Hauch and Lewison Shoot 66, tied with Nervick and Spriggs to Open MGA Senior Four-Ball

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  LAKE CITY, Minn. – Making their first appearance together at the Minnesota Golf Association Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship this week at The Jewel Golf Club, Rick Hauch and Scott Lewison found a successful formula Wednesday by carding a 5-under 66 to share the opening-round lead with the team of Peter Nervick and Kent Spriggs.

Despite a bogey on each side during the first round, Hauch and Lewison carded five birdies over a span of eight holes to put themselves in a tie atop the leaderboard, each searching for their first state victory with 18 holes to play.

“I thought we teamed up well, but we played two bad holes at the same time. [Scott] putted well; he had a good day on the greens for sure,” Hauch said Wednesday. “I need to clean up a few things—I had a few loose tee shots, but I think we’re in a good spot and I think we can do well.”

“[Rick] got up-and-down a lot, which was great, and we made a few putts together,” Lewison added. “I’d like to straighten the driver out a little bit and hit a few more greens. I was confused with the cold weather and how far balls were travelling.”

Beginning their round on the 10th tee Wednesday, and following a frost delay of an hour and five minutes, the two took a step in the wrong direction with a bogey at the 12th before Hauch’s approach at the 13th stopped eight feet from the pin where he converted his birdie chance.

Lewison reciprocated by rolling in his birdie look from six feet at the 15th, and the twosome turned in 2-under for the day following a tap-in birdie by Hauch at the 16th.

Riding momentum to their back nine Wednesday, Hauch chipped in for birdie at the first and rolled in his birdie look from 12 feet at the second to help put his team to 4-under for the round, carding a second bogey of the day at the fifth.

Lewison responded by drilling his birdie chance from 25 feet at the seventh before Hauch finished off the round with a birdie at the eighth, rolling in a 3-footer to put him and Lewison into a share of the lead at 5-under 66.

Hauch previously partnered with Rolf Engwall at the championship, finishing tied for 19th in 2020 at Southern Hills Golf Club for his best finish at the event.

Looking to build on a sixth-place finish at last year’s championship, Nervick and Spriggs bounced back from an early bogey by carding three consecutive birdies mid-round Wednesday on their way to a share of the clubhouse lead after the first day of competition.

“We started off a little slow in the cold, but Peter played really well. I played better on the back,” Spriggs said following his round Wednesday. “We usually let Peter hit first because he’s so long—it frees him up a bit.

“We missed a couple of putts we could’ve made. Typically our first day hasn’t been all that great. We’ve been one or 2-under, so we figured if we could get to four or five the first day, that’s good.”

Beginning the round on the 10th tee Wednesday, Nervick and Spriggs carded a bogey at the 14th before Nervick started the scoring at the par-5 16th, hitting his approach to three feet and converting his birdie opportunity.

The two would turn in 1-under after Nervick dropped his birdie chance from 20 feet at the 18th.

Rolling in his 15-foot, downhill putt at the first, Spriggs carded his lone birdie of the opening round, and Nervick countered by hitting his approach to tap-in distance at the par-4 second to put his team at 3-under.

After converting his birdie chance from inside of six feet at the sixth, Nervick capped off the round by rolling in his fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 eighth to help post an opening-round 66.

Carding a bogey-free 4-under 67 during Wednesday’s opening round, the team of Mark Seagren and Toninato finished the first day of competition in sole possession of third place as the two will begin Thursday’s final round one shot back, while five teams sit tied for fourth at 3-under 68.

Bill and Robert Anderson combined to post a 2-under 69 Wednesday, sharing the opening-round lead with Jeff Felten and Pat Deutsch in the 65-and-over Masters Division.

Ron Rollins and David Wilson jumped out to the early clubhouse lead in the Net Division Wednesday at 7-under 64 before play was suspended due to darkness.

The twosome of Brian Patterson and Steve Pribyl were 7-under through 17 holes when play was halted. The two will finish their final hole of the opening round early Thursday before beginning the final round.

The final round of the 49th MGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Thursday at The Jewel Golf Club.