Berry Emerges in Playoff to Claim Fourth Minnesota Senior PGA Professional Championship

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  MEDINA, Minn. – Entering the final round of the 46^th Minnesota Senior PGA Professional Championship two shots off the lead, Don Berry posted the tournament’s only score below par Tuesday at Medina Golf and Country Club, outlasting both Dale Jones and Ty Armstrong in a playoff to claim his fourth win at the championship and 13^th state senior title.
 
Helped by a pair of early birdies, Berry fired a 1-under 71 to force a three-way playoff before winning the third extra hole against Jones to earn his third section win of the season as he now advances to his seventh Senior PGA Professional national championship since 2012.
 
“Yesterday I shot 74 and it could’ve been 77 or 78,” Berry said. “You shoot the lowest score you can and if I wouldn’t have stayed with it and grinded it out yesterday, I would’ve been out of it. If you’re bad rounds are relatively good, then you’ve still got a chance.

"I was trying to shoot 65 today, I didn’t think I needed 65, but I’m just trying to shoot the lowest score I can. I knew if I played good today that I’d be in it.”
 
Rolling in birdies at the first and second, Berry quickly pulled within one shot of the lead, but fell three shots back with a bogey and an Armstrong birdie at the sixth. Berry answered by carding a pair of birdies over his final three holes on the front to turn at 1-under and sole possession of the lead.
 
Unable to get up-and-down to save par at the par-3 13^th, Berry managed to hang onto a slim advantage over Armstrong and Jones despite missing multiple birdie opportunities late in the round.
 
“I had chances on 15 and 16, but 16 was a really bad one. I thought I had it read and then I got over it and changed my mind. Sometimes your feet tell you something different and then got over and felt it went more to the center.”
 
A bogey at the last dropped Berry into a three-way playoff before Armstrong was eliminated on the second playoff hole with a bogey. Narrowly closing out the tournament with a pair of birdies, a simple tap-in for par on the third playoff hole proved to be the difference as Jones failed to get up-and-down to save par.
 
“I played good early, but this course is just hard. The greens are really difficult, especially when the pins are tough. All balls here funnel towards the middle of the green, and if the pin’s not in the middle, it’s going away from the hole. I thought I had it going and then on the back, the pins were really hard and it was hard to get the ball close.
 
“I don’t feel like I played well enough to win. I’ve really struggled with my swing this year and just haven’t felt good about it. I know I’m struggling when I’m trying new stuff. Last year, I went through the whole summer with one swing thought. This year if I hit three bad shots, I’m looking for something different. When I start really searching and changing my swing thoughts a lot during a round of golf, I know I’m struggling and it’s been a lot of that.”
 
Berry picked up his first win of the season at the Minnesota Senior Open at Keller Golf Course in similar fashion in early June, defeating Jones on the first playoff hole after both finished the 36-hole championship at 4-under 140. A win at the Faribault Golf Club Pro-Am last month pushed his season earnings over $7,500.
 
Berry now advances to the national championship along with Jones, Armstrong, Jason Sudenga, Daniel Callahan and Larry Norland at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Oct. 15-18.
 
Tuesday’s result is yet another disappointing finish for Jones who has now collected 18 top-3 finishes since 2015, while earning victories at the Minnesota PGA Senior Match Play Championship in 2017 and 2019.
 
“I played pretty steady. Today’s round was up-and-down like it was at [the Minnesota Senior Open], but it’s fun to be in the hunt. I was right there again and one of these days, I’m going to beat [Berry].”
 
Carding a 1-over 73 to open the championship Monday, Jones carded a pair of birdies against two bogeys on his opening nine Tuesday and repeated the pattern over his final nine holes, including a birdie at the 18^th in regulation to force a three-way playoff.
 
Monday’s co-leader Armstrong got off to a quick start Tuesday with a long birdie putt at the first before holing out from the sand at the sixth. Losing his tee shot at the seventh led to a double-bogey and he would need a birdie at the par-5 14^th to climb back into a tie for the lead.
 
Armstrong managed to save par after finding the sand on the first playoff hole, but wasn’t as fortunate at the par-3 17^th second playoff hole, missing a 6-footer for par.
 
“I’m happy—I haven’t played a lot, so to get back to nationals is awesome,” Armstrong said. “I played good and I’m getting closer to playing somewhat like I used to, so that’s fun. I still need to get a little mentally stronger.
 
“I haven’t been in this position in a while. It didn’t use to be this hard.”
 
Sudenga carded a final-round 75 to finish fourth at 4-over 148, while Callahan placed fifth at 149. Norland and Steve Fessler finished tied for sixth at 150, but Norland claimed the final qualifying position in a two-hole playoff.
 
 
 
THE 46^TH MINNESOTA SR. PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
MEDINA GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB
MEDINA, MINN.
6,779 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
TUESDAY’S FINAL RESULTS
1. Don Berry, Edinburgh USA, 74-71—145 (exempt)
T2. Dale Jones, Mendakota CC, 73-72—145 (qualifier)
T2. Ty Armstrong, GolfTEC, 72-73—145 (qualifier)
4. Jason Sudenga, Bakker Crossing GC, 73-75—148 (qualifier)
5. Daniel Callahan, Island View GC, 73-76—149 (qualifier)
T6. Larry Norland, Greenhaven GC, 74-76—150 (qualifier)
T6. Steve Fessler, Medina G&CC, 72-78—150
T8. Mike Flaherty, Hastings GC, 75-76—151
T8. Bill Israelson, Vintage GC, 73-78—151
10. Mike Barge, Hazeltine Nat’l GC, 77-75—152
 
 
For complete tournament results go to: https://mnpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpga20/event/mnpga2029/contest/1/leaderboard.htm