Jacobson, Bull, Johnson and Peterson Among Quarterfinalists at MGA Mid-Players' in St. Cloud

By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


  ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Ousting Stefan Freeman and Jesse Polk Thursday at St. Cloud Country Club, Andy Jacobson moved a couple steps closer to defending his title at the 11th Minnesota Golf Association Mid-Players’ Championship.

Troy Johnson is the only player to successfully defend his Mid-Players’ title when he won the 2013 championship at Island View Golf Club before repeating the feat in 2014 at Brackett’s Crossing Country Club.

“I hit the ball good today and I think the key out here is to hit greens because they’re smaller. If you’re on the right side of the hole, you’re going to have a good chance for birdie. I was kind of streaky and hit some nice recovery shots.”

Jacobson had little trouble in his opening match against Freeman, winning three of the first four holes to jump out to a big lead early. He increased his lead to 4-up after nine and would win three consecutive holes starting at the 11th and closed out the match at the 13th, 7 and 5.

Facing long-hitter Jesse Polk in the afternoon, Jacobson struck first in the same fashion as his first match by claiming three of the first four holes to take a quick 3-up lead. But Polk battled by winning four of the next five holes with birdies to swing the match in his favor. Jacobson countered by taking four straight holes beginning at the 12th to clinch the match following a par at the par-3 16th, 3 and 2.

“My morning match was solid,” Jacobson said after advancing to the quarterfinals Thursday. “I feel comfortable on this course and like this type of golf.

"This afternoon I felt pretty good, but Jesse [Polk] made a run,” he said. “He was 1-up after ten and I managed to hang in there and won three holes in a row. I like playing with the lead—it’s a lot easier."

Jacobson said he plans to change very little ahead of Friday’s quarterfinal match against Justin Burleson, who defeated Jake Witham and Jamie Quesnel to meet Jacobson Friday.

“My style of golf is to play hard and grind away and absolutely try not to give anything away.”

Jesse Bull, 2014 MGA Amateur champion, went back-and-forth early in his opening match against Kevin Conn Thursday before Bull took command by winning five consecutive holes and would clinch the match at the 16th, 4 and 2.

Facing Danny Anderson during the Round of 16, Bull had his hands full, falling 2-down early after Anderson claimed the third hole and then the fifth hole with a birdie.

Bull converted birdie at the seventh to pull within one of Anderson and then knocked his approach at the par-5 ninth to 10 feet. Hoping to pull even with another quick birdie, Bull instead watched Anderson chip in for eagle to regain a 2-up lead.

“I had a nice 10-footer up the hill and he holes out and you’re in tight. Normally that doesn’t bug you, but in match play it can bug you,” Bull said Thursday.

Taking advantage of two late bogeys by Anderson, Bull drew even at the 16th and would force extra holes before besting Anderson on the 20th hole with a birdie to face Ekren Miller in the quarterfinals Friday.

“The first round the putter was not good and the second round I putted a little better, but I had two three-putts in the second round,” Bull said. “Things are coming around—it’s getting closer, but not quite there. It feels good to be out playing and there’s a little bit of pressure to see where the game is at.

“Danny’s a really good player—he bombs it. He had a couple late bogeys on the back and let me back in.”

Joel B. Johnson had a see-saw match early with Scott Threinen to open the championship Thursday before prevailing to win the final three holes. Johnson had the daunting task of facing Sammy Schmitz in the Round of 16 after Schmitz defeated Andrew Howard in his opening match.

“I knew the match against Sammy was going to be tough, he’s an amazing player,” Johnson said. “Neither one of us had our best stuff during that match. It was tough out there; the wind was brutal, so club selection was really hard.”

Johnson struck early against Schmitz by winning the third and fourth holes before Schmitz fought back at the fifth to stay within one. The 2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion drew even following his birdie at the par-5 tenth.

After a bogey by Schmitz gave Johnson a slim lead at the 11th, Schmitz won both the 12th and 13th holes to take a 1-up lead with five to play. Johnson rolled in his birdie look at the 15th to pull even and stuck his approach on the final hole inside of five feet, making birdie and eliminating the five-time MGA Men’s Player of the Year, 1-up.

“I hit the ball really well—the iron game was good, short game was okay, but I didn’t make a putt all day and that’s what killed me. Sammy’s putter was good—boy, he can putt. I probably outplayed him tee-to-green overall, but he out-putted me.

“My irons are my strength. For me, it’s always putting. If I can make putts and get comfortable with my putter and hit my lines is when I’m playing really well. Today it was a struggle and I got a little lucky. I don’t think I made a putt over eight feet all day long.”

Johnson will now face Jesse Larson after Larson downed Joe Conzemius and Joe McCormick to reach the quarterfinal round.

In his first Mid-Players’ Championship since turning 30 in March, defending MGA Players’ champion Trent Peterson advanced to Friday’s quarterfinal round after beating Tommy Smith, 4 and 2, before taking down Topher Baron in the Round of 16.

Peterson will face Tyler Obermueller who cruised to an 8 and 6 victory over 2015 champion Joe O’Brien before defeating Joe Sauer in 19 holes during Thursday’s afternoon session.

The quarterfinal round of the 11th MGA Mid-Players’ Championship will begin at 8:02 a.m. Friday at St. Cloud Country Club.