Peterson Outlasts Smith and Constable to Win 97th Minnesota State Open

By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


COON RAPIDS, Minn. – Trent Peterson has seen his share of winning—he’s done it from an early age and he’s done it often. Peterson has junior championships under his belt as well as high school and collegiate championships.

His two biggest amateur victories came in 2008 when he won the Minnesota Golf Association Players’ Championship as well as the MGA Amateur Championship, becoming only the third player to win both tournaments.

After a brief stint as a professional from 2009-2011, Peterson opted to regain his amateur status and was forced to sit out the entire 2012 season.

Upon his return to the amateur game, Peterson’s run of good fortune had cooled. He racked up nearly a dozen Top-10 finishes a year ago without hoisting an individual trophy once.

He lost the final match of the MGA Players’ Championship to Minnesota Gopher Genki Hirayama last year at Interlachen Country Club.

At last month’s MGA Players’ Championship Peterson again returned to the finals, but was turned away for the second straight year as Johnny Larson won in a playoff.

Peterson’s game certainly heated up Friday to begin the 97th Minnesota State Open at Bunker Hills Golf Club when he fired a 9-under par 63 to take the early lead.

After rolling in a par putt on the first playoff hole Sunday against PGA professional and former Minnesota Gopher Justin Smith, Peterson can again call himself champion as he carded an 8-under par 208 to win his first Minnesota State Open.

“This tournament means a lot,” Peterson said after his victory. “This is one of those big events in Minnesota that I don’t have under my belt and it’s against the best field in the state with the pros and amateurs. I’m ecstatic to win.”

Peterson was tied for the lead at 137 entering Sunday’s final round with Smith, while professional Donald Constable began the day one shot off the lead at 138.

Peterson, Valleywood Golf Course, did not start well as he bogeyed the opening hole to fall to 6-under for the championship before a double-bogey on the sixth dropped him to 4-under.

“The first seven holes I felt like I’d never played golf before,” Peterson said. “I felt out of whack and a little nervous and I was 3-over after seven holes.”

Peterson quickly got things turned around on the eighth when he stuck his approach to four feet and rolled in a birdie and would make another birdie on the following hole to get back to 6-under for the championship.

“Those were key holes,” he said, “after those two birdies I felt like I was right back in it.”

Constable, Spring Hill Country Club, began his round with a pair of birdies and a bogey on the opening nine to shoot a 1-under 35. With a birdie on the 10th hole, Constable moved to 8-under for the championship and took the lead with another birdie on the 13th to get to 9-under.

Peterson rolled in a birdie on 11 and chipped in for birdie on 14 to get to 8-under, while Smith opened the back nine with three birdies on his first four holes to get to 9-under par.

With just four holes remaining, Constable and Smith shared the lead at 9-under with Peterson lingering one stroke behind at 8-under.

Smith, University/Les Bolstad Golf Course, missed a short par putt on the 14th to fall to 8-under, while Constable had troubles of his own starting on the 15th.

Hooking his tee shot into the water right of the fairway, Constable would take a drop and put his third just on the left edge of the green, 12 feet away and had a chance to save par. His putt slid just left of the hole and he rolled in his bogey to fall to 8-under.

Constable’s tee shot on the 240-yard 17th went way long as it rolled across the cart path into the rough just to the right of a tree, leaving an awkward stance for the southpaw Constable.

Leaning up against the tree for his second shot, Constable’s club caught too much grass and his ball landed well short of the green. He would chip up to four feet where he would make his second consecutive bogey and sealing his chances for a victory.

On the final hole, Peterson put his approach 10 feet right of the hole, while Smith’s second landed in the middle of the green with 30 feet left for birdie. His putt looked to be on the perfect line but rolled just left and he tapped in for par.

Peterson’s birdie, and chance to seal the tournament, also missed left and he rolled in his par to force a playoff as both finished at 8-under par 208 for the championship.

On the first playoff hole, Peterson’s approach found the middle of the green with 20 feet left for birdie while Smith’s second shot rolled off the back of the green, but only 15 feet from the pin. Peterson rolled his birdie putt to two feet before Smith’s chip came out of the rough heavy and rolled 10 past the flag.

After Smith two-putted for bogey, the 27-year-old Peterson stepped up and rolled in his par to win.

“I started to trust the driver more as the round went on and putted well,” Peterson said. “Obviously I played fantastic on Friday. Yesterday wasn’t as good but I just putted bad. Today I just told myself to hit it the way I have been and to trust the putter. I had one three-putt, but outside of that I putted good and my speed was fine.”

“[Constable] was playing well and [Smith] was playing well. There were a lot of birdies out there today, more than I thought would happen being so windy. Every one of us shot 1-under par—that’s some good golf,” Peterson said.

Peterson said that winning the biggest tournament in the state Sunday solidifies everything he’s experienced as a golfer over the last few years.

“I had a great season last year, but being runner-up at the [MGA Players’] the last two years was very frustrating, so to come through and win one, and to do it in a playoff, validates everything.”

Smith, 32, finished the tournament as the low professional and said he’ll take a lot of positives away from his second place finish Sunday, along with a check for $9,000.

“I played great all week and it’s interesting now that I don’t play that much anymore or work on my game—I only play in a couple tournaments a year, but I’m still finding a way to play the way I used to know how. My expectations are a little bit lower so I have more fun with it,” he said.

“Today was a great day; it was tough out there but we all three played well, Trent just played a little bit better. For me to shoot three rounds under par and take it to 55 holes was great, I can’t complain one bit.”

The top of the leaderboard was littered with former Gophers as Constable finished in third place at 209, while Jon Trasamar, finished fourth at 6-under par 210. Cameron White finished fifth at 5-under par 211.

Accepting his championship trophy, an emotional Peterson dedicated his win Sunday to family friend and Hazeltine National Golf Club member, William Travis, who lost a 15-month battle with cancer Saturday.


For complete tournament results go to: http://mnpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpga14/event/mnpga1445/contest/4/leaderboard.htm