Tournament Directors Doug Hoffman (Minnesota Golf
Association) and Darren DeYoung (Minnesota PGA)

The MGA cruised to a resounding 25-15 victory over the PGA at Friday’s 41st playing of the event, and resulted in the second largest margin of victory for the MGA since 2005 as the amateurs have now won five of the last six events.

Contributing to the victory Friday were Brenda Williams and Lynn Anderson who swept all four points for the MGA to give an early lead to the amateurs.

“We were playing really well and then they started catching up,” Williams said Friday. “It’s such a fun event and really the only time we get to play against the [professionals].

Williams rolled in a putt from 45 feet on the second hole to give the two an early lead against Kelli Hoiness and Kristi Meyer. Anderson dropped her birdie opportunity from 15 feet at the par-4 15th to close out the match to get the scoring started for the MGA.

Trent Peterson and Joe O’Brien also took all four possible points away from the professionals to give the MGA a boost Friday, winning their four-ball match, 4 and 2, over the twosome of Dave Tentis and University of Minnesota assistant women’s coach, John Cleary.

“Today went well and I finally had a decent round–first one of the year,” O’Brien said following his performance Friday. “It makes it so much easier when you’ve got Trent backing you up the whole day. He’s just unflappable. He’s so solid that when you have a good partner it kind of frees you up during the round.

“It’s a friendly competition, but you want to support your partner first and foremost, but you still want to win. This golf course suits me well so it was fun to come out and hit the ball between the trees, hit some greens and make some putts.”

O’Brien poured in a long birdie putt at the par-4 12th to put his team up by three and said he and his partner leaned on their solid ball striking abilities down the stretch to come away with the victory.

Fresh off his team victory at the Minnesota Public Golf Association Four-Ball Championship Sunday at Rum River Hills, Andy Jacobson and partner, Sammy Schmitz, collected three out of four possible points late Friday as the MGA was well on its way to victory.

Jacobson and Schmitz rolled in two birdies to take an early lead over Mitchell Mackedanz and Dave Nordeen, but managed just a 1-up lead through nine following a birdie at the par-5 ninth.

Nordeen and Mackedanz put together a string of early birdies on the front to swing the momentum of the match and carried a 1-up lead to the 17th before Jacobson and Schmitz pulled even with par. The match would be halved to give each side a half point, but Jacobson and Schmitz each came away with a win in their individual matches.

“We each had two birdies and a bogey and I don’t think anyone in our group really had their A-game,” Jacobson said Friday. “We had a lot of makeable putts but they just didn’t go in.

“I feel like this event rewards players from the prior year and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of it. When you’re out there you want to win and certainly want to help the team.”

Dale Jones and Craig Brischke took all four available points in a losing effort for the PGA Friday, as Jones defeated John Anderson in singles, while Brischke downed John Empanger. The two won their four-ball match, 2 and 1.

Friday’s victory for the MGA becomes the longest winning streak for the amateurs, while the longest overall winning streak at the event belongs to the PGA, winning seven consecutive matches from 1996 to 2003. The 42nd MGA/PGA Cup Matches will be played at White Bear Yacht Club May 30, 2018.

View results for Minnesota Cup Matches