Helminen Gets Hot With the Putter, Birdies Final Hole to Win Minnesota Golf Champions

By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. – A string of five consecutive birdies helped Ryan Helminen overcome a two-stroke deficit entering the final round of the 2016 Minnesota Golf Champions before sinking a birdie on the final hole to edge Donald Constable by one shot Sunday at Golden Valley Golf and Country Club.

After two early birdies and a bogey by Constable at the par-3 eighth hole, Helminen pulled even with the 2014 champion before getting red hot with his putter, sinking five straight birdies to take a three-shot lead to the 14th hole.

Constable rolled in his birdie chance at the 16th while Helminen four-putted the hole for double-bogey as the two went to the final hole deadlocked at 12-under for the championship. After Constable’s birdie chance stopped just inches from the cup, Helminen dropped his 4-foot putt to win his first Minnesota Golf Champions title at 13-under par 206.

“I felt very comfortable the whole round today,” Helminen, a native of Menasha, Wis., said Sunday. “Both [Constable] and I were playing well and kind of feeding off of each other. I knew I would’ve had to shoot a good round today to catch him and I went in with the mentality of playing my own game and as well as I can.

“My putting was solid all day except on 16—I got above the hole and made a mental mistake on my first putt. I had to forget about it and know that I still had a chance to win with two holes to play. He made a great save on 17 then I hit two good shots on 18 and made birdie with two putts and I was fortunate to win by one.”

Constable took an early three-stroke lead at the first, but Helminen reached the par-5 second in two and two-putted for birdie to pull within two. Finding trouble off the tee at the third, Constable was unable to convert a long par putt as his lead shrunk to just one, but he would bounce back to curl in an 8-foot birdie at the fourth.

Reaching the par-5 sixth hole in two, Helminen was able to tap in his birdie chance to gain a stroke on Constable and would eventually pull even after a bogey by Constable at the par-3 eighth.

The two remained even after birdies at the ninth and Helminen would take his first lead of the tournament after another tap-in birdie at the par-5 tenth. Helminen sank his 10-foot birdie chance at the 11th, while Constable would three-putt for bogey and Helminen’s lead quickly grew to three shots.

Helminen and Constable traded birdies at the 12th and 13th, relentlessly attacking the greens with the putter before the four-putt by Helminen erased his lead late. Nearly reaching the par-5 18th in two yet again, Helminen was able to lag his putt from off the front edge to inside of five feet, making birdie while Constable left his birdie just inches from the cup and Helminen sealed the victory with a final-round 67.

“I played really well the opening round and it really helped seeing it the first day and as the tournament went on I felt more comfortable out there and knew where to miss it and attack some of the holes,” Helminen said. “I felt like I hit well all three days and just made a few more putts as the week went on.

“It’s good for golf to play with guys that are as good, if not better, and that’s what golf is all about. You’re trying to maximize the strength of your game and playing at a high level only makes you better in the future,” he said.

“To come over here and play with [Constable] and [five-time champion Clayton Rask] and other players from Minnesota, it’s good to have a great battle and I really enjoy it.”

Helminen finished tied for third at the event last year as well as 2013 and is a three-time winner of the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am. In 2012 he finished tied for second at the Minnesota State Open at Bunker Hills Golf Club.

Constable had no problem during the final round in 2014, cruising to a five-stroke victory over Clayton Rask when the event moved to Golden Valley from Minneapolis Golf Club for the first time since 1975. But in a matter of only six holes mid-round Sunday, Constable saw a one-stroke lead turn into a three-stroke deficit.

“A birdie-bogey swing can happen pretty quick so I was trying to keep it in play and give myself a chance on every hole. I had my chances after that and I let them slip,” he said.

“He went on a tear—it was fun to watch. There’s not much you can do. He rolled it awesome; you can't putt the ball any better than that. I think he had seven straight one-putts," Constable said of Helminen’s birdie run Sunday.

Constable, who spent a good portion of the 2015 golf season playing on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada, plans to play in several Web.com Tour Monday qualifiers as well as more local events and said he’s got plenty to be happy with after finishing second Sunday.

"I like how I putted all week on these greens. I hung in there after leading and then trailing and I liked the way I played coming in—I hit some shots when I needed to. I can take a lot away from it without winning—a lot of positives."



2016 MINNESOTA GOLF CHAMPIONS
GOLDEN VALLEY GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB
GOLDEN VALLEY, MINN.
7,004 YARDS, PAR 73


FINAL RESULTS
1. Ryan Helminen, Ridgeway CC, 71-68-67—206
2. Donald Constable, Spring Hill GC, 67-70-70—207
T3. Don Berry, Edinburgh USA, 68-77-73—218
T3. Brent Snyder, Troy Burne GC, 74-70-74—218
5. Jesse Bull (a), Golden Valley G&CC, 69-75-75—219
6. Jeff Sorenson, Minikahda Club, 71-82-70—222
7. Justin Burleson (a), Valleywood GC, 74-75-74—223
8. Sam Matthew, North Oaks GC, 77-73-74—224
T9. Dale Jones, Mendakota CC, 74-79-72—225
T9. Ross Miller, Riverwood Nat’l GC, 75-74-76—225
T9. Benjamin Greve, Minneapolis GC, 74-75-76—225


For complete tournament results go to: https://mnpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpga16/event/mnpga167/contest/4/leaderboard.htm