By Nick Hunter

COON RAPIDS, Minn. – Dropping his birdie chance from 30 feet Monday secured a victory for Trey Fessler on the first playoff hole against Andrew Israelson to claim the 2025 Minnesota Section Assistant PGA Championship at Bunker Hills Golf Club.

Fessler entered the final round deadlocked with Israelson and bounced back from a double-bogey with a pair of birdies during his back nine Monday before clinching the tournament in a playoff for his fourth victory of the season.

“I saw [Israelson] putt from about eight feet farther than me on the same line and it didn’t move,” Fessler said of his tournament-clinching putt. “I played it left-center and thankfully it lipped in left edge because it would’ve been 10 feet by.

“I just stayed with it this week—it wasn’t my best golf. I like to use the term gamer, and I enjoyed the test and it’s fun to finally win here.”

Beginning his round with three birdies over his first six holes Monday, Fessler quickly grabbed the outright lead by moving to 4-under for the championship, but was slowed by his second double-bogey of the week at the par-3 seventh.

Fessler narrowly missed his eagle chance at the 13th, but tapped in for birdie to move back into a share with Israelson at 3-under before taking the outright lead once again with a birdie from 15 feet at the 14th.

Following an Israelson birdie at the 15th, the two remained tied through regulation before Fessler’s putt from the front edge of the 18th hole disappeared into the cup on the first playoff hole to claim the victory.

“I’ve played here a lot, so I knew I could play at a high level here, it was just a matter of doing it,” Fessler said Monday. “I had one little sputter with the [double-bogey], but the putter was really good when I was in trouble, and I had lanes to get back into play.

“I know I can play, no matter how much practice I get in. There aren’t a lot of situations that I haven’t seen before.”

In 26 events this season, the 24-year-old Fessler has notched 18 top-10 finishes and collected more than $18,500 in winnings.

Denied his 11th victory of the season, Israelson continued his consistent play this season and extended his impressive streak of 21 consecutive starts at section events with a top-10 finish.

“It was a good tournament and sometimes you lose some to good players,” Israelson said following his round Monday. “I wish I would’ve played a little better.

“I feel like I get in a routine and I’ve played some really solid golf. Honestly, I wish I won every tournament, but you can’t hang your head and just be happy with the outcome.

Israelson, who entered the week coming off a 28th-place finish at the PGA Tour Americas’ CRMC Championship presented by Northern Pacific Center at Cragun’s Legacy Courses two weeks ago, kept pace with Fessler early Monday with a pair of birdies over his first six holes to reach 3-under before taking bogey at the par-3 seventh.

Turning at 2-under with a share of the lead, Israelson momentarily took the outright lead with a birdie at the 10th, but would fail to get up-and-down at the par-3 12th to return to 2-under.

A birdie at the 14th, followed by his birdie from 15 feet at the 15th helped put Israelson back on top of the leaderboard with Fessler at 4-under and the two would par their final three holes of regulation.

After Fessler’s birdie in the playoff, Israelson’s birdie chance from the back right edge failed to drop, and he’d post his fifth runner-up finish of the season.

“Golf’s funny—I feel like I hit it really well all tournament and couldn’t make a putt,” Israelson said. “Then the last five or six holes, I hit it pretty poor and made everything.”

In 31 events this season, Israelson has finished inside the top-5 on 19 occasions, earning more than $41,000.

After the remainder of the Minnesota section calendar, Israelson plans to compete at Korn Ferry Tour qualifying in October.

Matthew Sandquist finish Monday helped earn him a spot in the 2025 Assistant PGA Professional Championship Nov. 13-16 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Joining Sandquist at the national event is Caleb Christensen, who fired a 1-over 73 Monday to move up three spots on the leaderboard, as well as Lucas Johnson, who fired a 1-under 73 to earn the final qualifying spot.

Brennan Hockman fired a final-round 69 Monday to finish in third place at 1-under 143, while back-to-back rounds of 72 put Sandquist in fourth place at 144.

Leaderboard: https://mnpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/mnpga25/event/mnpga2512/contest/9/leaderboard.htm