A Late Rally Gives Tylke Second MPGA Public Links Championship Win

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  OTSEGO, Minn. – A late flurry of birdies and an eagle on his final hole helped Maxwell Tylke to a three-stroke victory at the 94^th Minnesota Public Golf Association Public Links Championship Sunday at Riverwood National Golf Course.
 
Thanks to a round of 7-under par 65 Saturday, Tylke entered the final round with a one-stroke lead over Caleb VanArragon, but he relinquished his lead early on his front nine Sunday before three late birdies and an eagle from 25 feet at the 18th propelled him to his second win at the event in three seasons.
 
“This feels good—especially this one. Caleb and I ran away and we dueled all day. It was fun to go low both days instead of going low one day and hold on,” Tylke said after his win Sunday. “I can build a lot off of the fact that it’s probably my best two-day total I’ve ever had.
 
“The key this week was ball striking. I never felt like I hit an iron and didn’t have a look at birdie or missed in the wrong spot. Tee balls on the front nine were a little hairy, but once I got to the back, I didn’t hit one tee ball that was an issue. Whether I mishit it or not, it was always a green light and I never got in trouble.”
 
Tylke’s tee shot and the par-4 second came to rest in a fairway divot, but Tylke managed to wedge his approach to six feet, leading to his first birdie of the round Sunday to move to 8-under for the championship. He would take a double-bogey at the par-3 third and fall back into a share of the lead with VanArragon at 6-under.
 
Both Tylke and VanArragon carded birdies at the fifth and sixth holes to remain deadlocked at 8-under, but VanArragon rolled in a third consecutive birdie at the seventh to take his first lead Sunday.
 
Tylke narrowly missed his eagle chance at the par-5 14^th and would pull even with VanArragon at 8-under as the two traded birdies at the 15^th to remain tied at 9-under. Sticking his approach five feet right of the pin at No. 16, Tylke converted birdie to regain a one-shot advantage before sinking his eagle putt from 25 feet on the final hole to shoot a final-round 67 to claim a three-stroke victory for his second Public Links Championship title in three years.
 
“The start to the day was poor—I birdied two but doubled three. It didn’t feel like I had anything going and things seemed goofy,” Tylke said. “I knew there were three par-5’s left and a ton of birdie chances, so you had to be patient and hopefully you can roll some in.
 
“I made three great pars on seven, eight and nine. None of them were good drives and two of them went into the fescue and I got away with it. Truthfully, I could’ve played those holes at 2-over. Number 14 was the first time I hit a shot dead on and right where I had it. From there it didn’t seem like I missed an iron. I got off the tee okay, but all my irons were on line.”
 
Tylke defeated Danny Anderson at Loggers Trail Golf Club at the 2016 championship to earn him his first amateur victory since a Minnesota PGA Junior victory in 2011. Tylke teamed up with Alexandra Stewart to win the Minnesota Golf Association Mixed Amateur Team Championship last season at Chaska Town Course.
 
VanArragon began his 2018 season with a top-25 finish at the Class AAA championship in June before claiming the Minnesota State Junior Boys’ Championship at The Bridges. He followed it with a fifth-place finish at the Minnesota PGA Junior Boys’ Championship and another top-25 finish at the MGA Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club last month.
 
Beginning his senior year at Blaine High School next month, VanArragon most recently notched a 10^th-place finish at the Minnesota State Open at Bunker Hills in late July.
 
“This season has been better than I expected, I think,” VanArragon said. “This is a good way to finish the last really big tournament of the season.”
 
Running away from the field early with Tylke Saturday, VanArragon said he got a lot out of his rounds this week despite not feeling completely comfortable over the ball, shooting a 6-under 66 Saturday before a final-round 69 Sunday.
 
“My swing didn’t very good the past couple of days, but the ball was going straight enough,” he said. “I need to remember that even if I don’t feel like my swing is solid, I can still hit the ball well. My ball striking was okay, but it wasn’t great.
 
“I thought I played really well this week. I was probably hitting the ball better today, but the putting wasn’t as hot,” VanArragon said Sunday. “Max played so good—it’s hard to beat that.
 
After carding a round of even par 72 to open the championship Saturday, 2015 champion Andy Jacobson recorded a pair of birdies on his final two holes Sunday to post a 2-under par 70 to finish alone in third place at 142.
 
 
 
THE 94^TH MPGA PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
RIVERWOOD NATIONAL GOLF COURSE
OTSEGO, MINN.
6,828 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
SUNDAY’S FINAL RESULTS
1. Maxwell Tylke, Links at Northfork, 65-67—132
2. Caleb VanArragon, Bunker Hills GC, 66-69—135
3. Andy Jacobson, Eagle Valley GC, 72-70—142
T4. Jonathan Hanner, Baker Nat’l GC, 71-72—143
T4. Joel B. Johnson, Links at Northfork, 70-73—143
6. Taylor Zack, Riverwood Nat’l GC, 71-73—144
T7. Tony Brown, Rush Creek GC, 70-75—145
T7. Nick Jarrett, Eastwood GC, 72-73—145
T7. J.T. Johnson, Valleywood GC, 75-70—145
T7. Trent Peterson, Valleywood GC, 74-71—145
T7. Noah Rasinski, Heritage Links GC, 74-71—145