SENIOR PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
FOREST HILLS GOLF CLUB
FOREST LAKE, MINN.
6,514 YARDS, PAR 72


FINAL RESULTS
1. Craig Brischke, Tanners Brook GC, 72-71—143 (medalist)
T2. Don Berry, Edinburgh USA, 73-72—145 (exempt into nat’l championship)
T2. Brad Schmierer, Dakota Pines GC, 72-73—145 (qualifier)
4. Mike Flaherty, Dakota Pines GC, 73-73—146 (qualifier)
5. Mike Barge, Hazeltine Nat’l GC, 75-73—148 (qualifier)
6. Dean Zahn, Moccasin Creek CC, 73-76—149 (qualifier)
T7. Jay Norman, TPC Twin Cities, 74-76—150
T7. Thomas Vizina, Oaks GC, 74-76—150
9. Bill Israelson, Vintage GC, 76-75—151
T10. John Cleary, Univ. of Minn., 75-77—152
T10. Steve Whillock, Oak Marsh GC, 75-77—152


For complete tournament results go to: https://mnpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpga17/event/mnpga1767/contest/1/leaderboard.htm