Former Gopher Brellenthin Fires a 71 To Pace Field at Minnesota Senior Open in Hastings

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  HASTINGS, Minn. – For some golfers, playing an unfamiliar golf course is easier without having any preconceived notions or memories of rounds that fell by the wayside. For others, having home-course advantage is crucial in knowing where and where not to hit the ball.
 
John Brellenthin, who grew up in Minneapolis but has resided in Dallas for the past several years, fired a 1-under par 71 Tuesday at Dakota Pines Golf Club to take the early lead at the 2018 Minnesota Senior Open Championship, while Brad Schmierer, a longtime professional at the club, posted an opening-round 72 to sit alone in second place.
 
“I played good all day, except I three-putted 10 and hit some trees on 16 and ended up making a hell of a bogey. I thought I did a good job of staying patient,” Schmierer said after his round Tuesday. “The greens were firmer than they’ve been so I started to lay off and letting them run up and little more and that helped. I did hit some shots that towered over the green—they just wouldn’t bite.”
 
Schmierer got started with a tap-in birdie at the third hole Tuesday before rolling in a 15-footer from above the cup at the par-4 fifth. Trading a bogey at the sixth with a two-putt birdie at the seventh, Schmierer remained at 2-under before taking bogey at the eighth to turn at 1-under.
 
His three-putt for bogey at the 10^th sent Schmierer back to even for the day, but he would pick up a stroke after rolling in birdie from 12 feet at the 13^th. A final bogey at the 16^th would put Schmierer in the clubhouse in second by himself with an even par 72.
 
“I feel good here and I’m playing good. I’ve been able to win a few things here. You’ve got all the big guys right there in this tournament, though. I’d say even par or 1-under would be the score to beat. My goal before I started was even par, but it all depends on how firm these greens get.”
 
The “big guys” Schmierer was referring to are Don Berry, who’s won five of the last six events, Dale Jones, who claimed the Minnesota PGA Senior Match Play Championship last fall, and Craig Brischke, who notched a win at the Minnesota Senior PGA Professional Championship last fall. All three players sit inside the top-5 following Tuesday’s first round and no more than three shots off the lead.
 
Brellenthin, a former University of Minnesota golfer, began his first round off the 10^th tee Tuesday and played his opening nine at 2-over with bogeys at the 11^th and 16^th before finding his groove on his inward nine, carding three birdies to finish as the only player below par in the field of 94 golfers.
 
After winning the Class A individual title at Blake in 1982, Brellenthin played for the Gophers from 1983-86. Working on Wall Street for 20-plus years, Brellenthin said he retired at the age of 50 and has turned his focus to golf over the past four months.
 
John Anderson is the other amateur to finish the first round of play inside the top-5 following his round of 74 Tuesday. Anderson started slow with bogeys at the first and third holes, but sank back-to-back birdie putts at the sixth and seventh to draw even. A pair of bogeys at the 13^th and 17^th holes put Anderson into a tie for fifth with professionals Berry and Matt Vandelac, three shots off the lead.
 
“I was in the woods left on one, in the woods left on two and in the woods right on three,” Anderson said on his start to the first round Tuesday. “I was 2-over after three and then hit a few fairways and a couple longer putts that helped me get going and got me back to even.
 
“If it wasn’t for the short game or the putter today it was probably more like 79. I was not in play all day—hooking it around trees, getting up-and-down. I have to manage a little different. The greens were really firm today and it was probably one less club, maybe two sometimes, bouncing it in there to hole. It probably took a lot of us a while to figure that out.”
 
Tuesday’s opening round was highlighted by Vandelac’s ace at the par-3 ninth hole from 160 yards with a 7-iron.
 
The final round of the 2018 Minnesota Senior Open Championship is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday at Dakota Pines Golf Club.
 
 
 
 
2018 MINNESOTA SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
DAKOTA PINES GOLF CLUB
HASTINGS, MINN.
6,382 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
TUESDAY’S FIRST ROUND RESULTS
1. John Brellenthin, Minikahda Club, 33-38—71
2. Brad Schmierer (p), Dakota Pines GC, 35-37—72
T3. Craig Brischke (p), Tanners Brook GC, 35-38—73
T3. Dale Jones (p), Mendakota CC, 38-35—73
T5. John Anderson, Bunker Hills GC, 36-38—74
T5. Don Berry (p), Edinburgh USA, 35-39—74
T5. Matt Vandelac (p), unattached, 35-39—74 
T8. George Smith (p), Club Champion, 38-38—76
T8. Bump Werness (p), Golf Galaxy, 38-38—76
T8. J.T. Johnson, Olympic Hills GC, 37-39—76 
T8. Steve Whittaker, Pebble Creek GC, 38-38—76
T8. Mark Sperling, Heritage GC, 39-37—76
T8. Danny Loken (p), Emily Greens GC, 37-39—76 
T8. Steve Whillock (p), Wild Marsh GC, 41-35—76
 
 
For complete tournament results go to:  https://mnpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpga18/event/mnpga1811/contest/1/leaderboard.htm