Former Gopher Brellenthin Hangs on For Wire to Wire Win at Minnesota Senior Open

June 6, 2018 | 4 min.

 
 
By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  HASTINGS, Minn. – Former University of Minnesota golfer John Brellethin played his last competitive stroke play golf tournament at the 2000 Minnesota Golf Association State Amateur at Bearpath Golf and Country Club, where he finished third.
 
Currently residing in Dallas, Brellenthin decided to enter the Minnesota State Open while visiting his parents this week in Minneapolis, and following the opening round Tuesday, found himself on top of the leaderboard after firing a 1-under par 71 at Dakota Pines Golf Club.
 
Holding off a late push by five-time champion Don Berry, Brellenthin carded a final-round 74 to become the first amateur since Steve Whittaker’s in 2010 to win the championship, earning a one-stroke victory at 1-over par 145.
 
“My expectations were very, very low,” Brellenthin admitted following his win Wednesday. “I’m more surprised than anyone that I ended up winning. It was a great experience and the golf course was set up great. I played better than I thought I would—I’m shocked that I won.
 
“I’ve been working on Wall Street, not playing a lot of golf and a few months ago started playing again. I’m thinking, ‘I’m 54, so maybe I can play some senior amateur golf when I’m 55.’ My parents live in Minneapolis and I live in Dallas and when I came up here to see them I said I’m going to play in the Senior Open.”
 
While his game during Wednesday’s final round wasn’t as sharp as the previous day when he hit the fairway more often than not, giving himself scoring chances by hitting 13 greens, Brellenthin took a bogey at the fourth and failed to get up-and-down at the par-3 ninth to turn at 1-over for the championship.
 
Reaching the par-5 10th in two, Brellenthin two-putted for his only birdie of the final round before making a sand save at the 12th to remain at even for the tournament.
 
 With Berry charging by making back-to-back birdies at the 12th and 13th holes, Brellenthin dropped a stroke with a bogey at the 14th, landing his approach short of the back to front sloped green.
 
But a late stumble by Berry, taking back-to-back bogeys at the 16th and 17th holes, Brellenthin took firm control of the championship by getting up-and-down for par after rolling his tee shot at the par-3 17th off the back of the green. Hitting his approach to 15 feet on the final hole, Brellenthin made a routine two-putt to claim the victory.
 
“I hit the really well and in the first round I hit a majority of the fairways, which out here is almost impossible because the greens are very small and very firm. I had one of those days where I was hitting the ball.”
 
“I didn’t hit it quite as well today; I kind of struggled a little bit—got up-and-down a couple times, which helped, but I haven’t played here since the eighties. There half as many trees and they were half the size. It was a good test of golf.”
 
An accomplished junior player, Brellenthin finished third at the 1981 Minnesota High School Class A tournament and won the Minnesota PGA Junior Championship that summer. He claimed the individual title the following year as a junior at Blake. He went on to play four seasons for the Gophers from 1983-86, turning professional briefly and playing on the Australian Tour.
 
Going to work on Wall Street in the early 1990s, Brellenthin’s golf game took a back seat over the next 20 years before he moved to Dallas in 2006. Prior to his victory this week, Brellenthin qualified for the Texas State Amateur on May 23.
 
“To qualify for something like that—the best 140 players in the state—motivates you to practice and prepare as well as you possibly can. Golf is really, really hard and as you get older, it gets exponentially harder.”
 
Firing a final-round 72 Wednesday Berry finished second for the second time in three years, posting a 36-hole score of 2-over par 146. Berry won four straight events beginning in 2012 and earned his fifth title a year ago at Baker National Golf Club, cruising to an 11-shot victory.
 
Professional Dale Jones carded a final-round 74 to finish third at 147, while Craig Brischke’s round of 75 Wednesday put him in the clubhouse in fourth place at 148.
 
 
 
2018 MINNESOTA SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIOSHIP
DAKOTA PINES GOLF CLUB
HASTINGS, MINN.
6,382 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
FINAL RESULTS
1. John Brellenthin, Minikahda Club, 71-74—145
2. Don Berry (p), Edinburgh USA, 74-72—146
3. Dale Jones (p), Mendakota CC, 73-74—147
4. Craig Brischke (p), Tanners Brook GC, 73-75—148
T5. Danny Loken (p), Emily Greens GC, 76-73—149
T5. John Anderson, Bunker Hills GC, 74-75—149
T5. Matt Vandelac (p), Unattached, 74-75—149
T5. Brad Schmierer (p), Dakota Pines GC, 72-77—149
T9. Bob Neuberger, Rush Creek GC, 79-72—151
T9. J.T. Johnson, Olympic Hills GC, 76-75—151
T9. Steve Whittaker, Pebble Creek GC, 76-75—151
 
 
For complete tournament results go to: https://mnpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpga18/event/mnpga1811/contest/1/leaderboard.htm
 
 

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