By Nick Hunter

 

BREEZY POINT, Minn. – A final-round 71 Monday at Deacon’s Lodge helped Nate Adams cruise to a five-stroke victory over Trey Fessler and Jonah Dohrer to claim the 2026 Minnesota Assistant PGA Championship.

Adams bounced back from a double-bogey during his opening nine to collect his fourth victory of the season, shooting 3-under 141.

Posting a 2-under 70 during the opening round Sunday, Adams sat just one shot back of the lead and would get off to a quick start during the final round Monday with two birdies over his first six holes before taking a double-bogey at the par-4 eighth.

The former North Dakota State University golfer bounced back with a birdie at the ninth to turn in 3-under for the championship. Carding a pair of bogeys against one birdie over the first six holes of his back nine, Adams slipped to 2-under, but kept a sizeable lead on the field before converting a final birdie chance at the 18th to card a final-round 71—the only player in the field this week with back-to-back rounds below par.

Adams, 25, earned his first section victory in June at the Assistant’s Event No. 2 at Cannon Golf Club, and followed it with a one-stroke victory at the Le Sueur Pro-Am four days later.

Late last month, Adams earned a share of medalist honors at the Assistant’s Event No. 4 at White Bear Yacht Club.

The defending champion Fessler and Dohrer earned the first two qualifying spots for the 2026 Assistant PGA Professional Championship Nov. 12-15 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and the two will be joined by Eddie Wynne, who claimed the final qualifying spot in following a three-way playoff.

Fessler, 25, who claimed the championship last season at Bunker Hills Golf Club, overcame a dreadful start to his final round Monday, carding a pair of double-bogeys along with a bogey at the ninth to turn in 4-over for the championship.

Finding his footing during his inward nine, Fessler would card two birdies over his final five holes to climb two spots on the leaderboard to finish in a share of second.

Monday’s finish marks the 12th top-5 finish of the season for Fessler in just 22 events. He entered the week fifth in the Minnesota PGA Assistants’ Chapter Player of the Year standings and sixth on the Minnesota PGA Money List.

Dohrer, 26, posted an even par 72 Sunday and began the final day of competition with three consecutive bogeys to quickly drop to 3-over for the tournament.

He would play his next 14 holes in even par before capitalizing on one final birdie chance on his final hole to card a final-round 74 to slide into a share of second with Fessler at 2-over 146.

Wynne and Lucas Johnson, the first-round co-leaders, carded a final-round 78 Monday to finish in a share of fourth with Conor Schubring, the Bethel University men’s and women’s assistant golf coach.

 

THE 2026 MINNESOTA ASSISTANT PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

DEACON’S LODGE

BREEZY POINT, MINN.

6,943 YARDS, PAR 72

MONDAY’S FINAL RESULTS
1. Nate Adams, Eagle Lake Youth Golf Center, 70-71—141

T2. Trey Fessler, Albany Golf Course, 71-75—146

T2. Jonah Dohrer, Sanford Power Golf Academy, 72-74—146

T4. Eddie Wynne, North Oaks GC, 69-78—147

T4. Lucas Johnson, Suite Shots, 69-78—147

T4. Conor Schubring, Bethel Univ., 71-76—147

T7. Caleb Christensen, New Ulm CC, 74-74—148

T7. Andrew Israelson, Minneapolis GC, 75-73—148

T7. Dalton Anderson, River Oaks GC, 75-73—148

T10. Zach Sklebar, TaylorMade Golf Co., 72-77—149

T10. Kyle Berg, Interlachen CC, 74-75—149

 

For complete tournament results go to: MN PGA Assistants’ Championship – Overall Leaderboard | Minnesota PGA