Wohlers Gets Redemption, Qualifies for U.S. Mid-Amateur Along with Former State Amateur Champ Hanstad

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  STILLWATER, Minn. – Staring down a spot in the U.S. Amateur during qualifying three weeks ago at Olympic Hills Golf Club, Bradley Wohlers appeared to be on his way to his first USGA championship at iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links, needing a par on his final hole to safely secure his invitation.
 
But to Wohlers’ horror, he would card a double-bogey on his 36^th hole to miss one of three qualifying spots, finishing as first alternate and fall short of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
 
In contention again Tuesday, Wohlers three-putted for bogey on his final hole StoneRidge Golf Club to card a 2-under par 70, but in a change of fortune, finished in a three-way tie for medalist honors to punch his ticket to the 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.
 
“The devastation of missing the [U.S. Amateur] by one shot started to go through my head a little bit,” Wohlers conceded Tuesday. “I went out there today with nothing to lose because if I don’t double-bogey that, I’m at Pebble Beach and not here today. Being that close, to play well here and be able to get it done feels good.
 
“I came out and tried to keep my head calm. I thought anything red was going to be close. I knew 69 was in for sure and thought 70 would have a really good chance. I was disappointed [with bogey on No. 18] but I knew 2-under was going to be pretty good.”
 
Wohlers recovered from an errant tee shot on the fifth hole by putting his approach inside of 25 feet, sinking his birdie putt to move into red figures. Bouncing his approach off the flagstick at the sixth, Wohlers was left with a tap-in birdie to move to 2-under for the day.
 
Taking a step back with a bogey at the seventh, Wohlers quickly answered by converting his birdie look at the eighth and would turn at 2-under. He would get to 3-under after reaching the par-5 11^th in two and two-putting for birdie before sinking a 20-footer for birdie at the 14^th to move to 3-under.
 
Despite a three-putt bogey on his final hole Tuesday, Wohlers posted a 2-under par 70 to earn a share of medalist honors and advance to his first national championship.

“I played really steady. The greens are really fast, so I was pretty defensive with my putts,” Wohlers said. “I didn’t get real aggressive with my birdie putts and I’ve played this course many times and knew I could shoot a good number out here and went out and got it done.
 
“It’ll be fun to see some of the names up there and some of the guys you see on TV and competing against the best guys in the country and in the world my age.”
 
Tuesday’s field of 75 competed for one of four qualifying positions to this year’s national championship, which will be played Sept. 22-27 at Charlotte Country Club in Charlotte, N.C.
 
Joining Wohlers in North Carolina next month will be 2007 Minnesota Golf Association champion Bryce Hanstad and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native Nate Dunn. Michael Martin, from Scottsdale, Ariz., carded a 1-under par 71 to earn the fourth and final qualifying spot.
 
Hanstad, of St. Louis Park, Minn., began his round on the ninth hole with a birdie and would turn at 2-under following a back-and-forth front nine that included five birdies. Rolling in two more birdies against two bogeys over his final nine holes, Hanstad would finish in a share of the lead at 2-under par 70 to qualify for his second USGA event.
 
“It was a wild one and I think it took me about eight holes to make par,” Hanstad said of his round Tuesday. “It was an up-and-down day. I got off to a good start with birdie, but exchanged birdies and bogeys for a while. I felt like I needed to get to [3-under] and had a couple chances on the last couple holes but, unfortunately, couldn’t get them to drop.
 
Hanstad was a member of Alexandria High School’s 2006 Class AA state championship team and earned two victories in 2007, including his four-stroke victory at Hazeltine National Golf Club to win the state amateur, shooting a 54-hole total of 1-over par 217.
 
In 2008 Hanstad claimed the KX Amateur and qualified for the 2009 U.S. Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.
 
“My game has been turning around for the better the past two or three weeks. In terms of competition, it’s been a bit of a struggle the last two years, so it feels good to get this one,” Hanstad said. “I’m looking forward to getting back there—the USGA always puts on a great event.”
 
Dunn, who began his day at the ninth hole Tuesday, rolled in four birdies over his first seven holes before a bogey at the par-5 17^th put him back to 3-under for the round. He would slip to 1-under following a double-bogey at the par-5 seventh, but rallied with a birdie at the sixth to earn a share of top honors at 2-under par 70.
 
Playing his front nine at 1-over par Tuesday, Martin got help from a string of three consecutive birdies beginning at the 11^th hole and would card one bogey over his final five holes to finish alone in second place to claim the final qualifying spot with a round of 71.
 
Alex Kolquist, Hermantown, Minn., and William Carlson, Minneapolis, Minn., finished as first and second alternates, respectively.
 
 
 
2018 U.S. MID-AMATEUR SECTIONAL QUALIFYING
STONERIDGE GOLF CLUB
STILLWATER, MINN.
6,764 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
FINAL QUALIFYING RESULTS
T1. Nate Dunn, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 37-33—70 (medalist)
T1. Bradley Wohlers, Vadnais Heights, Minn., 34-36—70 (medalist)
T1. Bryce Hanstad, St. Louis Park, Minn., 35-35—70 (medalist)
4.  Michael Martin, Scottsdale, Ariz., 37-34—71 (qualifier)
T5. Alex Kolquist, Hermantown, Minn., 37-35—72 (first alternate)
T5. William Carlson, Minneapolis, Minn., 34-38—72 (second alternate)
T5. Dylan Gergen, West St. Paul, Minn., 35-37—72
T5. Trent Peterson, 36-36—72
T9. Jesse Bull, Minneapolis, Minn., 33-40—73
T9. Jesse Larson, Shakopee, Minn., 36-37—73  
T9. Joseph Conzemius, St. Louis Park, Minn., 39-34—73
T9. Joe O’Brien, Plymouth, Minn., 38-35—73
T9. Mike Fiedler, Apple Valley, Minn., 37-36—73