Wisconsin Golfer SPECIAL EDITION
SAM SCORES SAM MADSEN TRIUMPHS AT WSGA JUNIOR BOYS
WSGA Junior Boys Championship | Sponsored by Culver’s AUG 4- 6 AT THE LEGEND AT MERRILL HILLS | CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP
WSGA Junior Boys Championship A SPECIAL LOOK BACK
We hope you will enjoy this special edition of Wisconsin Golfer highlighting the WSGA Junior Boys Championship sponsored by Culver’s. The event is one of the longest running Wisconsin State Golf Association Championships and is a great showcase of all of the talented junior golfers in the state. Several players in the field are already committed to continue to play golf at the collegiate level, and this week also provided some great exposure for the younger players hoping to catch the attention of college coaches. This year’s champion, Sam Madsen, will have his name engraved on the trophy alongside past champions Steve Stricker and Mark Wilson. That’s some pretty good company. The Legend Clubs have a great deal of passion for junior golf as you will read more about on Page 12, with a thriving junior golf program as well as hosting an annual AJGA event to provide
2 | WSGA JUNIOR BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP
top junior golfers in the state national exposure. A special thanks goes to The Legend Clubs coowner Jack Gaudian and the staff at The Legend at Merrill Hills for making this a special week for all of the participants. I also would like to recognize the WSGA staff and volunteers for all of their hard work and the members of The Legend Clubs for their support of the event. The participants also enjoyed some perks throughout the week courtesy of Culver’s, including a tournament hat with the Culver’s logo, Culver’s coupons, and it doesn’t get much better than the frozen custard players enjoyed after their final round. Craig and Curt Culver have both been great supporters of the WSGA and junior golf. For more Wisconsin golf news, watch your email for the upcoming September/October issue of Wisconsin Golfer. — Rob Jansen, WSGA Executive Director
Harrison Ott
Kaylor Steger
CHAMPIONS IN THE FIELD All three medalists from this spring’s WIAA State Boys Golf Championships were in the WSGA Junior Boys field. Kaylor Steger, who won the WIAA Division 1 title for Oak Creek in June, shot 70-69-79–218 and tied for third place this week. Christopher Colla, WIAA Division 2 medalist from Winnebago Lutheran Academy, shot 7669-79–224 at The Legend at Merrill Hills to tie for 10th place. A member at Whispering Springs GC in Fond du Lac, Colla also made a strong showing at the State Amateur Championship in July, tying for 15th place. WIAA Division 3 medalist Thomas Longbella of 4 | WSGA JUNIOR BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP
Chippewa Falls McConnell shot 71-71-78–220 and finished in a tie for fourth place. Longbella, who also made it to match play at the U.S. Junior a couple of weeks ago, plays out of Eau Claire G&CC in Altoona. Also in the field this week was Harrison Ott of Westmoor CC in Brookfield. Ott, who finished with scores of 75-76-71–222, won two American Junior Golf Association tournaments in as many weeks in July, including Wisconsin’s annual event, the McArthur Towel & Sports Future Legends. Ott, who also won an AJGA title last August, has moved into the top 60 on the AJGA’s Polo Golf Rankings.
Players hang out in the clubhouse waiting for the weather to clear.
WEATHER IMPACTS TOURNEY The weather turned nasty Monday afternoon at The Legend at Merrill Hills, and the storm impacted the rest of the schedule for the WSGA Junior Boys Championship. Players were removed from the course at 1:15 p.m. on Monday, and many competitors still hadn’t teed off for the opening round. So the first round was completed Tuesday and most of the regularly scheduled second round was also played. However, since some players were still on the course when play was suspended at 8:17 p.m. Tuesday, the annual long drive contest traditionally held Tuesday night was not held this year. The second round was completed Wednesday, as was the full third round, under beautiful summertime conditions.
WHISPERING SPRINGS TOPS TEAMS Whispering Springs in Fond du Lac won the Junior Team Championship, which pits the top three players from WSGA-member clubs during the first two rounds of the WSGA Junior Boys Championship. Whispering Springs was represented by Christopher Colla, Patrick Treichel and Brady Sarauer, who combined to shoot 454 over the first two rounds. Blackhawk GC in Madison finished second at 456. Click here for complete scores.
Kaylor Steger
Mitch Wittmann
Eddie Wajda
Sam Madsen Chapin Orr
Tyler Church
6 |
Thomas Longbella
Madsen manages game, wins Junior Boys
GEORGETOWN RECRUIT FINISHES JUNIOR GOLF CAREER IN STYLE
Sam Madsen, who will head off to begin his with Mitch Wittmann of Fox Valley GC in Kaukauna, freshman season at Georgetown University in a few who entered the final round one shot back. The final round was a grind for several players at weeks, won his final junior golf tournament Wednesday. And it was a was a big one – the Wisconsin the top of the leaderboard. Steger shot 79 WednesState Golf Association Junior Boys Championship day, and Wittmann shot 80. Thomas Longbella of Eau Claire G&CC in Altoona, who entered the final sponsored by Culver’s. But afterward, Madsen looked back to another round in fourth place, shot 78. Steger hooked his opening drive into the deep WSGA tournament, the Wisconsin State Amateur Championship sponsored by CliftonLarsonAllen, as woods and recorded a double bogey on No. 1, which his motivation this week. His performance at the he admitted shook his confidence a bit. In the end, his card showed four birdies, but State Amateur in July motivated also seven bogeys and two douhim to enter the State Junior. ble bogeys. He recorded just five Madsen was paired in the third “Down the pars on the day. round with eventual State Amastretch, I was “I started finding the fairway teur champion Alex Gaugert, getting pretty on the back nine,” Steger said, who won the title in his final nervous. It’s “but it was pretty much over by event before turning professional. then. I shot myself right out of it.” “I kind of fell off in the last two something you Like Steger, Wittmann admitrounds of the (State Amateur), have to get used ted to being extremely disapand that left a bad taste in my to, I guess.” pointed in his final-round mouth,” Madsen said. “Originally, – SAM MADSEN performance. Wittmann was 1 I wasn’t signed up to play (the under through his first six holes WSGA Junior Boys), so I decided Wednesday before he also to play, and I had the same feeling. I wanted to go out with my last junior tourna- started missing fairways. “I lost confidence off the tee, and that causes a ment and win it.” Madsen, an 18-year-old member at Blackhawk CC bunch of problems out here,” Wittmann said. “And in Madison, opened with a bogey-free 68 in the first then when I had an open iron shot, I hit the wrong round, and added a 71 in round two. That left him spots and couldn’t get up and down.” When asked what was the key to his victory, Madtied for the lead at 5 under par, tied with Kaylor Steger of Johnson Park GC in Racine. Madsen and Ste- sen said he was able to minimize his mistakes in ger were in the last threesome of the final round the final round, which resulted in a 3-over-par 75. WSGA JUNIOR BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP | 7
When he missed a fairway – and he missed several – he got his ball back into play. Perhaps most importantly, he made some key putts for bogey Wednesday. Madsen made two bogeys on the back nine, the final one coming on the par-5 17th hole, which, as it turns out, didn’t hurt him. “I missed a two-footer on my second putt,” Madsen said. “I think I got a little too far ahead of myself. It was a stupid putt to miss, but I figured I was still fine.” Madsen converted a stress-free par on the 18th hole to finish at 214 and win by three strokes. Finishing second was Chapin Orr of Dodge Point CC in Dodgeville, who shot a final round 72. Orr finished at 217, and Steger was third at 218. The low round of the day was a 2-under-par 70 shot by Tyler Church of The Golf Club at Cedar Creek in Onalaska. That moved Church into a four-way tie for fourth place.
Madsen said he leaned on the tried and true “fairways and greens” as his strategy for the week, which worked up to a point. “Down the stretch, I was getting pretty nervous,” said Madsen. “It’s something you have to get used to, I guess.” Then the new champ added: “It’s awesome to win. This is such a great tournament. It definitely gives me some confidence going into college.” In age division competition, 14-year-old Jed Baranczyk of the Wisconsin PGA Junior GC won the 14 and under title. Baranczyk shot 77-82-79–238 to win the division over Alex Yost of Oconomowoc GC, who shot 77-79-85–241. Longbella, 16, won the title in the 15-16 age division with scores of 71-71-78–220. Harrison Ott of Westmoor CC in Brookfield was second (75-76-71–222). Madsen won the 17-18 division, with Orr finishing second. Click here for complete results.
Garrett Loomis
2013 CHAMP DEFENDS TITLE Since participants have to be 18 or younger to compete in the event, many WSGA Junior Boys champions never get the opportunity to defend their titles. But 18-year-old Garrett Loomis did this year. Loomis, who won by three strokes last year at Nakoma GC in Madison, tied for 10th this year at The Legend at Merrill Hills in Waukesha. He shot 75-74-75–224. Loomis will begin his college career at Marquette University in September.
Harrison Ott
Zach Hentrich
Nate Thomson
Dylan Patscot (L-R) Garrett Loomis, Christopher Colla, Thomas Longbella
Mitch Wittmann
Ryan Isaacson
Adam Miller
Ricky Kuiper
Brady Thomas
Nate Thomson
Sam Galloway, Johnny Decker
xxxx
The Legend Clubs co-owner Jack Gaudion, with helper, rolls a green prior to the final round.
THE LEGEND CLUBS’ COMMITMENT TO JUNIOR GOLF FITS ITS THEME When the first of The Legend Clubs – The Legend at Brandybrook in Wales – debuted in 2003, it opened with a fresh focus on families and all they want and expect from today’s private golf club experience. The elaborate aquatic facilities at the three Legend Clubs in Waukesha County are perhaps the most visible manifestations of that business plan, unless one looks to the golf course. The Legend Clubs – a 54-hole club made up of The Legend at Brandybrook, The Legend at Bristlecone and The Legend at Merrill Hills – offers a bustling junior golf program with more than 300 participants. The Legend Clubs provides its junior golfers with plenty of access to its golf courses, and the club also offers programming in summer and winter. In season, three days a week are centered on junior golf. Tuesdays are Junior Day, and the entire day’s tee sheet at The Legend at Merrill Hills is 12 | WSGA JUNIOR BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP
devoted to juniors. A 50-player junior league plays on Wednesdays, and there’s a play-with-a-pro offering on Thursdays. In winter, the club offers a six-week session at its indoor practice facility at The Legend at Brandybrook, ending with a field trip to Currie Park Golf Dome in Wauwatosa. The Legend Clubs’ commitment to junior golf has been recognized by the Wisconsin PGA. David Bobber, the head professional at The Legend at Brandybrook, won the WPGA Youth Development Award twice (2010 and ’14). Meantime, Paul LoCicero, the head pro at The Legend at Bristlecone, won the same award in 2011. They work alongside Nick Byom, the head pro at the Legend at Merrill Hills, on junior programming. “It’s a coordinated effort with all of us golf pros,” said Bobber of the club’s junior programming, “and the membership supports it so much.”
Past Champions
Michael Belich
Dustin Schwab
Champions since 1990
The Wisconsin State Golf Association Junior Boys Championship was first held at Kenosha CC in 1924, and through the 1970 event it was contested under a match play format. For most of its history, the WSGA Junior Boys Championship was also held at the same site as the Wisconsin State Amateur Championship.
Kelly Kretz
YEAR PLAYER
SITE & SCORE
2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990
WPGA Junior GC (215) New Richmond GC (213) Merrill Hills CC (216) WPGA Junior GC (208) WPGA Junior GC (204) WPGA Junior GC (207) Odana Hills GC (219*) Riverview GC & CC (212) Lake Wisconsin CC (216) Hawks Landing GC (205) Naga-Waukee GC (201) Platteville G&CC (220) Washington County GC (209) Brown County GC (211) Viroqua Hills GC (222) Rivermoor CC (143+) Royal Scot CC (222) Scenic View CC (219) Wausau CC (219) Wausau CC (218) Blackhawk CC (223) Oconomowoc GC (208) Blackhawk CC (220) Indianhead GC (221)
Garrett Loomis Charlie Danielson Jack McKinney Steve Sorenson Mike Sorenson Cody Strang Max Hosking Kelly Kretz Dustin Schwab Danny Zimmerman Charlie Delsman Garrett Jones Michael Belich Dylan Esterling Jeb Grueneberger Matt Hilton Nick Gilliam John Gaschke Brett Schauer Brett Schauer Brad Nelson Mark Wilson Brad Nelson Scott Seidler
* – Denotes playoff victory + – 36 Holes
Tournament Results 1 Sam Madsen 68 71 75 214 Madison Blackhawk CC ______________________________________________ 2 Chapin Orr 75 70 72 217 Dodgeville Dodge Point CC ______________________________________________ 3 Kaylor Steger 70 69 79 218 Sturtevant Johnson Park GC ______________________________________________ T4 Tyler Church 77 73 70 220 Onalaska - The GC at Cedar Creek ______________________________________________ T4 Eddie Wajda 75 71 74 220 Brookfield - Oconomowoc GC ______________________________________________ T4 Thomas Longbella 71 71 78 220 Chippewa Falls - Eau Claire G&CC ______________________________________________ T4 Mitch Wittmann 71 69 80 220 Combined Locks - Fox Valley GC ______________________________________________ T8 Harrison Ott 75 76 71 222 Brookfield - Westmoor CC ______________________________________________ T8 Ricky Kuiper 72 76 74 222 Racine - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T10 Max Murphy 76 77 71 224 Middleton - Bishops Bay CC ______________________________________________ T10 Garrett Loomis 75 74 75 224 River Falls - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T10 Kyle Tanriverdi 75 73 76 224 Pewaukee - The Legend Clubs ______________________________________________ T10 Cal Meyers 74 74 76 224 Richfield - The Legend Clubs ______________________________________________ T10 Nate Thomson 72 72 80 224 Greendale - Tuckaway CC ______________________________________________ T10 Christopher Colla 76 69 79 224 Fond du Lac - Whispering Springs GC ______________________________________________ T16 Daniel Burger 74 77 74 225 Superior - Nemadji GC ______________________________________________ T16 Adam Miller 71 75 79 225 Lodi - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ 18 Dylan Patscot 76 73 77 226 Wales - The Legend Clubs ______________________________________________ 19 Sam Galloway 75 75 77 227 Neenah - North Shore GC ______________________________________________ T20 Zach Hentrich 76 77 75 228 Lancaster Lancaster CC ______________________________________________ T20 Matthew Tuman 76 75 77 228 Wausau - Greenwood Hills CC ______________________________________________ T20 Danny Cronick 71 80 77 228 Osceola - New Richmond GC
23 Tyler Bee 81 69 79 229 Eau Claire Wild Ridge and Mill Run ______________________________________________ 24 Brady Thomas 73 79 78 230 Middleton Blackhawk CC ______________________________________________ T25 Dylan Allen 75 78 78 231 Waukesha Morningstar GC ______________________________________________ T25 Joey Levin 76 74 81 231 Middleton - Bishops Bay CC ______________________________________________ T25 Matt Tolan 75 75 81 231 Eau Claire - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T25 Alexander Rendon 75 74 82 231 Greendale - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T25 Trevor Thomas 70 79 82 231 Junction City - Stevens Point CC ______________________________________________ T30 Charles Maleki 80 76 76 232 Mequon - Ozaukee CC ______________________________________________ T30 Patrick Sicula 75 77 80 232 Whitefish Bay - Hidden Glen At Bentdale Farms ______________________________________________ T30 Zachary Nash 82 69 81 232 Waterford - Rivermoor GC ______________________________________________ T30 Brady Sarauer 75 75 82 232 Fond du Lac - Whispering Springs GC ______________________________________________ T34 Tyler King 79 74 80 233 Pewaukee - Morningstar GC ______________________________________________ T34 Bennett Hutson 79 79 75 233 Onalaska - La Crosse CC ______________________________________________ T36 Matthew Andrews 79 75 80 234 Sheboygan - The Bull at Pinehurst Farms ______________________________________________ T36 Phillip Johnson 76 77 81 234 Colgate - North Hills CC ______________________________________________ T36 Drew Pipik 78 82 74 234 New Berlin - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T39 Matt Maus 79 75 81 235 Brookfield - Naga-Waukee GC ______________________________________________ T39 Alexander Haas 78 78 79 235 West Bend - Washington County GC ______________________________________________ T39 Ben Gilles 78 79 78 235 Madison - Nakoma GC ______________________________________________ T39 Patrick Treichel 79 80 76 235 Fond du Lac -Whispering Springs GC ______________________________________________ T43 Connor Cain 77 78 81 236 Racine - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T43 Ian Statz 76 81 79 236 Beaver Dam - Old Hickory GC
T43 Carson Torhorst 74 78 84 236 Oregon The Legend at Bergamont ______________________________________________ T46 Brooks Johnson 76 78 83 237 Edgerton Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T46 Jonah Buss 79 76 82 237 Combined Locks Royal St. Patrick's Golf Links ______________________________________________ T46 Jacob O'Loughlin 77 77 83 237 Madison - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T46 Logan Handy 76 78 83 237 Oshkosh - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T46 Mathew J. Bachmann 77 80 80 237 Sheboygan Falls - The Bull at Pinehurst Farms ______________________________________________ T46 Charlie Stankiewicz 78 79 80 237 Madison - University Ridge GC ______________________________________________ T46 Emmet Herb 80 78 79 237 Middleton - Blackhawk CC ______________________________________________ T53 Ryan Isaacson 83 75 80 238 Eau Claire - Eau Claire G&CC ______________________________________________ T53 Jed Baranczyk 77 82 79 238 Green Bay - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T53 Jacob Michel 79 81 78 238 Lodi - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T53 Andrew Frisinger 82 80 76 238 Delafield - Westmoor CC ______________________________________________ T57 Johnny Decker 75 79 85 239 Verona - Nakoma GC ______________________________________________ T57 Max Baranczyk 80 72 87 239 Green Bay - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T57 Jack Dorward 85 74 80 239 Cedarburg - The Bog ______________________________________________ T57 Nils Arneson 79 83 77 239 Madison - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T61 Samuel Anderson 78 79 83 240 Stoughton - Stoughton CC ______________________________________________ T61 Justin Leeds 81 76 83 240 Pewaukee - The Legend Clubs ______________________________________________ T61 Sean Yun 82 79 79 240 Brookfield - Hawk's View GC ______________________________________________ T61 Joshua Haunty 82 80 78 240 Middleton - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T65 Alex Yost 77 79 85 241 Hartland - Oconomowoc GC ______________________________________________ T65 Mathew Higley 74 79 88 241 Strum - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC
T67 Nathan Gilbert 78 82 82 242 Fort Atkinson Koshkonong Mounds CC ______________________________________________ T67 Alec Winston 77 84 81 242 Hartland The Legend Clubs ______________________________________________ T69 Tyler Leach 75 81 87 243 Spring Valley - Spring Valley GC ______________________________________________ T69 Jackson Eversoll 79 82 82 243 McFarland - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T69 Ryan Stoffield 83 79 81 243 Pewaukee - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T69 Luke Bourneuf 83 79 81 243 Fontana Wisconsin PGA Junior Golf Club ______________________________________________ T69 Spencer Adam 82 81 80 243 Eau Claire Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ 74 Dane Reinhardt 77 82 85 244 Cedarburg - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T75 Sam Marks 78 78 89 245 Berlin - Mascoutin GC ______________________________________________ T75 Jonathan Cone 74 84 87 245 Cedarburg - Brown Deer Park GC ______________________________________________ T75 Matthew Boyle 77 82 86 245 South Milwaukee Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T75 Eric Van Tubbergen 80 80 85 245 Racine Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T75 Jonathan Duggan Jr. 76 84 85 245 Lake Geneva - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ T75 David Keane 79 82 84 245 Wauwatosa - Brown Deer Park GC ______________________________________________ T81 Tommy Mohs 82 78 86 246 Madison - Bishops Bay CC ______________________________________________ T81 Nick Baumann 78 83 85 246 Monroe Monroe CC ______________________________________________ 83 Michael Immekus 80 81 87 248 Greendale Tuckaway CC ______________________________________________ 84 Ben Nichols 79 79 92 250 Waukesha - The Legend Clubs ______________________________________________ 85 Justin Fleury 82 80 91 253 Elkhorn - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ 86 Adam Garski 79 81 94 254 Wauwatosa - Wisconsin PGA Junior GC ______________________________________________ 87 Rory Gierhart 85 83 88 256 Madison - Maple Bluff CC
VIEW COMPLETE RESULTS
Blackhawk CC
SEE YOU AT BLACKHAWK CC At the awards ceremony following the WSGA Junior Boys Championship sponsored by Culver’s, winner Sam Madsen was asked if he will be eligible for next year’s event. Madsen answered that he would not, which is unfortunate for the young man from Madison because his home course, Blackhawk CC, will be the host next season.
Blackhawk CC will hold the WSGA Junior Boys Championship for the third time, joining the 1964 (won by Jeff Radder) and 1979 (Tim Ley) tournaments. Blackhawk CC, a private club located above Lake Mendota on Madison’s west side, is a par-72 layout measuring approximately 6,200 yards. The club was founded in 1921.
PUBLISHER John Hughes | jhughes@wisgolfer.com GENERAL MANAGER Jim Kelsh | jkelsh@wisgolfer.com
EDITORIAL OFFICE: 1435 E. Main St. Madison, Wisconsin 53703 (608) 280-8800 Toll-free (800) 685-0036 www.wisgolfer.com
EDITOR Rick Pledl | rpledl@wisgolfer.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Erin Eagan | erin@wisgolfer.com
ON THE COVER: 2014 WSGA Junior Boys Championship Champion Sam Madsen. (Photo by David Cohn) All photos by Rick Pledl and David Cohn Brought to you by the Wisconsin State Golf Association and published by Killarney Golf Media, Inc.
SENIOR DESIGNER Ali Head | alihead@wisgolfer.com SALES EXECUTIVES Jenny Hallett | (608) 661-7647 jenny@killarneygolfmedia.com Ed Eckhardt | (608) 661-7646 ed@wisgolfer.com
Connect with WSGA.org