Playing in His First Mid-Players' Championship, Peterson to Square off With Burleson in Finals

By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


  ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Claiming both the Twin Cities Championship and the Minnesota Golf Association Mixed Amateur Team Championship last season, Trent Peterson crossed the final two amateur tournaments off his golf resume.

Turning 30-years-old in March, Peterson is now eligible to play in the MGA Mid-Players’ Championship and after defeating Joel B. Johnson Friday, one of the state’s best match play specialists is looking to claim yet another amateur title.

Peterson was named 2014 MGA Men’s Player of the Year, while Sammy Schmitz has won five of the last six awards, and a big reason is that he’s older and able to play in a couple more events during the year.

“I’m finally 30,” Peterson smiled, playing in his first Mid-Players’ event. “I like match play events and this just means more events for me. I just love playing tournament golf.”

A bogey on the opening hole by Johnson gave Peterson the early lead and he would add to it by converting birdie at the par-4 seventh. Trying to claw his way back into the match, Johnson carded back-to-back birdies at the 10th and 11th holes, but Peterson had an answer for both to maintain a 2-up lead.

A bogey by Johnson at the 12th saw Peterson’s lead increase to 3-up, but a bogey by Peterson at the 13th kept Johnson within reach with five holes to play. It was all the close Johnson would get as Peterson applied pressure late with birdies at the 14th and 15th to clinch the match, 4 and 3, advancing to the finals against Justin Burleson.

“[Johnson] is a tough guy to play because he’s kind of got the same game as me,” Peterson said Friday. “I hit my driver great all day, which kept me in position. The two drives I missed were my two bogeys or worse. I putted well—if I missed a putt it was short in the throat.

“If I keep hitting the driver straight and keep giving myself chances at the green—that’s all I want,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve seen this course, but the greens are pure and it took me a day to get used to them. I’m playing well and if I play tomorrow like I did this afternoon, it’ll be a tight match."

Peterson downed Tommy Smith to open the tournament early Thursday before edging Topher Baron, 1-up, in his closest match thus far to advance to the quarterfinals. He cruised to a 6 and 5 victory over Thomas Obermueller to meet Johnson in the semifinals.

Peterson won the 2008 MGA Players’ Championship before claiming the MGA State Amateur a month later. He notched his second Players’ Championship victory last year, defeating Joe O’Brien at The Classic at Madden’s.

During his semifinal match against Jesse Bull Friday, Burleson used a pair of early birdies to grab a 2-up lead after just four holes before Bull took advantage of a bogey by Burleson at the seventh to pull within one heading to the final nine.

Burleson lipped his birdie chance at the 10th before chipping in for birdie from in front of the green to regain a 2-up lead. Rolling in his birdie look at the fourth, Burleson increased his lead to 3-up before Bull won the 14th with a Burleson bogey.

Sinking his first birdie of the semifinal match at the par-5 15th, Bull moved with one of Burleson, but Bull was unable to get up-and-down from the back of the green on the final hole and Burleson sealed the match 1-up to face Peterson in the finals Saturday.

“I’ve struggled the last couple years with my putting,” Burleson said. “This year I’ve been putting a little better—mainly no three-putts. In match play, that’s what it boils down to—who makes the putts.”

Burleson made quick work of Jake Witham, 6 and 5, during the opening round before taking down Jamie Quesnel to reach the quarterfinals. Knocking out the defending champion Andy Jacobson, Burleson advanced to face the 2014 MGA Amateur Champion Bull.

“This morning was a great match,” Burleson said. “Andy [Jacobson] and I both played pretty good and I made almost everything I looked at. I was 4-under and won, 2 and 1, so that tells you how well he played, too. Sure you’d like to walk through after 12 holes, but it’s more enjoyable to battle and it was a good one.”

Burleson earned five top-10 finishes during the 2016 season, including his victory at the Minnesota Public Golf Association Mid-Public Links Championship at Blackberry Ridge Golf Course. Both Burleson and Peterson play out of Valleywood Golf Course and are certainly familiar with each other’s game.

“I’ve got to make putts tomorrow because I know he's is going to. He’s probably the best putter I’ve ever met," Burleson said. "We’ve played a few times over the last few years and we’ve had some good battles. It’ll be a fun match.

“I’m not the longest guy but I tend to hit it pretty straight. An average length, tree-lined course is my kind of course.”

The final match of the 11th MGA Mid-Players’ Championship is set to begin at 7:10 a.m. Saturday at St. Cloud Country Club.