Podas Leads By Three After First Round of Minnesota Senior Open at Minnesota Valley

By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – As the Director of Golf at the historic Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Dave Podas doesn’t get to play much golf in his home state. Less than 24 hours after learning that he received a spot in the field of the 2016 Minnesota Senior Open, Podas carded a 3-under par 70 Thursday at Minnesota Valley Country to take a three-stroke lead after the opening round.

“I wasn’t in the tournament until yesterday afternoon,” he said. “I didn’t realize how popular these events are and how fast they fill up. When I entered about five or six weeks ago I was 13th on the waiting list.”

Taking a chance, Podas went ahead and bought a plane ticket anyway and soon heard that he’d moved up to ninth on the list—and sixth when he took his seat on the airplane.

“I was about ready to go home yesterday; I checked out of my hotel room and then I got a phone call and said I was in so I turned around,” he said. “I knew the weather was going to be good and it’s such a nice site.

"The golf course is fabulous, I haven’t played here in years, but it was very nice. I played good—made two bogeys and hit the ball well.”

Podas’ two bogeys both came on par-3’s Wednesday, missing his only green of the day at the second and would three-putt the 11th for bogey as he gave himself birdie chances on nearly every hole during the opening round.

Following his early bogey, Podas dropped back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth holes and would turn at 1-under for the round. Podas curled in birdie at the 12th and dropped another on the ensuing hole to move to 2-under for day.

Podas rolled in his fifth birdie of the round at the par-5 15th hole and would finish the day at 3-under par 70, three shots better than Thomas Vizina, Tim Laudner, Bob Miller and Ken Gerzsenyi, all of whom finished Thursday’s opening round at even par 73.

“Birdying 12 and 13 after a bogey at 11 I thought, ‘Things are going pretty good now,’” he said. “And then I kept it pretty steady. I need to do a little chipping and putting now and just enjoy another day with my pals. It’s nice to come home.”

Podas grew up in Minneapolis playing at Hiawatha Golf Course and would eventually become the head professional at Minneapolis Golf Club before heading west.

Vizina, a professional from The Oaks Golf Club, tallied a birdie at the par-3 second to start quickly before taking bogeys at the sixth and ninth holes to turn at 1-over.

Another bogey at the 12th put Vizina at 2-over, but he would birdie three of the next four holes to quickly climb the leaderboard. Unable to take advantage of the par-5 closing hole at Minnesota Valley Thursday, Vizina finished with a bogey to shoot even par, trailing by three shots heading to the final round.

“I kept the ball beneath the cup and finally a few went in,” Vizina said following his round Thursday. “I just kind of hung around all day, but I kept it in the right spots and I put myself in a spot to attack.”

Laudner, beginning his round at the tenth tee, carded five consecutive pars before dropping a birdie at the par-5 15th to move to 1-under for the championship. He would give back a shot with a bogey at the 17th, but answered with another quick birdie at the 18th to turn at 1-under.

A birdie at the first hole put Laudner at 2-under but he would card back-to-back bogeys at the second and third holes to draw even. Trading a birdie at the par-3 seventh with a bogey at the ninth, Laudner finished the opening round tied for second at even par.

“I hit the ball pretty solid,” Laudner said Thursday, “I have not been putting the ball well and I got lucky in a few spots. I got in some spots where I didn’t have to be real aggressive at the pins—it’s not like I played for the middle of the green all the time, but there were some pin placements that you’ve got to be really careful with. You can’t go busting at any of the holes, if you do, you’ll be in trouble. 

“I got lucky on seven; I hit it to about six feet and had about an 8-inch breaker and it found the cup—it was a nice catch by the cup,” joked the former Minnesota Twins backstop. “I bogeyed nine and didn’t finish strong but I enjoyed the day.”

Miller, a professional at Minnewaska Golf Club, carded an early bogey Thursday but bounced back with two bogeys to turn at 1-under. With three bogeys and two more birdies over the final nine holes, Miller finished the round at even par 73.

Gerzsenyi, a past president of the Minnesota Golf Association, turned at 2-over par with back-to-back bogeys at the second and third holes Thursday before carding four birdies with two bogeys over the final nine holes to earn a share of second place, just three shots off the lead ahead of Friday’s final round.

The 2016 Minnesota Senior Open concludes Friday with tee times beginning at 8 a.m. at Minnesota Valley Country Club.



2016 MINNESOTA SENIOR OPEN
MINNESOTA VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB
BLOOMINGTON, MINN.
6,665 YARDS, PAR 73


MONDAY’S RESULTS
1. Dave Podas, Bel-Air Country Club, 35-35—70
T2. Thomas Vizina, Oaks Golf Club, 37-36—73
T2. Tim Laudner (a), Edinburgh USA, 37-36—73
T2. Bob Miller, Minnewaska Golf Club, 35-38—73
T2. Ken Gerzsenyi (a), Eastwood Golf Club, 38-35—73
T6. Steve Fessler, Riverwood Nat’l Golf Club, 38-36—74
T6. Don Berry, Edinburgh USA, 35-39—74
T6. John Anderson (a), Bunker Hills Golf Club, 36-38—74
T9. Marty Lass, Edina Country Club, 38-37—75
T9. Matt Vandelac, unattached, 37-38—75


For complete tournament results go to: https://mnpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpga16/event/mnpga1617/contest/10/leaderboard.htm