Vincellis Combine for 66, A Step Closer to First Father-Daughter Winners at MGA Mixed Team

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  NORTHFIELD, Minn. – A bogey-free 6-under 66 Wednesday helped the team of Lily and Tony Vincelli take the opening-round lead at the 32nd Minnesota Golf Association Mixed Amateur Team Championship at Northfield Golf Club.

The Vincellis will take a one-stroke lead over the team of Leah Skaar and Jed Baranczyk, as well as the twosome of Hillary Zuleger and Trent Peterson when the tournament resumes Thursday, looking to become the tournament’s first father-daughter winners.

“We had a lot of fun. We got on a streak and we were really committed to all of our shots—that was our goal today,” Tony Vincelli said after the opening round Thursday. “We were actually keeping track on a scorecard. If you didn’t commit to a shot, you had to put a tally mark by your name. I had two tally marks."

“I think I had three,” daughter Lily added.

Tony Vincelli was over the green in two at the first and got up-and-down for birdie to quickly move his team into red figures before carding three straight birdies beginning at the par-4 eighth to move to 4-under for the tournament.

Sinking a birdie chance from four feet at the 12th, Vincellis moved to 5-under before Lily Vincelli sank her birdie opportunity from eight feet at the last to help put her team into the clubhouse lead with a 6-under 66.

Thursday’s final round changes to a Modified Chapman alternate shot format, which bodes well for the Vincellis. The last time they teed it up at the event in 2020 at Hastings Golf Club, the two improved five strokes from the opening round, shooting 1-over 73 to finish tied for 20th.

“I love the format—it’s a fun format. It’s an interesting strategy once you hit both shots,” Tony Vincelli said. “We’ll try and do the same thing we did today; try and commit to shots and have fun together.”

Partners for the first time Wednesday, Zuleger and Peterson, who both played their college golf at South Dakota State University, got off to a quick start with an eagle on the opening hole while adding six birdies to the scorecard, but would card three bogeys during their round to post a 5-under 67.

“I thought we played well—we made a lot of birdies, so that made up for our non-ham-and-egg holes,” Peterson said Wednesday. “We short-sided ourselves and didn’t give ourselves chances to make par.”

Peterson sank his 10-foot putt for eagle at the first to jump up the leaderboard before carding three more birdies against two bogeys. Back-to-back birdies to begin their inward nine put Zuleger and Peterson at 5-under, but the two would give back a stroke with a bogey at the 14th.

A final birdie from 15 feet on the ensuing hole put Zuleger and Peterson back at 5-under, where they finished the day one shot off the lead at 67.

“I hit my wedges and short irons really well today,” Peterson said. “Most of the birdie putts I had were inside of 10 feet.”

“I hit some good putts today,” Zuleger said.

Peterson enters the week with two victories under his belt already this season. Earlier this month he beat Justin Burleson in a playoff at Cannon Golf Club to win his second Minnesota Public Golf Association Mid Public Links Championship.

He checked another tournament victory off his list Sunday, shooting 13-under 203 for an eight-stroke victory at the 93rd Lakeland Championship at Eagle Creek Golf Club, site of his win at the MGA Mid-Amateur Championship last season.

Peterson teamed up with Olivia Herrick to win the 2016 MGA Mixed Amateur Team Championship at Valleywood Golf Course.

Enjoying a bogey-free start to their round through 14 holes Wednesday, helped by an eagle at the par-5 12th to reach 5-under, North Dakota State University golfers Leah Skaar and Jed Baranczyk carded their only blemish of the day at the 15th, but bounced back with one final birdie to finish the first 18 holes of play at 5-under 67.

Skaar is coming off a runner-up finish at the MGA Women’s Amateur Match Play Championship at Burl Oaks last week.

Playing on his home course this week, recently named Mr. Minnesota Golf Nate Stevens and partner Sophia Yoemans, winner in 2019, look to overcome a two-stroke deficit during Thursday’s final round, shooting 4-under 68 to open the championship.

The brother-sister tandem of Camille and Anson Kuznik posted a 3-under 69 Wednesday and will begin the round three shots off the lead.

The final round of the 32nd MGA Mixed Amateur Team Championship is slated to begin at 8 a.m. Thursday at Northfield Golf Club.