MGA Senior Player of the Year Rose Wins Second MGA Senior Players' Championship

June 17, 2021 | 4 min.

 
 
By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  BIWABIK, Minn. – After a runner-up at the Minnesota Golf Association Senior Players’ Championship a year ago at Cannon Golf Club, Jerry Rose turned the tables this week by defeating John Anderson in Wednesday’s final match at The Quarry at Giants Ridge.
 
Rose, the four-time defending MGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year, strengthens his standing as one of the state’s most consistent and best players, collecting his second MGA Senior Players’ Championship win and third state title.
 
“It’s exciting any time you win because you don’t get that many chances—it’s hard to win,” Rose said Wednesday. “There’s a lot of good players and you have to play really well and hit the right shots at the right time, especially in match play. These are hard events to win, so I’m grateful and feel humbled that I was able to do it.”
 
This year’s championship featured a new pool-play format in which eight groups of four players competed in three matches, with the winner of each pool advancing to the sudden death quarterfinal round.
 
During Rose’s previous Senior Players’ win, only five rounds were need to win the championship, but with the new format, came a sixth round of match play this week.
 
“It’s a long week,” said Rose. “Physically it’s not really that bad, but mentally, you just kind of get exhausted.
 
“Both John and I started out a little sloppy the first few holes and we finally settled down towards the end. I didn’t hit the ball nearly as well as I had been hitting it. I hit some decent shots when I needed to down the stretch.”
 
A pair of quick bogeys by Anderson gave Rose a 2-up start during the final match Wednesday before Rose won the third following a double-bogey by Anderson.
 
Mistakes at the eighth and ninth by Rose led to a pair of bogeys as Anderson climbed his way to within one heading to the inward nine. Rose nearly holed his sand shot at the 10th for eagle, but tapped-in to regain a 2-up lead.
 
Anderson bounced back by sinking a 4-footer for birdie at the 14th and rolled in an 8-footer for birdie at the 16th to tie the match. In play during all week, Anderson’s tee shot at the 17th found the water, resulting in the first time he took a penalty stroke during all six of his matches at the most inopportune time.
 
Rose would win the 17th with a par before the two would trade pars at the 18th to give Rose the victory, 1-up.
 
“I really hit the ball well all week,” Rose said. “You have to drive the ball well out here, and I did that. I had pretty good control of my irons. My touch was, for the most part, pretty good.
 
“I like this golf course in that you have to place your tee shots. On the par-5’s if you’re up there far enough, they’re reachable in two. With my length I felt like I should be on most of the par-5’s in two, so I felt like I had and an advantage this week. I played the par-3’s great.”
 
Rose emerged undefeated during pool play this week before beating 2017 MGA Senior Amateur winner David Haslerud during the quarterfinal round. Rose then edged J.T. Johnson, 3 and 1, to advance to the championship match against Anderson.

Defeating Leif Carlson at the 2017 MGA Senior Players’ Championship at St. Cloud Country Club, Rose earned his first state victory. His last win came in 2019 when he partnered with Jim Lehman to win the MGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Windsong Farm.
 
Rose’s record in final matches at the event improves to 2-2 with his win Wednesday. Following his win in 2017, Rose fell to David Rehfeldt in the championship at Brackett’s Crossing Country Club the following year. Jay Gregory defeated Rose, 4 and 3, in last year’s final at Cannon Golf Club.
 
Wednesday’s defeat marks another close call for Anderson at the event as he as finished as runner-up three times. Anderson lost back-to-back championship matches in 2015 to Todd Hillier at Wayzata Country Club and in 2016 to Steve Whittaker at Bent Creek Golf Club.
 
“Bad start and a bad finish,” Anderson said Wednesday. “Just couldn’t do it. It seems like everyone wants to play me in the final because I’m 0-and-whatever.
 
“My confidence has been really high. You’re always surprised when you make it this far because it’s a grind, but I’ve been playing good enough to make it. I think I played good enough today, I just couldn’t make a putt when I needed to—I had plenty of chances.

Anderson posted a perfect 3-0 record during his pool play matches this week and advanced from the quarterfinal round with a win over defending MGA Senior Amateur champion Leif Carlson, 5 and 3. Anderson reached the final match after deating Tim Peterson on the second playoff hole during his semifinal match.

The 23rd MGA Senior Players’ Championship will be contested at Royal Golf Club in Lake Elmo, Minn.


 

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