Mackenzie-Olson Claims MPGA Junior Public Links Title, Winning with an Eagle in Playoff

By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  FARMINGTON, Minn. – Carding a 1-over par 107 to finish tied for the lead with Jack Peterson Sunday, Ian Mackenzie-Olson rolled in his short eagle putt on the first playoff hole to claim the 2016 Minnesota Public Golf Association Junior Public Links Championship at Southern Hills Golf Club.

Mackenzie-Olson opened the championship with a 74 during the first 18 holes of play before carding a 2-under par 33 over the final nine holes, making birdie on his final two holes of regulation to force the playoff with Peterson.

Pulling his drive left on the first playoff hole, Mackenzie-Olson bounced back by sticking his 8-iron from 178 yards to within three feet for a tap-in eagle to seal the victory.

“I started off 4-over through four during the first round but I pulled it back together,” Mackenzie-Olson said following his win Sunday.

“This whole summer has been like that—I’ll have a stretch of holes like that, but right now my swing feels good and I just wanted to play solid. A win feels good—I’m pretty happy right now.”

The 27-hole event was cut to the top-12 players, plus ties, following the first 18 holes of play Sunday. A total of 16 players advanced to play the final nine holes.

Mackenzie-Olson, who will be a senior at Wayzata High School this fall, bogeyed the second hole before taking double-bogey at the third. He would fall to 4-over after his bogey at the par-3 fourth.

He rebounded by sticking his approach inside of three feet at the par-4 seventh and converted birdie before giving back a shot at the eighth with another bogey.

He would turn at 3-over following a two-putt birdie at the par-5 ninth. Rolling in four consecutive pars on the back nine Sunday, Mackenzie-Olson bogeyed the 14th before going wedging his approach from 80 yards up and over a tree right of the 16th green, leading to birdie and he would finish the first 18 holes with a round of 74.

“That was the best shot I’ve ever hit in my life,” he said of his approach at 16. “I pushed my drive right of the creek and I had 80 yards in. There’s a huge tree in front of the green and I knew if I got it really high, it would drop straight down. I opened the face on my 56 degree and got it up there to three feet and made the putt.”

Mackenzie-Olson got off to a rocky start during the final nine holes with a bogey at the first before rolling in back-to-back birdies at the second and third holes to move to 2-over.

A double-bogey at the par-3 fourth put him at 4-over, but he would answer by making eagle at the par-4 fifth. He would slip to 3-over again after a bogey at the sixth but finished strong with birdies at the eighth and ninth holes to finish tied for the lead at 107.

Peterson carded three birdies and one bogey on the front nine to open the championship Sunday to turn at 2-under par 33.

With three bogeys over the first eight holes on the back, Peterson made birdie on the final hole to finish the first 18 holes with a round of 71. He finished the final nine holes of regulation at 1-over par 36.



2016 MPGA JUNIOR PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
SOUTHERN HILLS GOLF CLUB
FARMINGTON, MINN.
6,011 YARDS, PAR 71


FINAL RESULTS
T1. Ian Mackenzie-Olson, 74-33—107 (won playoff)
T1. Jack Peterson, 71-36—107
3. Justin Tanquist, 69-39—108
4. Michael Sauro, 73-37—110
T5. Michael Uhas76-36—112
T5. David Walker, 79-33—112
T7. Connor Humble, 79-34—113
T7. Joshua Yang, 77-36—113
T7. Riley Johnson, 79-37—113
T10. Patrick Ravn, 74-40—114
T10. Joseph Rohlf, 75-39—114
12. Timothy Berger, 77-38—115
T13. Tanner Sperling, 76-40—116
T13. Bryce Galeweski-Matthees, 78-38—116
15. Matthew Garside, 79-38—117
16. Caleb Christensen, 79-42—121