Wilcox Putts His Way to First-Round Lead at MGA Senior Amateur

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  STILLWATER, Minn. – Highlighted by his 150-foot birdie putt during the opening round of the 98^th Minnesota Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship Tuesday, Trent Wilcox posted a 2-under 70 in difficult conditions during the first day of competition to take the early lead at StoneRidge Golf Club.
 
Rolling in four birdies against two bogeys, Wilcox will begin Wednesday’s second round with a one-stroke lead over Jerry Rose and two-time champion Leif Carlson, who each carded rounds of 71 Tuesday.
 
“I played really steady today. I hit a couple of decent putts, hit the ball on the green and hit a lot of fairways,” Wilcox said following his opening round Tuesday. “The course is tough and I knew it would be windy when the afternoon hit, my thought was to not get upset over bogeys, but avoid [double-bogey]. Keep the ball in play and I was able to do that pretty well—I didn’t hit the ball great off the tee, but I kept it in play.”
 
Beginning his round on the 10^th tee Tuesday, Wilcox got off to a shaky start with a bogey on his second hole of the day, but answered by sinking a sidehill breaker from 15 feet to get back to even par.
 
Wilcox watched as playing partner Tom Whaley holed out for eagle at the par-4 18^th from 166 yards before leaving his approach on the front edge of the green, 138 feet away from the pin. Playing 20 feet of break, Wilcox’s birdie putt found the bottom of the cup for birdie to put him in red figures for his outward nine.
 
Carrying momentum to his final nine, Wilcox reached the par-5 second in two and two-putted from 50 feet for birdie to get to 2-under, but would take a step back with bogey at the third. Finding a rhythm with his flat stick Tuesday, Wilcox rolled a birdie putt from off the front edge of the sixth green and would finish the day at 2-under 70 to take the 18-hole lead.
 
“It was a fun round and I played with guys that made a lot of good shots and that kind of put me in the mood to play well,” Wilcox said. “It was like a practice round—we played really quick.
 
“Tomorrow I’m just going to play like it’s a practice round again. I can go for the par-5’s in two and there are a couple par-4’s I think I can reach, so I’m going to go for it and have some fun. On tougher courses, when you know you’re going to make bogeys here and there, you just need to minimize the damage and hope that on the par-5’s you can pick up a stroke or two.”
 
Rose, the defending MGA Senior Men’s Player of the year and winner of the 2017 MGA Senior Players’ Championship, got off to a sizzling start with four birdies over his first 12 holes before stumbling down the stretch, carding three bogeys to finish his round at 1-under 71.
 
Rose said ball-striking was a key to a solid performance Tuesday, but was unable to take advantage of multiple birdie opportunities.
 
“I hit the ball very well. I had it inside of 15 feet on 13 of the 18 holes and didn’t make many putts,” Rose said of his opening round 71 Tuesday. “I need to continue to drive the ball well and make a few putts and I should be in the hunt.”
 
Carlson, who claimed the 2008 championship at Woodhill Country Club and again two years later at The Minikahda Club, got to work quickly Tuesday, rolling in back-to-back birdies on his second and third holes before a bogey on his sixth hole put him at 1-under heading to his final nine.
 
The 2012 MGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year bogeyed his 12^th hole to drop back to even, but finished on a high note by rolling in one final birdie at his 17^th to finish tied for second with Rose at 71.
 
David Haslerud, winner in 2017, carded an even par 72 Tuesday and will begin the second round in fourth place, two shots back.
 
The second round of the 98^th MGA Senior Amateur Championship is slated to begin at 8 a.m. at StoneRidge Golf Club.