By Nick Hunter
FOREST LAKE, Minn. – A string of three consecutive birdies during his front nine Wednesday lifted Derek Stendahl to a final-round 70 at Forest Hills Golf Club to earn a two-stroke victory at the 52nd Minnesota Senior PGA Professional Championship presented by Yamaha Golf and Utility for his second win in 2026.
Stendahl becomes the sixth player in state history, and first since Don Berry in 2020, to claim both the Minnesota Senior Open and the Minnesota Senior PGA Professional Championship during the same season.
“I love this Section and I will compete as much as I can for as long as I can,” Stendahl said following his win Wednesday. “There are guys like Mike Barge, Berry and [Bill Israelson], who couldn’t be here this week, but those guys are still so competitive and it’s inspiring to try and do that.
“To be able to win two tournaments with the fields that we have is pretty awesome. It justifies a lot of the work you put in. Working with [Steve Fessler], we talk all the time, we get together as much as we can, and he’s always got something to tweak here or have a good mindset there. Coming into the week it was all about keeping the ball in front of you and control what you can.”
Stendahl advances to the 2026 Senior PGA Professional Championship along with Barge, Aaron Jacobson, Eric Rolland, defending champion Eric Chiles and Lance West at the national event, set to be played Oct. 22-25 at Superstition Mountain in Gold Canyon, Ariz.
Entering Wednesday’s final round with a two-stroke advantage, Stendahl survived a bumpy start by saving par at the first and third holes to remain atop the leaderboard before a string of three consecutive birdies beginning at the par-4 fourth to put him at 6-under for the championship and five shots clear of the field.
“Bunker off the tee and left greenside bunker on [No. 1], chip it to 12 feet and make the putt for par,” he said. “That really set the tone because if that doesn’t go in, who knows what the mindset is. Then a really good up-and-down out the bunker at three to keep it there.”
Stendahl, 55, from Rush Creek Golf Club, dropped a 20-footer at the fourth before a tap-in birdie at the fifth. He’d card his seventh birdie of the week at the par-3 sixth when his putt from the front edge of the green found the bottom of the cup.
In control of the championship throughout the final round Wednesday, Stendahl’s lone blemish came in the form of a bogey at the 17th, to put him in the clubhouse at 5-under 139 to claim a two-stroke victory over Barge.
“I felt the same as I did at [Keller Golf Course] and knew I had to keep going because there’s a lot of good players here,” Stendahl said. “This golf course, when you get on, you can make some birdies out here. I knew I had to keep the pedal down. My speed on my putting was great today. Struggled a little bit yesterday and had to make a few longer ones for par, which I was able to do, but today I had more tap-ins than anything.
“Bummed about [a bogey on] 17—I was feeling like, take the lead, go sleep on it at night, know the guys are coming and go bogey-free would’ve really made me feel good about the game. I wasn’t trying to just make pars—I was trying to give myself some good looks. I had a few, just didn’t capitalize on, but then there were a bunch where I was really content with tapping in for par.”
In May, Stendahl followed his opening-round 66 with a 3-under 69 to capture a one-stroke victory over 2014 Minnesota Golf Association Amateur champion Jesse Bull at the Minnesota Senior Open for his second win at the championship in five seasons.
Barge, winner of both the Minnesota Senior Open and Minnesota Senior PGA Professional Championship in 2005, fired the low round of the championship Wednesday, a 4-under 68, to move up eight spots on the leaderboard during the final round to place second at 3-under 141.
“I hit some quality sand wedges today within three or four feet, so the wedges felt really good today,” Barge said. “Yesterday was just sloppy. I had seven birdies today and five birdies yesterday—that’s a lot of birdies. I don’t normally make that many.
“I was very pleased with it because this is a good golf course. You’ve got to keep it in play and stay below the hole, and I did that pretty well. I didn’t make any bombs but made the putts you’re supposed to where you’re playing well.”
Stepping away from competition golf since the Minnesota Senior Open at Keller Golf Course nearly three months ago, Barge said he’s encouraged with his play despite a dwindling competition schedule in recent years.
“I’m starting to wind down a little bit, but this is the time of the year I can play a little bit more.”
A pair of bogeys during his opening nine Wednesday was offset by four birdies for the 71-year-old Barge to turn in 1-under for the championship.
Falling back to even with a bogey at the 11th, Barge would convert three birdie chances over his final seven holes to record his best finish at the championship since his most recent victory at Minnewaska Golf Club in 2018.
Jacobson carded back-to-back rounds of even par 72 to finish alone in third place, while Rolland followed his opening-round 72 with a 1-over 73 during the final round to place fourth at 145.
2026 Senior PGA Professional Championship Qualifiers (L-R: Eric Rolland, Aaron Jacobson, Mike Barge, Derek Stendahl)
THE 52ND MINNESOTA SENIOR PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
FOREST HILLS GOLF CLUB
FOREST LAKE, MINN.
6,531 YARDS, PAR 72
WEDNESDAY’S FINAL RESULTS
1. Derek Stendahl, Rush Creek GC, 69-70—139
2. Mike Barge, Hazeltine Nat’l GC, 73-68—141
3. Aaron Jacobson, Rush Creek GC, 72-72—144
4. Eric Rolland, Augsburg University, 72-73—145
T5. Dale Jones, Mendakota CC, 75-71—146
T5. David Podas, Braemar GC, 73-73—146
T5. Eric Chiles, Chaska TC, 74-72—146
T5. Lance West, Medina G&CC, 72-74—146
T9. Larry Norland, PGA Life Member, 76-71—147
T9. Craig Brischke, Tanners Brook GC, 73-74—147
T9. Chris Borgen, Lost Spur GC, 71-76—147
For complete tournament results go to: MN Sr PGA Professional Champ. – MN Senior Professional Champ. Leaderboard | Minnesota PGA