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), 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. Known as the Minnesota Junior Golf Tournament, 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. The two tournaments were played until 1935, after which the MGA discontinued its state championship.
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. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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.
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 and its winner represents the state of Minnesota as its junior golf champion.
Winners
Minnesota Junior Golf Tournament (1924-1935)
Year Champion Runner-up Course Location 1924 Lester Bolstad Walter Moynihan Minikahda Club Minneapolis 1925 Don Burris Jack Falconer Superior Golf Club Medina 1926 Al Snell Earl Larson Superior Golf Club Medina 1927 Vernon Allen Edgar Bolstad Hilltop Golf Links Columbia Heights 1928 Phil Halverson Earl Larson Edina Country Club Edina 1929 Pat Sawyer Earl Larson Hillcrest Golf Club St. Paul 1930 Pat Sawyer Dale Morton Minneapolis Golf Club St. Louis Park 1931 Cy Anderson Don Winge Somerset Country Club Mendota Heights 1932 Wally Taft Loren Krugel Golden Valley Golf and Country Club Golden Valley 1933 Loren Krugel Melvin Larson University Golf Club St. Paul 1934 Robert Graves Jack Bain Edina Country Club Edina 1935 Merrill Peterson Walter Hodge Hillcrest Golf Club St. Paul
Forty and Eight State Junior Golf Tournament (1931-1945) Year Champion Runner-up Course Location 1931 Al Clasen Ralph Clasen Highland Park Golf Club St. Paul 1932 Douglas Erickson Lawrence Robertson Highland Park Golf Club St. Paul 1933 Lambert Fyhrie Robert Knutson Highland Park Golf Club St. Paul 1934 Robert Knutson John Tighe Highland Park Golf Club St. Paul 1935 William Cooper Dean Larsen Highland Park Golf Club St. Paul 1936 Eugene Christensen Robert Graves Highland Park Golf Club St. Paul 1937 Russell Valby Eros Zotalis Highland Park Golf Club St. Paul 1938 Chet Latawiec Jarvis Knutson Theodore Wirth Golf Course Minneapolis 1939 Wally Ulrich Bob Clasen Soldiers Field Golf Course Rochester 1940 Ed Leary Jarvis Knutson Pine Beach Golf Course Brainerd 1941 Bill Waryan William Kaline Highland Park Golf Club St. Paul 1942 Bill Waryan Jim Fortier Theodore Wirth Golf Course Minneapolis 1943 No tournament 1944 No tournament 1945 Charles Stenvig Dean Daugherty Theodore Wirth Golf Course Minneapolis 1946 No tournament
Minnesota Jaycee Junior Golf Tournament (1947-1975)
Year Champion Runner-up Course Location 1947 Richard Pogue, Jr. Bob Braff Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1948 Bob Braff Richard Pogue, Jr. Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1949 Mitchell Rosenholtz Clayton Johnson Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1950 Ted Vickerman Bob Nordstrom Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1951 Jack Flatt, Jr. Pete Passolt Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1952 Jim Lucius Tom Hadley Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1953 Tom Hadley Bill McGovern Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1954 Bill McGovern Cy Northrop* Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1955 Dick Kielty* Tom Rose Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1956 Gene Hanson Rolf Deming Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1957 Rolf Deming Harry Newby, Jr. Virginia Golf Club Virginia 1958 Bob Balega Tom Maas Crow River Country Club Hutchinson 1959 Jon Konz Vern Novak, Jr. Faribault Golf and Country Club Faribault 1960 Tim Jolin* Dave Gumlia Virginia Golf Club Virginia 1961 Ron Benson Mike Zidel Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1962 Mike Zidel Dick Lindahl Virginia Golf Club Virginia 1963 Al Loomis Ron Benson Island View Country Club Waconia 1964 Bob Barbarossa Dwight Holmbo Virginia Golf Club Virginia 1965 Bob Barbarossa Bob Hildebrandt Interlaken Golf Club Fairmont 1966 Dennis Johnson James Terry Mendakota Country Club Mendota Heights 1967 Greg Gustafson Jim Kruzich Pebble Lake Golf Club Fergus Falls 1968 Gary Rodin Jon Carr* Hastings Country Club Hastings 1969 Jim Holisky Gary Rodin* Pebble Lake Golf Club Fergus Falls 1970 Robert Deem Robbie Harris Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1971 Guy Coopet Ed Demery Hastings Country Club Hastings 1972 Jon Chaffee* Brian Sund Dellwood Hills Country Club Dellwood 1973 Bill Israelson Brad Cook Hastings Country Club Hastings 1974 Bill Israelson Jim Harper Virginia Golf Club Virginia 1975 Eric Niskanen Bob Kertscher Detroit Country Club Detroit Lakes * Won in a playoff
MGA Junior Golf Championships (1961-2001)
Year Champion Runner-up Course Location 1961 George Shortridge Richard McMillan, Jr. Somerset Country Club Mendota Heights 1962 Ron Benson Phil Reith White Bear Yacht Club Dellwood 1963 James Carlson* Bob Barbarossa Interlaken Golf Club Fairmont 1964 Robert Hildebrandt* Ward Johnson North Oaks Country Club North Oaks 1965 Gary Ostrin Mick McGrath* Meadowbrook Golf Club Hopkins 1966 Dave Haberle* Don Allen Mendakota Country Club Mendota Heights 1967 Dave Haberle Bill Homeyer Minnetonka Country Club Excelsior 1968 Jay Jordan* John Harris University Golf Club St. Paul 1969 Gary Rodin* Larry Lenoch Greenhaven Country Club Anoka 1970 Mark Peterson Dennis Barr Hiawatha Golf Course Minneapolis 1971 Gary Jacobson Gary Hvass St. Cloud Country Club St. Cloud 1972 Gary Duren Ed Demery Forest Hills Golf Club Forest Lake 1973 John Chaffee Craig Stein Les Bolstad Golf Course Falcon Heights 1974 Brian Sund John Chaffee Gross Golf Course Minneapolis 1975 Bill Israelson* Gary Gabrielson Minnetonka Country Club Excelsior 1976 Mark Norman Gary Gabrielson Island View Golf Club Waconia 1977 Stu Oftelie Joe Kroc Tartan Park Golf Course Lake Elmo 1978 Jeff Teal John Miller White Bear Yacht Club Dellwood 1979 Dave Tentis Jeff Tollette Hastings Country Club Hastings 1980 Steve Schiffler Pat Herzog Crow River Country Club Hutchinson 1981 Gordy Skaar, Jr. Bill Banton Interlaken Golf Club Fairmont 1982 Steve Barber* Mike Lehman Burl Oaks Golf Club Minnetrista 1983 Tom Nyberg* John Reynolds Island View Golf Club Waconia 1984 Kirk Vanstrum* Mike Scheller Elk River Golf Club Elk River 1985 Brad Geer Jeff Stadheim Purple Hawk Golf Club Cambridge 1986 Tom Anderson* Tim De Jarlais Dahlgreen Country Club Chaska 1987 Russ Simenson Scott Goergen Tartan Park Golf Course Lake Elmo 1988 Brad Yzermans Tim Herron Forest Hills Golf Club Forest Lake 1989 John Dailey Russ Simenson New Prague Golf Club New Prague 1990 Dan Doeden Paul Meyer Timber Creek Golf Club Watertown 1991 Aaron Barber Sean Gorg Le Sueur Country Club Le Sueur 1992 Jason Rudquist Conrad Ray/Mike Bolf Crow River Country Club Hutchinson 1993 Ryan Bard Craig Trastek/David Christensen/Eric Ecker Enger Park Golf Club Duluth 1994 Mike Christensen Matt Burgess New Ulm Country Club New Ulm 1995 Eric Ecker Mike Christensen/Justin Royer/Andrew Johnson Purple Hawk Country Club Cambridge 1996 Justin Robel* J.P. Prenevost Pebble Lake Golf Club Fergus Falls 1997 Kyle Blackman John Marschall Pokegama Golf Course Grand Rapids 1998 Mike Marshall Ryan Paulson Dahlgreen Country Club Chaska 1999 David Supalla A.J. Hoffman/Pat Herzog Shoreland Country Club St. Peter 2000 Luke Benoit Brian Bohlig University Golf Club St. Paul 2001 Rodney Hamblin Ralph Baxley Town and Country Club St. Paul * Won in a playoff
Minnesota State Junior Boys' Golf Championship (2002-Present)
Year Champion Runner-up Course Location 2002 Patrick Herzog Grant Lissick/Josh Whalen/Scott Gustafson Tanners Brook Country Club Forest Lake 2003 Clayton Rask Derek Bauer/Eric Harris/Ryan Smith Dellwood Hills Country Club Dellwood 2004 Jon Osgar* Parker Pemberton Legacy Courses at Cragun's Brainerd 2005 Donald Constable Brett Benson/Bryce Hanstad Legacy Courses at Cragun's Brainerd 2006 Matthew Schneider Keith Goodman Burl Oaks Golf Club Minnetrista 2007 C.J. DeBerg The Preserve at Grandview Lodge Pequot Lakes 2008 Robert Bell Timothy Peterzen The Preserve at Grandview Lodge Pequot Lakes 2009 Tyler Rustad* Tanner Lane Wildflower at Fair Hills Detroit Lakes 2010 Thomas Strandemo Colton Buege/Chase Hahne Wildflower at Fair Hills Detroit Lakes 2011 Jon Dutoit* Karter Smith Rochester Golf and Country Club Rochester 2012 Jack Pexa Dominic Kieffer Rochester Golf and Country Club Rochester 2013 Jack Holmgren Matt Rachey Dacotah Ridge Golf Club Morton 2014 Freddy Thomas Max Redetzke Dacotah Ridge Golf Club Morton 2015 Carter Haley* Ethan Kraus Eagle Creek Golf Club Willmar 2016 Andrew Israelson Ben Sigel Eagle Creek Golf Club Willmar 2017 Jack Ebner Carson Haley The Bridges Winona 2018 Caleb VanArragon Jacob Pedersen The Bridges Winona 2019 Ian Simonich Nate Adams* Pioneer Creek Golf Club Maple Plain 2020 Dayne Mann Andrew Ramos Detroit Country Club Detroit Lakes 2021 Mason Roloff Tyler Seeling/Davis Johnson/Braeden Sladek/Ryan Stendahl Detroit Country Club Detroit Lakes 2022 Peyton Coahran Rylin Petry Little Crow Country Club Spicer 2023 Jack Holtz Carson Boe/Justin Luan Little Crow Country Club Spicer 2024 Carter Callan Crow River Golf Club 2025 Torger Ohe Alexandria Golf Club * Won in a playoff
References