Season Begins With Berry on Top at Minnesota Senior Open

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  MAPLEWOOD, Minn. – In recent months, the scope of daily life all the way to competitive sports has been turned upside down. Still, there remains one constant when it comes to golf in the state of Minnesota: seeing Don Berry’s name on the top of a leaderboard.
 
The six-time winner and defending champion stumbled down the stretch Tuesday, carding a pair of late bogeys, but Berry managed to muster a one-stroke lead following the first round of the 36^th Minnesota Senior Open at Keller Golf Course.
 
Berry rolled in five birdies during the opening 18 holes Tuesday, three of which came on par-5’s as he will take a slim margin over fellow professional Dale Jones to Wednesday’s final round.
 
“I’ve been playing pretty dang good this spring, but just didn’t hit it quite as good as I was hoping to. I played fairly good early—I just didn’t finish well,” Berry said following his round Tuesday. “It was fun to get out and play again. This was maybe my sixth round of the year.
 
“I’ve been hitting balls every day, but not a ton. During a normal season, I’ll play a lot of golf later at night and I just haven’t been able to do that.”
 
Rolling in three birdies over his first five holes on his back nine Tuesday, Berry jumped to five under, but took a step back with a bogey at the par-3 15^th before play was suspended for nearly three and a half hours due to severe weather.
 
With two holes left to play when the opening round resumed, Berry was unable to get up-and-down from a greenside bunker on the 18^th hole, carding bogey to finish in the lead at 3-under 69.
 
The late Mike Zinni, who claimed consecutive wins from 2006-2008, remains the only other player with at least three Senior Open victories to Berry’s six.
 
Trailing Jones by four strokes at last year’s event at The Jewel Golf Club, Berry fired a final-round 66 before pouncing on a mistake by Steve Whittaker on the sixth hole of a marathon playoff, giving Berry his sixth win since 2012.
 
Jones, the head professional at Mendakota Country Club, has collected a pair of Minnesota PGA Senior Match Play wins in two of the last three seasons, but is still looking for his first win at the Minnesota Senior Open. Jones has placed inside the top-5 in each of the past three seasons.
 
Beginning his opening round on the 10^th hole Tuesday, Jones carded one birdie against one bogey to turn at even par before sinking pair of lengthy birdie putts on his back nine to keep pace with Berry with a 2-under par 70.
 
“I hit some good shots and played pretty solid,” said Jones. “Chipping was a little suspect, but I hit the ball well.”
 
Within striking distance of Berry ahead of the final round Wednesday, Jones joked that it will take a round in the mid-60’s to take down the six-time champion.
 
“If you get a hot putter and it’s short enough that you can give yourself some opportunities, but it’s tight enough that if you start driving it crooked, you’re going to be in trouble.”
 
Professional Ty Armstrong, who sat tied with Berry at 4-under through 10 holes Tuesday, played his final eight holes in 3-over to shoot 1-under 71, finishing the first 18 holes of play in third place.
 
Dave Carothers, winner of the 2017 MGA Amateur Championship at Interlachen Country Club, will battle Tim Peterson for Low-Amateur honors when the final round gets underway Wednesday, both posting rounds of even par 72 to sit three shots back.
 
Tee times for the final round of the 36^th Minnesota Senior Open are scheduled to begin at approximately 8 a.m. Wednesday at Keller Golf Course.
 
 
 
THE 36^TH MINNESOTA SENIOR OPEN
KELLER GOLF COURSE
MAPLEWOOD, MINN.
6,675 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
TUESDAY’S FIRST ROUND RESULTS
1. Don Berry (p), Edinburgh USA, 33-36—69
2. Dale Jones (p), Mendakota CC, 33-37—70
3. Ty Armstrong (p), GolfTEC, 33-38—71
T4. Mike Barge (p), Hazeltine Nat’l GC, 34-38—72
T4. George Smith (p), Club Champion, 35-37—72
T4. Tim Peterson, Forest Hills GC, 33-39—72
T4. Dave Carothers, Wild Marsh GC, 35-37—72
T8. Bob Neuberger, Burl Oaks GC, 36-37—73
T8. Bob Cavanagh, Perham Lakeside GC, 35-38—73
T8. Scott Holt, Elk River GC, 36-37—73
T8. Rick Frieburg, Monticello CC, 37-36—73
T8. Dave Steingart, Edina CC, 38-35—73
T8. Timothy Gordon, Elk River GC, 34-39—73
T8. Jerry Rose, Alexandria GC, 38-35—73
 
 
For complete tournament results go to: https://mnpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpga20/event/mnpga208/contest/1/leaderboard.htm