Barnes on Top Early at MGA Mid-Amateur

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  STILLWATER, Minn. – Battling a shoulder injury for a majority of the 2022 season, Shane Barnes was unsure how his golf game would fare in the days leading up to the 35th Minnesota Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship.

Tying the course record during a casual round at Braemar Golf Course this past weekend was a strong indicator as Barnes fired a 5-under 67 Tuesday at Indian Hills Golf Club to take a two-stroke lead over Danny Anderson, Bryan Hoops and Nick Jarrett.

“Today was pretty steady for the most part. For the first 13 holes I drove it well and ironed it close,” Barnes said following his round Tuesday. “I missed one putt inside of 10 feet. Played well early on and then the last four holes I didn’t hit a fairway coming in and was hanging on.

“The last week and a half is the best I’ve felt since I got hurt in back in May.”

Even through his first six holes Tuesday, Barnes found his rhythm mid-round by sinking five birdies over a six-hole span, including a 40-footer at the par-4 eighth and followed it by dropping his birdie putt from 25 feet at the ninth.

Barnes, of Pioneer Creek Golf Club, moved to 5-under for the championship with a pair of tap-in birdies at the 10th and 12th holes, and added his final birdie of the day after finding the rough off the tee at the 15th, moving to 6-under.

Unable to get a par putt from eight feet to drop at the 16th, Barnes tallied his only bogey of the round to take the 18-hole lead with his 5-under 67.

Playing one round at Indian Hills Golf Club and another at Forest Hills Golf Club, the championship field will be cut to the top-60 and ties prior to Thursday’s final round at Indian Hills.

“From what I’ve heard, if you can hit it to where you’re seeing, you should be all right,” Barnes said ahead of his second round at Forest Hills Golf Club. “I’ve had pretty good luck in the past, at times, going into courses that I haven’t seen.”

The 45-year-old Barnes owns a pair of top-5 finishes at state championships since 2016, while earning a spot in the field at the 2015 U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields in Illinois. More recently, Barnes qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur last year at Sankaty Head Golf Club in Siasconset, Mass.

Stringing together three birdies to get his round started early Tuesday at Indian Hills helped Hoops to a round of 3-under 69.

The 53-year-old, who plays at Territory Golf Club, converted his short birdie chance at the par-4 10th to reach 4-under for his round, but stumbled late with back-to-back bogeys at the 15th and 16th.

Hoops rebounded by sticking his approach at the last inside of a foot for a tap-in birdie to earn a share of second with Anderson and Jarrett.

“Nice start, but just two bad three-putts coming down the stretch on 15 and 16,” Hoops said after his first round Tuesday. “It was fairways and greens—I did make some good par putts, whether I was leaving it four feet short or running it by five feet and making some comebacks.

“I’d never seen the course before, so it was a little off here and there. I’ve been playing really well and I just need to give myself a lot of chances. Not knowing the other course either, puts you in the mindset to be really defensive.”

Looking for his fourth state win over the past three seasons, Anderson played his first seven holes in 1-over at Indian Hills Tuesday before reaching red figures with back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth.

He fell back to even with a bogey at the 10th, but came charging back by carding an eagle at the par-5 12th.

Recording a two at the 173-yard 14th put Anderson at 4-under for the championship, but he’d take his fourth bogey of the round at the 16th.

Taking advantage of the par-5 18th, Anderson tallied one final birdie to finish the opening round with a 3-under 69.

Jarrett, who won twice during the 2021 season, rolled in three birdies over his first 12 holes Tuesday at Indian Hills before taking his lone bogey of the opening round at the par-4 13th.

Quickly finding his footing, Jarrett carded consecutive pars before converting his birdie opportunity at the 18th to join Anderson and Hoops at 3-under 69.

Trent Peterson, winner of four of the last five MGA Mid-Amateur Championships, posted a 2-under 70 at Forest Hills Tuesday and will begin Wednesday’s second round at Indian Hills tied for fifth with Jason Pendleton.

The 35th MGA Mid-Amateur Championship continues Wednesday when the second round gets underway at 8 a.m. at both Indian Hills and Forest Hills Golf Clubs.