Anderson and Tadewald Pace the Field at 44th MGA Senior Four-Ball

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


  MINNETRISTA, Minn. – Over the past three seasons, John Anderson and Bill Tadewald have teamed up to compete in the Minnesota Golf Association Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship, notching pair of runner-up finishes, including last year’s final-round 62 to come up one stroke short of Rob Harris and John Hawkinson.

Anderson and Tadewald carded five birdies Tuesday at Burl Oaks Golf Club to post a bogey-free round of 67 to begin the 44th playing of the championship, taking a one-stroke lead over five teams to the final round Wednesday.

“We never really struggled for a par—we were both in it,” Anderson said after the first round Tuesday. “We did almost make bogey on 12—we both hit it in the water, but Bill got up-and-down for a nice par save. That was as close as we came to a bogey.”

“That was a good saver on our third hole,” Tadewald claimed. “We had good opportunities all day long. We could’ve made a few more. Both of us were in close and just burned the edge."

Beginning the first round on the 10th tee Tuesday, Tadewald got his team started by sinking his birdie look from 10 feet before Anderson rolled in a short birdie at the 16th to put the twosome at 2-under for the championship.

Tadewald took control over the final nine holes as he hit his 7-iron to 15 feet at the first hole, making a left-to-right breaker to put the two at 3-under before rolling in a 10-footer for birdie.

“John hit his inside of me, so it was a case where you have no worries because your partner is right there and there’s a good chance he’ll probably make his, too,” Tadewald said.

Tadewald said luck was on his side on the final hole when he said he grabbed too much club but chunked his approach. The result was a short birdie putt on the two-tiered green, which Tadewald made to put his team in the lead with an opening-round 67.

“Some days I’m a dud, but today was pretty good,” Tadewald joked Tuesday. “The greens are nice, they’re soft, but they roll and held the speed. You’ve got to be a little careful on some of the greens where you hit it." 

“The key will be keeping both guys in play—it’s amazing how much that helps,” Anderson said heading into Wednesday’s final round with the lead.

Tadewald is no stranger to pairing up for victories, claiming five team titles dating back to 2003. His only individual victory came at the 2015 Twin Cities Senior Championship on his home course at Bunker Hills Golf Club.

Anderson, also from Bunker Hills, has eight amateur wins to his credit with his most recent coming at the 2009 Minnesota Public Golf Association Senior Public Links Championship at Rum River Hills. He earned MGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year honors last year thanks to four top-5 finishes.

Leif Carlson and Greg Murphy, who claimed the 2015 championship at St. Cloud Country Club, are one of five teams on the heels of Anderson and Tadewald who finished Tuesday’s first round with a 4-under par 68.

The two rolled in a pair of birdies on each nine Tuesday, highlighted by Murphy’s putter as he rolled in a short birdie at the third and a 12-footer at the ninth. Carlson nearly aced the par-3 11th, but before he tapped in for birdie, Murphy sank his putt for a two.

Carlson rolled in a birdie from inside of 10 feet on the final two to put the pair in a five-way tie for second, one stroke back.

“We had a couple of instances where we got a little tight, but we were able to get through it without making any bogeys,” Murphy said. “The key thing for us out there is to find a way to get two balls on the green. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t, but that’s how we play it. We’ve known each other for so long that we know what to expect out of each other.”

John Hoffman and Mark Norman also posted a round of 68 Tuesday and will begin the final round Wednesday one shot off the lead with the team of Mark and Matthew Mueller, as well as Jim Lehman and Don Peterson.

Defending champions Harris and Hawkinson posted back-to-back rounds of 66 last year to earn a one-stroke victory over Anderson and Tadewald at Oak Glen Golf Club in Stillwater, Minn. Harris and Hawkinson will begin the final round tied for 11th after posting a round of 2-under par 70.

The 44th MGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship concludes Wednesday with final-round tee times beginning at 8 a.m. at Burl Oaks Golf Club.