Christmas 9—Trent Peterson had just relinquished the lead by missing a short putt on the 14th hole, and he drove it into the tree line about 95 yards from the green on No. 15.
He could make a conservative play and punch a low shot towards the green, but the terrain was likely to pull the ball left, making it tough to pitch close on his next shot to get a par.
But he looked up and found another option.
“I walked up to the shot, and I thought there was a big enough hole (in the tree) that was the perfect height for my lob wedge,” Peterson said. “That seemed like the best play because I was going right at the green. I wanted to stay short of the hole so I bounced it up there and two-putted for par.”
That par turned out to be a key score as Peterson finished one-under-par on the final four holes to win the 75th annual Loren Krugel Invitational golf tournament Sunday at Mankato Golf Club.
Peterson, one of the top amateur players in Minnesota, was four-under-par for the 27 holes Sunday to claim his first Krugel title at 172 (69-35-68). He also played in 2019.
“I used (Saturday’s round) as kind of a practice round to re-learn the course,” said Peterson, who has finished in the top three for Minnesota Golf Association player points for 10 consecutive seasons and took first in 2014 and 2019. You need to know your way around here.”
Peterson, who lives in Eagan and works as a nurse anesthetist at United Hospital in St. Paul, started the final 18 four strokes behind Toby Robinson, a 2008 graduate of Mankato West who spent several summers working at Mankato Golf Club.
Peterson took the lead with a birdie on the par-5 11th, then made a 15-foot sand save on No. 13 to hold the lead. After missing the short putt on 14, he parred 15 and 16 before making an 18-foot clinching birdie on the 17th, allowing him the margin to make bogey on the final hole.
Meanwhile, Robinson made bogeys on 15 and 16 before hitting a tee shot out of bounds on 17 to sink his chances.
Peterson already has wins at the Lakeland Invitational in Willmar and the MPGA Mid Public Links Championship at Brooklyn Park this summer, and he plays in the Minnesota State Open and MGA Amateur Championship on the next two weeks.
“You want to be peaking right now,” he said. “I think I’m playing pretty well.”
Jack Pexa (68-35-72), Zach Christianson (72-34-69) and Robby Frazzini (69-38-68) tied for second at 175, one stroke better than Robinson (67-33-76) and Zach Kummerfeldt (70-34-72).
The first group of championship flight non-qualifiers was won by Andy Rapp, who shot 73 on Sunday. In the second flight of non-qualifiers, Owen Bjork and Kendall Nicolai tied for first at 73.
Ryan Gellert won the executive flight with a two-day, 36-hole total of 147 (74-73).
The first flight winner was Chris Rugowski at 156 (80-76), while Aaron Rollings won the second flight at 157 (78-77). Andy Koosman won the third flight at 164 (79-85), and Mike Kittelson shot 179 (90-89) to win the fourth flight.
Arnei Fett (97-109) and Jim Smith (103-103) tied for first in the Golden Flight at 206.
Follow Chad Courrier on Twitter @ChadCourrier.