Lehman and Rose Go Low to Lead 46th MGA Senior Four-Ball at Windsong

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  MAPLE PLAIN, Minn. – Playing a practice round at Windsong Farm with partner Jerry Rose Sunday, Jim Lehman thought it was a bad omen that the pair were sinking birdies one after the other.
 
Luckily for Lehman and Rose, their good fortune carried over to Monday’s opening round of the 46^th Minnesota Golf Association Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship, as the two would card nine birdies against one bogey to take the opening-round lead with an 8-under 63.
 
“Yesterday we were both making birdies like crazy and thought, ‘Oh, jeez, you don’t make tons of birdies in a practice round.’ But it continued today—I made six birdies and Jerry made four, one of which was on top of mine,” Lehman said Monday. “In a best ball, you’re going to have a low score if you have that many birdies counting.
 
“Everything was working—we both played really well. I have a new putter that I put in the bag about a month ago and it’s been a big thing for me.”
 
“It certainly helps when you’ve got a hometown local guide telling you where everything is,” Rose said of playing on Lehman’s home course this week. We got off to a good start—Jim rolled in a couple putts the first five holes. We had a lot of holes where we were both putting for birdie to take the pressure off.
 
Lehman and Rose will take a two-stroke advantage over the team of J.T. Johnson and Tom Whaley when the final round gets underway Tuesday.
 
Denied of the championship after falling to Tom Heidrick and John Sexton on the second playoff hole a year ago at Northfield Golf Club, both Lehman and Rose agreed that there’s a little more motivation coming into the week.
 
“There’s probably a lot of motivation for [Lehman]. Playing your home course gives you a little advantage, but it also adds a little extra pressure,” Rose said. “That’s why I was glad to get off to a good start, to take the heat off and then you’re freewheeling out there.”
 
Beginning the championship on the 10^th tee Monday, Lehman sank a 20-footer on the opening hole and rolled in another birdie from 15 feet at the 13^th to put his team at 2-under for the round. Lehman’s hot hand with the putter continued at the 14^th, converting his birdie look at the par-4 14^th before Rose added the twosome’s fourth birdie at the par-3 16^th to move to 4-under for the tournament. Sinking an 8-footer at the 18^th the two headed to their back nine in 5-under.
 
Cruising along after Rose rolled in a birdie putt at the par-4 third hole, curiosity got the better of the pair as they checked the leaderboard to see how the field was faring.
 
“It was going great until one of us checked our phone to see how everyone else was doing at that point, which was probably a huge mistake because we both three-putted the next hole,” Lehman said.
 
Despite the minor setback at the par- 4 fourth, Lehman and Rose finished strong by carding three birdies over their final five holes to take the 18-hole lead at 8-under 63.
 
“I hit my driver in the fairway and hit my irons on the green. It’s a team deal out here and Jerry hit a lot of great shots, too, and we were never in danger of making a bogey, except on number four,” Lehman said. “We’re good friends and we compete a lot. I feel like we both almost feel against each other to see who can make the most birdies.”
 
“I don’t want him to make all the birdies,” Rose laughed.
 
Getting off to a sluggish start to begin the tournament, playing their first four holes in 1-over, Johnson and Whaley found their stride mid-round, playing their final 14 holes in 7-under to climb within two shots of the lead ahead of Tuesday’s final round.
 
“I was a complete puddle for three holes—I don’t know what was going on,” Johnson said following his round Monday. “After we made bogey, we looked at each other and said, ‘All right, that’s enough of that.’ I lipped-out on [No. 4] and thought we got one back, but then we went nuts after that.”
 
“I was steady and [Johnson] was flashy. He made six birdies today—that’s pretty good,” Whaley said. “We’re kind of caddies for each other. We came close a bunch of times and left a few out there.”
 
Carding birdies on four of their final five holes during their front nine, Johnson and Whaley turned in 3-under for the championship before Johnson rolled in his fourth birdie of the round at the par-4 second to earn a share of second at 4-under.
 
Johnson sank a 20-foot, downhill putt at the par-3 seventh hole before a two-putt par at the par-5 ninth would put the two at 6-under for the round and into sole possession of second place, two shots back of Lehman and Rose.
 
The team of James Price and Bob Rolston carded a 4-under 67 to finish the first round of play in a tie for third with defending champions Heidrick at Sexton.
 
The final round of the 46^th MGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship is scheduled to begin at 7:45 a.m. at Windsong Farm.