Not even a pair of course records during the final two rounds of the 108th Minnesota State Open presented by Yamaha Golf and Utility this week at Rochester Golf and Country Club was enough to deny Tyler Leach from claiming his first professional victory.

The former Marquette University golfer bookended rounds of 66 to earn a two-stroke victory over University of Minnesota’s Jack Wetzel, who set a course record during Thursday’s final round by shooting 8-under 62.

“A win like this means everything,” Leach said while holding his trophy Thursday. “For a while I was questioning if I could win any event. I’ve been close many times but haven’t done it. Going forward, it gives me all the confidence in the world.

Looking back over 54 holes this week, Leach credited his good fortune to a recent switch in putters he put in his bag.

“This week, the putter stands out the most,” he said. “I would even go so far as to say I had the yips. I was struggling up until a couple weeks ago. Found something with [the broomstick] putter—something felt right about it, and I’ve been putting great since then.

“If I can keep rolling with that thing, I think I could win plenty more tournaments. I know my long game is good enough to compete, but it’s just always been my putter that has held me back.”

A native of Spring Valley, Wis., Leach opened the championship with a 4-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead to Wednesday’s second round, where he’d post a 2-over 72 to trail by one shot with 18 holes to play.
Leach wasted little time during his final round Thursday, holing out for eagle from 90 yards on the opening hole to jump to the top of the leaderboard at 4-under for the championship.

A steady Leach carded consecutive pars to close out his opening nine 2-under for his round before capitalizing on his birdie chance from inside of four feet at the par-4 10th.

He extended his lead to two shots over Wetzel after sinking his birdie opportunity from eight feet at the 15th, but would protect his lead with a pair of crucial par saves from inside of eight feet at both the 16th and 17th holes.

A two-putt par at the 18th gave the 2022 graduate his first victory since a collegiate event during his sophomore season, shooting a bogey-free 66 during the final round to mark the first professional to win the championship over the past three seasons.

“Very early today, I knew the course was going to play tough and that par was going to be a great score,” Leach said Thursday. “When I holed out for eagle, I knew I had the lead, so from there I was just trying to make pars.”

“I was pretty nervous around 10-11-12, but I kept repeating that the outcome is already written. There’s nothing I can do to change it, and whatever is meant to be is meant to be. I just kept marching along.”Wetzel, who bettered University of South Dakota junior Cole Witherow’s mark of 64 during Wednesday’s second round by two strokes, earned low-amateur honors thanks to his final-round 62 after back-to-back rounds of 72 to begin the championship this week.

When asked if he thought a round of 62 was possible at the start of the round, Wetzel replied, “Honestly? No, I really didn’t. Yesterday, I didn’t hit it well and felt like I scratched out a decent number.”

Playing his opening nine in 3-under, Wetzel moved to 1-over for the championship before drawing even with his fourth birdie of the round at the 12th.

Back-to-back birdies at the 14th and 15th put the former Edina High School standout at 2-under for the tournament, and he would proceed to tap-in for birdie at the 17th and sink a 35-footer for birdie at the last, posting a bogey-free 8-under 62 to move up 20 spots into second place at 4-under 206.

“I had a lot of two, three, 4-footers for birdie that I attribute to good distance control. I wasn’t really thinking about where I was at all, I was trying to fire as low as I could and get in the mix.”

Recent Minnesota Golf Association Mid-Players’ champion Max Tylke fired a 5-under 65, the previous course record prior to the start of the championship this week, to move up 11 spots on the leaderboard during Thursday’s final round to finish in third place at 3-under 207.

The 109th Minnesota State Open will be played at Minnesota Valley Country Club.

Photo Courtesy Minnesota Section PGA