Peterson and Johnson Win MPGA Combo at Bunker Hills

  BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. – Trent Peterson and J.T. Johnson posted the lowest round in three years at the 2013 Minnesota Public Golf Association Combination Championship Sunday, shooting a 12-under par 96 to win the tournament by two strokes at Bunker Hills Golf Club.

The tournament consists of two-man teams playing nine holes of four ball followed by nine holes of scramble golf finishing with nine holes of alternate shot.

Peterson and Johnson, both from Valleywood Golf Course, began on the East nine with the scramble format and got off to a great start with back-to-back birdies on the second and third holes to quickly drop to 2-under.

Johnson dropped an eagle putt on the par-5 fourth hole and the two went to 4-under for the day. The only blemish on the scorecard for the round was a bogey that came at the par-4 eighth hole putting the two at 3-under par 33 after the first nine holes.

During the alternate shot format on the West Course, the two really got things going with back-to-back birdies on the second and third holes to get to 5-under. After three straight pars, Johnson and Peterson carded birdies on the seventh and eighth holes to finish at 4-under par 32.

On the final nine holes the pair never let up as they carded five birdies and four pars to finish the four ball format at 5-under par 31 to complete the tournament at 12-under par 96.

“We played really well,” Peterson said. “I hit it close and [Johnson] made the putt—that’s all it was.”

“After we finished at 32 in the alternate shot, I said to [Peterson], ‘we just passed everybody that was close,’” Johnson said. “From there we were at 65 and if we could cover the par-5s and make a couple of other birdies, at worst, we’d finish at 32—and we finished at 31.”

Peterson said the key to the round today was his irons and short game combined with Johnson’s putter.

“I hit my wedges and irons were great today and [Johnson’s] putter was fantastic,” Peterson said.

“I putted really, really well—unconsciously for awhile,” Johnson said. “[Peterson] let me let the shaft out quite a bit because he never hits it out of play with a driver. In 27 holes he missed his driver once.”

“We worked really well on the alternate shot because he set me up perfectly, I’d hit it close and he’d make the putt. When he hits a good ball, he’s way in front and I can just hit a nice little wedge into the green,” Peterson said.

Johnson said both him and Peterson were comfortable on the green and did a good job of reading each other’s putts and know what each other is doing with the putter.

“We just had a lot of putts go in,” Johnson said. “We had at least five putts go in that probably shouldn’t have.”

Jordan Hawkinson, Chisago Lakes Golf Course, and William Hickey finished two strokes behind the champions in second place in the First Flight at 10-under par 98 while Dave Christensen and Brad Groupa finished third at 8-under par 100.

Tim Gordon and Steve Johnson finished on top of the Second Flight at 4-under par 104 while Dave Nelson and Tyler Fitzel finished in second at 2-under 106. Steven Swanson and Charles Mahlman finished in third place Sunday at 1-over 109, and John Juntilla and Jeff Raaen finished fourth at 2-over par 110.

In the Third Flight it was the pair of Joe Moravick and John Boylan who needed a playoff to defeat Brian Patterson and Brad Roegiers. Both teams finished 27 holes of regulation at 1-over par 109. Perry Wilkinson and Brent Grossman finished tied for third with Mike Albers and Oliver Moryn at 4-over par 112.


For complete tournament results go to: http://p.hostingprod.com/@mpga.net/2013_Combo_Sunday_Results.pdf