By Nick Hunter

MAPLEWOOD, Minn. – Attributing extra time spent on his putting stroke Tuesday, Derek Stendahl carded a 6-under 66 to begin the 42nd Minnesota Senior Open presented by Yamaha Golf and Utility to pace the field and hold a one-stroke lead.

Following his final round Wednesday, a bogey-free 3-under 69, Stendahl again credited his putter for a pair of crucial par saves during his front nine at Keller Golf Course.

“Seven and eight—par putts,” Stendahl said. “I thought if this thing goes the way I hope it goes, those two putts were amazing for me and my psyche.”

Sinking a short par putt on the 36th hole Wednesday, the 55-year-old Stendahl earned a one-stroke victory over amateur Jesse Bull by shooting 9-under 135 to claim his second Minnesota Senior Open title since 2022.

“There’s some validation—I work really hard with Steve Fessler,” said Stendahl. “Seeing my name with [the past champion] trophy by it on the leaderboard is cool to have once, but to have it twice is pretty neat.

“I really liked the way I controlled the nerves. To be in the lead, go home and sleep on the lead, and come back knowing there are a bunch of good players behind you, you can’t really coast your way in. It’s a long day when you’re in the lead, to keep the lead and think about it the whole time.”

Stendahl rolled in his birdie chance at the par-4 second to move to 7-under for the tournament before dropping a 15-footer to save par at the seventh, followed by a 10-footer for par at the eighth to remain in the lead with 12 holes to play.

After capitalizing at the par-5 10th to reach 8-under, Stendahl two-putted for birdie at the 12th to keep his slight advantage over Bull.

Unable to convert birdie chances over his next five holes, Stendahl carried a slim, one-stroke advantage to the last where he reached the back edge of the 18th green with his approach, and left himself a 3-footer for par and a one-stroke victory, shooting 9-under 135 for his second win in five seasons.

“I was a lot more tentative today going from eight birdies to three,” Stendahl said, “But no bogeys, so I was very happy with that. The putts on seven and eight kind of made up for a couple of the missed ones.”

Stendahl carded a 3-under 141 at the 2022 championship to earn a two-stroke victory over amateurs Troy Johnson, Tom Helgeson and J.T. Johnson.

Making his first appearance at the championship this week, Bull fired a 3-under 69 to open the tournament Tuesday, putting him three shots off the lead entering Wednesday’s final round.

Bouncing back from an early bogey at the par-4 second, Bull strung together three birdies over a four-hole span to move to 5-under and within one shot of the lead.

The 51-year-old Bull carried momentum to his inward nine by rolling in a birdie look from 15 feet at the 11th before sinking a 25-footer for eagle at the 12th to keep pace with Stendahl at 8-under for the championship.

With a two-putt birdie at the 16th, Bull pulled even with Stendahl before finding trouble off the final tee, leading to a bogey to drop a stroke and finish as low-amateur at 8-under 136.

“Today I felt like I just needed to keep making birdies. I didn’t look at the leaderboard at all,” said Bull, whose most recent state victory came at the 2023 Minnesota Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship at Island View Golf Club. “I was playing well and kind of ran dry at the end—hitting good shots but just didn’t make any birdies.

“I thought I’d have to hit driver on 18 to get through the bunkers and have a look at birdie, but hit it into the lip, so it’s a pretty easy bogey from there. Sometimes you go back and maybe you’d redo it looking at the leaderboard, but I was thinking keep making birdies.”

Opening with a 1-under 71 Tuesday, Eric Chiles carded two birdies and an eagle over a four-hole stretch to pull within two shots of the lead mid-round Wednesday, but was plagued by back-to-back bogeys down the stretch, finishing in a tie for sixth at 4-under 140.

“Today I knew that I had to go low and shot 32 on the front, eagled the tenth and started to get excited,” Chiles said Wednesday. “Missed a short one [on No. 12] and did the thing I tell my high schoolers not to do and played angry.

“The course was great this week; no courses yet are this good. I couldn’t get anything in yesterday—I have a tendency to blame the greens, but I think it was me.

Making his fourth appearance at the championship this week, Chiles notched his second top-10 finish and his best performance since he finished fifth in 2024.

“I shot an 87 about two weeks ago, so I’m getting better,” Chiles joked. “You had to be perfect today to run Stendahl down, but he’s just playing too well.”

 

Notables

Daniel Callahan (Island View Golf Club) carded an eagle and one birdie over his final nine holes Wednesday, helping him post a final-round 68 to finish tied for ninth along with 2023 champion Chris Borgen (Lost Spur Golf Course).

Chris Peterson (Oak Glen Golf Course) fired a round of 1-under 71 for a second consecutive round to place 14th, while Craig Brischke (Tanners Brook Golf Club), Aaron Jacobson (Rush Creek Golf Club), and David Podas (Braemar Golf Course) each earned a share of 15th at 1-under 143.

 

THE 42ND MINNESOTA SENIOR OPEN

KELLER GOLF COURSE

MAPLEWOOD, MINN.

6,677 YARDS, PAR 72

 

WEDNESDAY’S FINAL RESULTS

1. Derek Stendahl, Rush Creek GC, 66-69—135

2. Jesse Bull (a), The Club at Golden Valley, 69-67—136

T3. Paul Schubring (a), Bent Creek GC, 67-71—138

T3. Troy Johnson (a) Edinburgh USA, 67-71—138

5. Joel B. Johnson (a) The Links at Northfork, 72-67—139

T6. Eric Chiles, Chaska Town Course, 71-69—140

T6. Bob Neuberger (a), Rush Creek GC, 70-70—140

T6. Aaron Wiemiller (a), Pebble Creek GC, 68-72—140

T9. John Wright (a), no affiliation, 75-66—141

T9. Daniel Callahan, Island View GC, 73-68—141

T9. Daryl Schomer (a), Wapicada GC, 71-70—141

T9. Chris Borgen, Lost Spur GC, 71-70—141

T9. Dave Carothers (a), Windsong Farm, 71-70—141

For complete tournament results go to: Minnesota Senior Open – Championship Leaderboard | Minnesota PGA