Lehman and Carlson Among Top Seeds to Survive Day One at MGA Sr. Players' Championship in Hutchinson

June 17, 2019 | 4 min.

 
By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  HUTCHINSON, Minn. –  While the common adage is that anything can happen when it comes to match play in golf, the only certainty following the opening day of competition at the 20th Minnesota Golf Association Senior Players’ Championship is that a first-time winner will be crowned early Wednesday.
 
Defending champion David Rehfeldt along with last year’s runner up Jerry Rose were both bounced from the tournament early Monday, and Steve Whittaker, winner in 2013 and 2016, fell during the Round of 16.
 
Among the first to advance to the quarterfinal round Tuesday was Bart Bradford, who outlasted Steve Herzog during the opening round before finding his putting stroke during his Round of 16 match against John Anderson, rolling in three birdies in a six-hole span to close out the match at the 15th hole, 5 and 3.
 
“The first nine today I was just waking up and then I got it going,” Bradford said of his sluggish start to the championship Monday. “The longer I play, the better I feel, so hopefully tomorrow I can get out of the gate early. I don’t like spotting anyone [a couple holes] and then battling back.
 
“The key is to make par—if you can make par and just not screw up. Hit the fairways and greens and let the birdies fall, but stay out of trouble. Birdies are good, but pars will win you a lot of holes when you’re not looking. Everybody gets in trouble, so just make par.”  
 
Bradford, from Oakdale Golf Club, has notched a couple of top-10 finishes with partner Joe McCormick at the MGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship and placed 10th at the MGA State Amateur at Bearpath Golf and Country Club in 2000.
 
Taking an early lead thanks to an Anderson bogey at the first Monday, Bradford extended his lead to two by sinking a 5-footer for birdie at the ninth. Quickly gaining momentum, Bradford rolled in an 8-footer at 10 before Anderson carded bogey at the 11th to fall down four.
 
Bradford continued to apply pressure by sinking his birdie look at the 12th from 25 feet and nearly holed out his approach at the 15th to close out the match with a tap-in birdie with a convincing victory, 5 and 3. He will now face Leif Carlson, who reached the finals in 2014 and 2017, when the quarterfinal round begins Tuesday.
 
Tom Whaley, who won the MGA Mid-Amateur Championship when it was played at both Minneapolis and Montgomery National Golf Clubs, carded two late birdies and held on to win his opening-round match against 2017 MGA Senior Amateur champion Dave Haslerud, 1-up.
 
“This is my maiden voyage—I just turned 55 in June, so finally get to play some senior events. I’ve played against all of these guys, so I know them all, but it’s fun to be a rookie,” Whaley said of his first appearance at the 55-and-over championship.  
 
“I think I hit every fairway today, or missed just one, in two rounds. I drove the ball really well all day long, which was good because this course is pretty tight. I was hitting it pretty long for me and towards the end I was really flushing my irons."
 
Even through 14 holes against two-time champion Whittaker, Whaley took advantage of a Whittaker bogey at the 15th to take his first lead of the match. Both made key up-and-downs at the 16th before Whaley drilled a 7-iron at the 173-yard 17th inside of two feet and tapped in to eliminate Whittaker, 2-up.
 
“Steve is such a good player and even if he hits it a little wayward, which he doesn’t very often, I just assume he’ll get up and down, and he did. He’ll make 12-footers and chip it close [to save par], he was really tough and he’s a true gentleman, too,” Whaley said.
 
“I was a little disappointed with my putting today, I didn’t make many today and hopefully can make some more tomorrow when I get a little more used to the greens. You really just need to hang around and pars are good scores. There aren’t too many holes that you don’t have a chance making birdie, but you’ve got to pick your spots.”  
 
Whaley will now face Brent Chozen when the quarterfinal round begins Tuesday.  
 
Scott Hogan, winner of the MPGA Senior Public Links in 2016, ousted last year’s runner-up and two-time MGA Senior Player of the Year Rose, 4 and 3, before getting past Mark Ecklund to reach the quarterfinals, 4 and 2. Hogan will face James Ryan, who downed both Tom Heidrick and Bob Snyder to remain in contention Monday.
 
Jim Lehman, who was seeded No. 3 to begin the week, edged Terry Moores, 2 and 1, before the four-time MGA Senior Amateur champion dispatched John Hawkinson during Monday’s afternoon Round of 16, 3 and 1. Lehman now faces Jim Price, who collected wins over both J.T. Johnson and Tim Gonsior.
 
The 20th MGA Senior Players’ Championship resumes Tuesday when the quarterfinal round begins at 7:30 a.m. at Crow River Golf Club.
 
 

Contact Us

Contact Us

6550 York Avenue South, Suite 411 • Edina, MN 55435 • (952) 927-4643 • (800) 642-4405 • Fax: (952) 927-9642
© 2024 Minnesota Golf Association. All Rights Reserved