MGA Press Release

Sauer Shoots 25 on Back 9 at Cedar Creek -- 56 for the Round

ALBERTVILLE -- Chris Sauer was just trying to shoot 59. But when he holed a wedge shot on the 18th hole at Cedar Creek Golf Course last Saturday for his fourth eagle of the day, it gave him a 56, 15 under par.

That's the lowest score ever shot in Minnesota on a course with a par of 70 or more.

Sauer, 34, is the general manager and head professional at Cedar Creek. He was playing in a Red, White & Blue event, in which the players rotated from the women's tees to the regular tees to the back tees.

The yardage for the course that day worked out to about 5,500 yards.

That doesn't qualify it as a legititmate record round, according to the Guiness World Book of Records, which requires a minimum yardage of 6,500 yards.

But the Minnesota Golf Association and Minnesota Section PGA have never put such limits on the records they keep, and Sauer's round is three strokes below the record of 59, which was shared by Jon Chaffee and Shad Muth.

Chaffee, a former State Open champion, shot an 11-under 59 at Phalen in the St. Paul Open in 1988. That remains the tournament record, but the score was equalled by Shad Muth, a mini-tour pro who was working in the shop at Hastings Country Club in 2007 and shot a 13-under 59 there in a recreational round during April of that year.

Muth's 13 under matched the Minnesota record for most under par, which had been set by Dave Tentis, another State Open champ. He shot a 70 at Minnesota Valley (par 73) in October of 1988.

Sauer started his round with an eagle at the first hole, but didn't do much in the way of making putts the rest of the nine and made the turn with a 31. He made a 25-footer for eagle at the 10th and a 40-footer for his third eagle 3 of the day at the 12th.

A birdie 3 at the 13th was followed by a par -- his only par of the back nine, as it turned out -- at the 14th, and three consecutive birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th.

Needing only a par 4 at the 295-yard 18th hole, he hit a 4-iron from the tee. But then he spun his wedge shot back into the hole for a 2 and entered the record books.

It was his third eagle of the nine, to go with five birdies and the lonely par at the 14th -- and a back nine aggregate of 11-under 25.    

Minnesota's Lowest Rounds

56   -15        Chris Sauer           7/17/10   Cedar Creek GC          Par 71

59   -13        Shad Muth            4/27/07   Hastings CC                Par 72

59   -11        Jon Chaffee           7/23/88   Phalen GC                   Par 70

60   -12       Ron Benson           7/11/96   Indian Hills CC           Par 72

60   -12       Steve Johnson         7/9/02     Elk River CC              Par 72