Minnesota State Junior Boys' Golf Championship

The Minnesota State Junior Boys’ Golf Championship is an annual tournament conducted by the Minnesota Golf Association (MGA) to determine the state golf champion for boys less than 19 years of age. While the MGA traces the tournament back to 1924 (the 2014 event was billed as the 88th annual),[1] the lineage to that first tournament is circuitous. Over the years, the state junior golf championship has encompassed four independently sponsored and differently named statewide tournaments with intervals during which two of the tournaments have overlapped.

The first iteration of the state junior championship was established by the MGA and conducted from 1924-1935.[2] Known as the Minnesota Junior Golf Tournament,[3] the first winner was Lester Bolstad. In 1931, the St. Paul Voiture of the American Legion Forty and Eight Veterans Organization sponsored a similar, if competing, statewide tournament called the Forty and Eight State Junior Golf Tournament.[4] The two tournaments were played until 1935 after which the MGA discontinued its state championship.[2]

The Forty and Eight State Junior Tournament distinguished itself from its MGA rival in that it saw greater participation – and success – among non-Minneapolis and St. Paul metro golfers. From 1934 to 1937, the tournament was won consecutively by out-state competitors.[5] Except for the World War II years of 1943-1944 during which the tournament was not played, the Forty and Eight State Junior Tournament continued through 1945. However, in 1946, the Forty and Eight organization ended its sponsorship resulting in no state junior golf tournament for that year.

After a one-year pause, the Minnesota Junior Chamber of Commerce assumed sponsorship of the tournament. The renamed Minnesota Jaycee Junior Golf Tournament was first played in 1947.[6] The Minnesota Jaycee Junior was different from its predecessors in that players not only competed for the state title, but also to qualify for the International Jaycee Junior Golf Tournament – one of the major junior golf tournaments at the time.[7]

At the height of the Minnesota Jaycee Junior’s popularity and 25 years since ending the original Minnesota Junior Golf Tournament, the Minnesota Golf Association began the MGA Junior Golf Championship in 1961. The MGA Junior format included both individual and team competitions in which the best three of four scores of each round counted toward four-man team scoring.[2] Four golfers - Ron Benson, Gary Rodin, Jon Chaffee and Bill Israelson - won both the Minnesota Jaycee Junior and the MGA Junior.

In 1969, unable to find financial backing for the International Jaycee Junior Tournament, the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce ended the International.[8] While state and local Jaycee Junior competitions continued in Minnesota, a significant draw for the state Jaycee Junior tournament was lost with the termination of the International. Consequently, by the mid-70s, the growth and expansion of the MGA Junior Golf Championship eclipsed that of the Minnesota Jaycee Junior Golf Tournament and, after the 1975 event, the state Jaycee Junior was abandoned.[2]

The MGA Junior Golf Championship – the surviving tournament of the four state golf championships – continues to this day. In 2002, the MGA renamed the tournament to the Minnesota State Junior Boys’ Championship[9] and its winner represents the state of Minnesota as its junior golf champion.

Winners

Minnesota Junior Golf Tournament (1924-1935)

YearChampionRunner-upCourseLocation
1924Lester BolstadWalter MoynihanMinikahda ClubMinneapolis
1925Don BurrisJack FalconerSuperior Golf ClubMedina
1926Al SnellEarl LarsonSuperior Golf ClubMedina
1927Vernon AllenEdgar BolstadHilltop Golf LinksColumbia Heights
1928Phil HalversonEarl LarsonEdina Country ClubEdina
1929Pat SawyerEarl LarsonHillcrest Golf ClubSt. Paul
1930Pat SawyerDale MortonMinneapolis Golf ClubSt. Louis Park
1931Cy AndersonDon WingeSomerset Country ClubMendota Heights
1932Wally TaftLoren KrugelGolden Valley Golf and Country ClubGolden Valley
1933Loren KrugelMelvin LarsonUniversity Golf ClubSt. Paul
1934Robert GravesJack BainEdina Country ClubEdina
1935Merrill PetersonWalter HodgeHillcrest Golf ClubSt. Paul


Forty and Eight State Junior Golf Tournament (1931-1945)

YearChampionRunner-upCourseLocation
1931Al ClasenRalph ClasenHighland Park Golf ClubSt. Paul
1932Douglas EricksonLawrence RobertsonHighland Park Golf ClubSt. Paul
1933Lambert FyhrieRobert KnutsonHighland Park Golf ClubSt. Paul
1934Robert KnutsonJohn TigheHighland Park Golf ClubSt. Paul
1935William CooperDean LarsenHighland Park Golf ClubSt. Paul
1936Eugene ChristensenRobert GravesHighland Park Golf ClubSt. Paul
1937Russell ValbyEros ZotalisHighland Park Golf ClubSt. Paul
1938Chet LatawiecJarvis KnutsonTheodore Wirth Golf CourseMinneapolis
1939Wally UlrichBob ClasenSoldiers Field Golf CourseRochester
1940Ed LearyJarvis KnutsonPine Beach Golf CourseBrainerd
1941Bill WaryanWilliam KalineHighland Park Golf ClubSt. Paul
1942Bill WaryanJim FortierTheodore Wirth Golf CourseMinneapolis
1943No tournament
1944No tournament
1945Charles StenvigDean DaughertyTheodore Wirth Golf CourseMinneapolis
1946No tournament


Minnesota Jaycee Junior Golf Tournament (1947-1975)

YearChampionRunner-upCourseLocation
1947Richard Pogue, Jr.Bob BraffGreenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1948Bob BraffRichard Pogue, Jr.Greenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1949Mitchell RosenholtzClayton JohnsonGreenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1950Ted VickermanBob NordstromGreenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1951Jack Flatt, Jr.Pete PassoltGreenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1952Jim LuciusTom HadleyGreenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1953Tom HadleyBill McGovernGreenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1954Bill McGovernCy Northrop*Greenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1955Dick Kielty*Tom RoseGreenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1956Gene HansonRolf DemingGreenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1957Rolf DemingHarry Newby, Jr.Virginia Golf ClubVirginia
1958Bob BalegaTom MaasCrow River Country ClubHutchinson
1959Jon KonzVern Novak, Jr.Faribault Golf and Country ClubFaribault
1960Tim Jolin*Dave GumliaVirginia Golf ClubVirginia
1961Ron BensonMike ZidelGreenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1962Mike ZidelDick LindahlVirginia Golf ClubVirginia
1963Al LoomisRon BensonIsland View Country ClubWaconia
1964Bob BarbarossaDwight HolmboVirginia Golf ClubVirginia
1965Bob BarbarossaBob HildebrandtInterlaken Golf ClubFairmont
1966Dennis JohnsonJames TerryMendakota Country ClubMendota Heights
1967Greg GustafsonJim KruzichPebble Lake Golf ClubFergus Falls
1968Gary RodinJon Carr*Hastings Country ClubHastings
1969Jim HoliskyGary Rodin*Pebble Lake Golf ClubFergus Falls
1970Robert DeemRobbie HarrisGreenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1971Guy CoopetEd DemeryHastings Country ClubHastings
1972Jon Chaffee*Brian SundDellwood Hills Country ClubDellwood
1973Bill IsraelsonBrad CookHastings Country ClubHastings
1974Bill IsraelsonJim HarperVirginia Golf ClubVirginia
1975Eric NiskanenBob KertscherDetroit Country ClubDetroit Lakes

* Won in a playoff


MGA Junior Golf Championships (1961-2001)

YearChampionRunner-upCourseLocation
1961George ShortridgeRichard McMillan, Jr.Somerset Country ClubMendota Heights
1962Ron BensonPhil ReithWhite Bear Yacht ClubDellwood
1963James Carlson*Bob BarbarossaInterlaken Golf ClubFairmont
1964Robert Hildebrandt*Ward JohnsonNorth Oaks Country ClubNorth Oaks
1965Gary OstrinMick McGrath*Meadowbrook Golf ClubHopkins
1966Dave Haberle*Don AllenMendakota Country ClubMendota Heights
1967Dave HaberleBill HomeyerMinnetonka Country ClubExcelsior
1968Jay Jordan*John HarrisUniversity Golf ClubSt. Paul
1969Gary Rodin*Larry LenochGreenhaven Country ClubAnoka
1970Mark PetersonDennis BarrHiawatha Golf CourseMinneapolis
1971Gary JacobsonGary HvassSt. Cloud Country ClubSt. Cloud
1972Gary DurenEd DemeryForest Hills Golf ClubForest Lake
1973John ChaffeeCraig SteinLes Bolstad Golf CourseFalcon Heights
1974Brian SundJohn ChaffeeGross Golf CourseMinneapolis
1975Bill Israelson*Gary GabrielsonMinnetonka Country ClubExcelsior
1976Mark NormanGary GabrielsonIsland View Golf ClubWaconia
1977Stu OftelieJoe KrocTartan Park Golf CourseLake Elmo
1978Jeff TealJohn MillerWhite Bear Yacht ClubDellwood
1979Dave TentisJeff TolletteHastings Country ClubHastings
1980Steve SchifflerPat HerzogCrow River Country ClubHutchinson
1981Gordy Skaar, Jr.Bill BantonInterlaken Golf ClubFairmont
1982Steve Barber*Mike LehmanBurl Oaks Golf ClubMinnetrista
1983Tom Nyberg*John ReynoldsIsland View Golf ClubWaconia
1984Kirk Vanstrum*Mike SchellerElk River Golf ClubElk River
1985Brad GeerJeff StadheimPurple Hawk Golf ClubCambridge
1986Tom Anderson*Tim De JarlaisDahlgreen Country ClubChaska
1987Russ SimensonScott GoergenTartan Park Golf CourseLake Elmo
1988Brad YzermansTim HerronForest Hills Golf ClubForest Lake
1989John DaileyRuss SimensonNew Prague Golf ClubNew Prague
1990Dan DoedenPaul MeyerTimber Creek Golf ClubWatertown
1991Aaron BarberSean GorgLe Sueur Country ClubLe Sueur
1992Jason RudquistCrow River Country ClubHutchinson
1993Ryan BardEnger Park Golf ClubDuluth
1994Mike ChristensenNew Ulm Country ClubNew Ulm
1995Eric EckerPurple Hawk Country ClubCambridge
1996Justin RobelPebble Lake Golf ClubFergus Falls
1997Kyle BlackmanPokegama Golf CourseGrand Rapids
1998Mike MarshallDahlgreen Country ClubChaska
1999David SupallaShoreland Country ClubSt. Peter
2000Luke BenoitBrian BohligUniversity Golf ClubSt. Paul
2001Rodney HamblinTown and Country ClubSt. Paul

* Won in a playoff


Minnesota State Junior Boys' Golf Championship (2002-Present)

YearChampionRunner-upCourseLocation
2002Patrick HerzogGrant Lissick/Josh Whalen/Scott GustafsonTanners Brook Country ClubForest Lake
2003Clayton RaskDerek Bauer/Eric Harris/Ryan SmithDellwood Hills Country ClubDellwood
2004Jon Osgar*Parker PembertonLegacy Courses at Cragun'sBrainerd
2005Donald ConstableBrett Benson/Bryce HanstadLegacy Courses at Cragun'sBrainerd
2006Matthew SchneiderKeith GoodmanBurl Oaks Golf ClubMinnetrista
2007C.J. DeBergThe Preserve at Grandview LodgePequot Lakes
2008Robert BellTimothy PeterzenThe Preserve at Grandview LodgePequot Lakes
2009Tyler Rustad*Tanner LaneWildflower at Fair HillsDetroit Lakes
2010Thomas StrandemoColton Buege/Chase HahneWildflower at Fair HillsDetroit Lakes
2011Jon Dutoit*Karter SmithRochester Golf and Country ClubRochester
2012Jack PexaDominic KiefferRochester Golf and Country ClubRochester
2013Jack HolmgrenMatt RacheyDacotah Ridge Golf ClubMorton
2014Freddy ThomasMax RedetzkeDacotah Ridge Golf ClubMorton
2015Carter Haley*Ethan KrausEagle Creek Golf ClubWillmar
2016Andrew IsraelsonBen SigelEagle Creek Golf ClubWillmar
2017Jack EbnerCarson HaleyThe BridgesWinona
2018Caleb VanArragonJacob PedersenThe BridgesWinona
2019Ian SimonichNate Adams*Pioneer Creek Golf ClubMaple Plain

* Won in a playoff

References

  1. "88th Minnesota State Junior Boys' Championship". Retrieved December 17, 2004.
  2. Kelley, James E. (1991). Minnesota Golf. 90 Years of Tournament History. Minnesota Golf Association, Inc. pp. 160–162.
  3. "Vernon Allen Wins State Junior Title". Moorhead Daily News. Moorhead, Minnesota. August 13, 1927. p. 4. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  4. "Junior Golf Entry Large". Albert Lea, Minnesota: Albert Lea Evening Tribune. June 8, 1936. p. 10.
  5. "16-Year Old Golfer is Junior Champ". Moorhead Daily News. Moorhead, Minnesota. August 12, 1937. p. 4. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  6. "Richard Pogue Takes Lead in J.C. Tourney". Winona, Minnesota: The Winona Republican-Herald. July 12, 1947. p. 10.
  7. Wischmeyer, Bob (August 3, 1961). "The Pressure Was On" (PDF). Amsterdam Evening Recorder. Amsterdam, New York. p. 16. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  8. "Chip Chatter". Racine Journal Times. Racine, Wisconsin. July 15, 1969. p. 18.
  9. "Jr. Boys Past Champs" (PDF). Retrieved December 17, 2014.
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