ON THE FIRST TEE...
With Nick Dietzen
School’s out for summer, activities are ramping up for not only students, but everyone – it’s palpable and while we’re still technically finishing out a great spring, you can sense summer.
Barbecues, trips to the lake, fishing on the river, hikes in the wilderness and of course days on the golf course are here. Some of us endure the winter for the fun of summer and if you’re a golfer, you want to make the most of our glorious (if not short) season.
If you’re an early reader of this magazine and a dad, Happy Father’s Day! I will be getting some swings in with my dad who introduced me to the game at a young age and we will spend some time on the sofa watching the conclusion of the 125th U.S. Open.
If you enjoy watching the best players in the world on some of the toughest courses, the U.S. Open is for you. It was the first major I attended and the first time I saw professional golfers in person. The 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach was historic as Tiger Woods lapped the field by 15 shots. Sunday wasn’t dramatic (does anyone remember who finished second?) and I can’t say I loved the lack of drama, but I sure did love attending that event.
I remember how different the sounds were, the shot quality and the pageantry and energy was also palpable. I also remember on the drive home from California to Montana, I knew the gap between my handicap index (somewhere in the single digits at the time) and what I had witnessed was approximately many multiples of the miles of driving between the two states.
I tried hard to get better, but as many of us like to say: “they’re playing a different game than we are.” They’re also playing for a pay -
check. Tiger earned $800K for his triumph in 2000. This Sunday’s winner will get 5 to 6 times that figure, exceeding $4 million. Another frequent golf quip, “I think I’ll be keeping my day job” after a subpar round – not to be confused with an under-par round.
During the coverage this weekend, the USGA will have the attention of viewers and golfers of all ability levels, ages and commitment levels. You will be encouraged to get a handicap and learn about the many great things the USGA does for golf. If you’re reading this, you’re very likely a Member and we thank you for being one. The MSGA is a partner of the USGA, but we’re different entities with different missions, many of which overlap. We want more golfers, and we want to build a tighter golfing community. There truly is something for everyone with this game we love.
I am not one for water sports, perhaps it’s the engrained avoidance of the water on the links that keeps me away, but I can appreciate its benefits and will make it out to the lake
with friends this year. When I head out to the lake with friends, I’m not the first one to jump in, it’s obvious most times that the water is cold and that doesn’t always sound appealing, but eventually I’ll hear “come on in, the water’s fine.” That encouragement is something all of us need once in a while, just an extra nudge to jump in.
As you’re playing our many great courses this summer, you’ll no doubt play with golfers who aren’t our members. They may say they aren’t good enough for a handicap or that they don’t compete. I can and do appreciate the latter, but I also know that in every one of us we like the thrill of occasionally knowing that even if it’s just sinking a ten-footer, for that moment we might be just as good as who we saw on tv. We’re delusional, but we get that feeling and it makes us want to come back again.
My ask to you dear member is to encourage your playing partners who aren’t members to at least give it a shot, they can get a 30-day free trial to learn about the features and benefits that are just the beginning of a membership. You can send them here to learn more through the USGA. They can join after the trial ends if they want, it’s one barrier removed in joining our community – after all, come on in the water’s fine!
P.S. I remember who got second in 2000 as it was a tie – two of the best nicknames in golf from that era: Miguel Angel Jimenez (The Mechanic) and Ernie Els (The Big Easy).
BOARD OF DIRECTORS - OFFICERS
PRESIDENT................................................... Peter Benson
VICE PRESIDENT.................................. Ron Ramsbacher
TREASURER....................................................... Bill Dunn
PAST PRESIDENT......................................... Mary Bryson
EXEC COMMITTEE......................................... Karen Rice
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Brett Bennyhoff, Peter Benson, Carla Berg, Mary Bryson, Bill Dunn, Cheri Ellis, Lisa Forsberg, Marcia Hafner, Ron Ramsbacher, Karen Rice, Joe Rossman, Rod Stirling
MSGA STAFF
Executive Director......................................... Nick Dietzen
Tournament Director...................................... Tim Bakker
Membership Operations Director............... Emily Hulsey
Member Services Coordinator......................... Ian Hulsey
Communications & Tournament Manager.... Katie Fagg
Communcations Coordinator.......................... Ty Sparing
Partnerships & Business Development.......... Jess Miller
USGA PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern................ Dean Hendrix
USGA PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern...................... Ella Prigge
PARTNERSHIPS
Jess Miller.................................. 1 (800) 628-3752, ext. 5
406GOLF STAFF
Editor in Chief............................................... Nick Dietzen
Consulting Editor........................................ David Bataller
Senior Writer..................................................... Ty Sparing
Graphic Designer............................................... Katie Fagg
Contributing Writer......................................... Joey Lovell
Contributing Writer.................................... Paul Ramsdell
Contributing Writer....................................... Jim Corbett
Contributing Writer.................................... Jim Leininger
Montana State Golf Association P.O. Box 4306
1 (800) 628-3752
www.msgagolf.org
THE HISTORY OF FAIRMONT HOT SPRINGS RESORT GOLF COURSE
BY TY SPARING
MSGA Communications Coordinator
In June of 1974 Anaconda local Bill Swanson was the first player to tee off at the newly created golf course at the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. With a course designed by Lloyd Wilder, golf became a popular offering among a myriad of activities found by guests at one of Montana’s most popular getaway destinations.
Sitting at the base of the Pintler Mountains between Anaconda and Butte, the beautiful Fairmont Resort Golf Course certainly has some of the more unique features in the state as their third hole has a whopping 10,000 square foot putting surface while the fifth hole is nearly 650 yards long. These are among other challenges the course offers that competitors have faced over the years, including many MSGA sponsored events.
The first and only Montana State Amateur at the Fairmont Golf Course was the Women’s State Amateur Championship in 1977. The 1970s in general was one of the most competitive eras of women’s golf in Montana history, with MSWGA/MSGA Hall of Famers like Helen Tremper, Alice Ritzman, Cathy Studer and Jane Hibbard all winning titles during this decade. However, it was none other than the MSGA’s current rules aficionado Shanda Imlay who took the one and only State Amateur Title awarded at the confines of the Fairmont Resort Golf Course. When I asked her about it recently I was told that she hasn’t played the
course since! Perhaps Shanda will get reacquainted this month when she administers the rules for the 2025 Montana State Junior Championships.
(By the way Jane Hibbard had to leave that 1977 State Amateur halfway through after getting hit in the nose by a golf ball while on the driving range. Ouch!)
The State Senior Tournament was also an early adopter of the Fairmont Golf Course shortly after it opened. Going back to 1955 the senior tournament was organized specifically as a men’s event but in 1959 a separate, simultaneous tournament was organized for the wives and widows of senior organization members. Once established as a golf course, Fairmont served as the ladies sight several times (1976, 1980, 1987) before the MSWGA officially took over the Women’s Senior Amateur in 1990. The winners of those three senior women’s events were Veronica Gustin (Kalispell), Nancy Dillon (Kalispell), and Laurel Prill (Billings). The Senior Men meanwhile have continued to go back and play the course themselves, having utilized Fairmont for the State Senior Men’s Championships in 2001, 2015, and 2021. The winners of those events were Jim Thompson (Bozeman), Cal Stacey (Billings), and Bill Dunn (Missoula)
In 1990 the Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship also made its first and only appearance at the Fairmont Golf Course. The legendary Gene Cook narrowly defeated Missoula’s Gary Koprivica by one stroke, thankful to get the tournament over with after almost losing the
Shanda Imlay won the first and only Montana State Amateur at the Fairmont Golf Course at the Women’s State Amateur Championship in 1977 JUNE 15, 2025 - 406GOLF
five-stroke lead he had with four holes to play. After double bogeying the final 18th hole to secure the slim victory Cook admitted, “That hole has given me trouble all through the tournament.” For Cook, it was the tenth out of an eventual fifteen state titles collected over the course of his distinguished golfing career.
In 1990 that was also the year the MSGA started handing out the Dick Pitman Award which is given to whoever cards the lowest round of the Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Pitman was a greenskeeper and golf course manager at Fairmont who was set to be the Chairman of that years Mid-Am at his beloved home course, but sadly he died of a heart attack at age 57 just a couple months before the event took place. To honor his legacy as a well-known supporter of golf in the state of Montana, the Dick Pitman Award
was created and handed out for the first time that year at Fairmont. Naturally, Gene Cook won that too, having recorded a 68 in his second round of play.
And then there was perhaps the largest golfing event in the history of the Fairmont Golf Course, the Boys Junior America’s Cup, hosted there in 2018. Showcasing some of the most talented youth golfers in the nation, the Junior America’s Cup brings out four-person teams from 12 different western states, two Canadian Provinces and Mexico. Every year the schedule rotates to one of those different areas and that makes it an extremely rare opportunity for a course to host such a tournament.
Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and many other accomplished golfers made their way through the Junior America’s Cup at dif-
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort Golf Course in 2017
ferent points during their respective youths. Likewise some of Montana’s best young golfers made the short trip to Fairmont that year: Joey Moore, J.R. Small, Justus Verge and Jace Rhodes. Given the high-level competition, it was a pretty impressive finish for the Montana squad that year, finishing in 12th as a team. Eventual two-time Montana State Amateur winner Joey Moore led the way, finishing in 13th place individually.
A course record was also set during that momentous Boys Junior America’s Cup at Fairmont. Utah’s Zach Jones recorded a -9 (63) which is the lowest single round played in over 50 years of existence. He beat a previous record of -8 (64) set in 2011 by MSGA Hall of Famer Brandon McIver during the Butte/Anaconda Invitational. Zach Jones wasn’t done winning in Montana either, as some of you might recognize him from winning the U.S. Open qualifier two years ago at
the Missoula Country Club.
Along with Sparkey McLean, MSGA Board Member Joe Rossman was a co-captain of that 2018 BJAC team and shortly after the event Rossman reported back that the “folks at Fairmont had gone out of their way to make the event a success.” No doubt we can expect a similar outcome this month for the State Junior Championships.
For over half a century now Fairmont Hot Springs Resort has offered one of the more distinctive golfing experiences in the state. How many other courses can you go down a waterslide five minutes after your round is over? Being a popular resort destination certainly has its advantages, especially for families! Yet another reason why the MSGA is excited to host the 58th Annual Montana State Junior Championships at Fairmont this year. Play well and have fun!
Montana's Boys' Junior America's Cup team in 2018
INSIDERS VIEW: FAIRMONT HOT SPRINGS GOLF COURSE
BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator
Grab your binoculars folks because you might need help seeing down the 650-yard fifth hole at Fairmont Golf Course, or maybe even for the 10,000 square foot putting green they have on the third hole. There’s plenty of fun challenges for golfers at the hot springs resort course, as the Montana State Junior competitors will find out this month.
On the par-three third hole golfers will come across their first marvel of the course, a three-tiered, 10,000 square foot putting surface. In the spirit of Montana being so large and wide-open, so too is the third hole at Fairmont. A three putt won’t feel so bad on this one.
The famous fifth hole at Fairmont has a green that is a mile high in elevation, while the tee box of the par-five is 649 yards away, dead straight. There’s even a sign before the hole to let you know the goal is to “Swing hard,” and
“Let it all hang out.” If you can hit it straight and far you might make it out okay on this hole, but as one 2019 MontanaSports.com article tells us, the length is a real obstacle: “it’s a straight fairway with no hazards, but even the best golfers are only getting to the green in three shots.” If it’s a little windy the day you try hole 5, you’re in extra trouble.
Cottonwoods line the fairways and ponds are scattered throughout the par-72 course including the beautiful fountain pond on the final hole. Resting beneath the Pintler Mountains, the views in this area between Butte and Anaconda are truly spectacular. The perfect location for this year's Montana State Junior Championships!
Being a resort golf course, after a round at Fairmont there will be plenty to do, whether grab a beverage at the full-service Golf Shop, a bite to eat at one of the three different dining locations on site, or maybe go cool off with a couple trips down the waterslide. There’s a little bit to do for everybody!
At 623 yards, the 5th hole at the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort Golf Course (left) is the longest in the state.
THE 58TH ANNUAL MONTANA STATE JUNIOR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator
Since 1967 the Montana State Junior Golf Championships have hosted the best young golfers in the state. Many of whom would go on to represent Montana in the Junior America’s Cup, play college golf, or even continue to dominate the golf scene in the Big Sky over the ensuing years.
There have been 22 courses that have hosted the State Junior Championships since 1967. The Riverside Country Club in Bozeman has hosted the event eight times, which is the most of any course in the state, while the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort Golf Course will host it for the very first time in 2025.
On the girls side of things, there have been 41 different winners since 1967. Sixteen of the girls’ state junior champions then went on to win the Montana State Women’s Amateur
Championship later in their career.
Fourteen girls have won the tournament at least twice, and two have been medalist winners of the event three times (Teigan Avery 2013-15 & Alice Ritzman 1967-1969). This year Frenchtown phenom Katie Lewis has a chance to join the elite club of Avery and Ritzman as the future UM golfer attempts to win the girls division for the third straight year.
On the boys side there have been 49 different winners since 1967. Eight of those winners won multiple times, and two won the event three times (Brandon McIver 2009-2011 & Rick Kloepfer 1975-1977). Thirteen of those junior boys champions went on to win the Montana State Men’s Amateur later in their careers.
This year a new boys champion will be crowned as last year’s winner Tye Boone graduated and began his collegiate career playing golf for the University of Southern Indiana.
Jim Opitz volunteers at the scoring tbale.
1. Who introduced you to golf?
My late Grandfather Les Downs. I was 9 years old and we were watching the 1997 Masters in Kalispell, MT. Tiger’s first major victory and in record fashion. We all wanted to be like Tiger. Later that week, Grandpa purchased lessons for myself and my two cousins. We all took up the game the summer of 1997 in Sandpoint, ID at Hidden Lakes Golf Resort.
2. Who influenced you most in your golf life?
There are many people who influenced me throughout my life in golf. If I was to pinpoint the most influential, it would probably be my very first PGA Golf Instructor, Mike Deprez. At 9 years old he was my first introduction to golf, and he made it fun, and we wanted to come back. He helped me throughout my high school career in Sandpoint, Idaho. My first job in the golf shop was under him at The Idaho Club. We continue to stay in touch and I’ll always be thankful for him for his lessons over the years and teaching the game with a lot of
passion and bringing the most fun out of it! My cousins were who I played most with and created competition against!
3. What’s your favorite part of being the Assistant Golf Coach at Montana State?
So many favorite things about Coaching at Montana State. We all have a lot of fun. We all have the want to get better. I think in anything you do, you want to get better. Having a group of athletes that want to get better. And better collectively. That is what makes it special. Getting to Coach alongside Coach Brittany who has been here for 20 plus years has made my job much easier. I lean on her for a lot of things!
4. What is your favorite course in Montana and why?
So many good courses. I’ll go with The Reserve at Moonlight Basin. Playing golf on the side of a ski mountain with those views. Let alone a Jack Nicklaus signature course and the hardest course I’ve ever played. It’s the wild west out there and so amazing to
play. But shooting anything in the 70’s from the back tee’s is a great day. The hospitality and fire oven pizza after the round is as good as it gets!
5. What is a dream golf course you’d like to play once?
Augusta National Golf Club. Nothing more needs to be said!
6. What is your dream celebrity foursome (living or dead)? Why would you choose them?
Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones. All legends of the game. 3 different
generations. These three made golf cool. My two boys are Jack (2 years old) and Jones (8 months). Maybe a couple of these golfers had some influence on my life
7. What are your most memorable moments on a golf course?
My most memorable moment on a golf course has to be winning the 2022 Montana State Amateur Championship at Riverside Country Club. Playing with Joey Moore, Ryggs Johnston, and Kade McDonough. These three players are some of the best Montana has ever seen and I was fortunate to come out with the W that week. What made it more special was being in Bozeman
Joey Lovell proudly holds the 2022 Montana State Amateur Championship Trophy.
and having the support out there from wife who was pregnant with our first son, Jack, my friends, family, and MSU Bobcat golfers. A very close second would be qualifying for the US Amateur. Getting to compete against the best Amateur golfers in the world is something I will never forget.
8. If you could change one thing about the game of golf what would it be?
They are currently doing it. Make golf more fun, more inviting, more kids and more accessible for everyone. The golf boom after Covid has made the entry to golf pretty hard again and I hope this can change as we move forward for years to come. And a normal topic would be the speed of golf. I wouldn’t say I’m a fast golfer by any means, but I do believe that the powers that be
need to figure out a way to speed up the game. The TGL presented the shot clock and I do like that.
9. What advice would you give to beginner golfers?
Golf is difficult. Have fun and swing hard! Find a friend and go with them. Driving range. Par 3’s. TopGolf, etc. Bring music and don’t take it too seriously. We all want to be consistent, but there is nothing consistent about golf. So make it fun!
Bonus: Lay up or go for it?
In the trees with a small window: Take your medicine. Lay up!
Par 5’s and drivable Par 4’s: GO FOR IT!
LOOKING BACK ON THE MEN’S STATE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator
100 years ago: Playing in Helena for the first time at the Pine Hills Course location near MacDonald Pass, Montana golfing legend E.J. Barker won his eighth of an eventual nine Montana State Men’s Amateur Championships in 1925, defeating Lewistown’s Allen Briscoe 6&5 over 36 holes of match play. Barker had won eight straight State Amateur’s from 1917-1923 before being upset in a 1924
semifinals match by Butte’s Reno Sales. Coming into 1925 Barker was intent on reclaiming titlist honors, evidenced by his long drives that were reported to go well over 300 yards. He won $100 for his efforts that year. His ninth and final title came in 1927, a record that stands to this day.
60 Years ago: Unique to 1965 was the switch up from a match play style State Amateur event to stroke play, which is still how it is set up today. Held at the historic Meadow
Bob Meek and Joe Tomes in 1965
Lark Country Club in Great Falls, Billings’ Bob Meek took advantage of the leaderboard chaos that came with the Electric City’s patented 35 mph wind gusts on the final day of play, coming back from five strokes to eke out a one stroke victory over Great Falls’ Joe Tomes.
30 Years ago: In 1995 Great Falls’ Kelly Gilligan made Montana golfing history by becoming just the fifth men’s player to win the coveted State Amateur title three years in a row. Playing on his home course of Meadow Lark Country Club, Gilligan cruised to a fiveshot title win, the first Treasure State golfer to three-peat since Billings’ Mike Grob did it ten years previously, also at Meadow Lark.
10 Years ago: Out of the six male golfers to ever three-peat the State Amateur, three of those (Gene Cook, Kelly Gilligan, Mike Grob) culminated at the Meadow Lark Country Club. If there was something weird about threepeats at the Meadow Lark Country Club, Missoula’s Tom Swanson put an end to that. Coming into the 98th annual Montana State Men’s Amateur, MSGA Hall of Famer and eventual Korn Ferry Tour player Brandon McIver was looking to become the seventh player to join the elusive three-peat club. Swanson, however, dominated the event with 19 birdies and two eagles recorded over 54 holes en route to a seven stroke victory.
Kelly Gilligan in 1995
The Montana State Men’s Amateur Championship is one of Montana’s oldest sporting traditions, going back 108 years. The Butte Country Club held the first State Am in 1917 in conjunction with creating the Montana State Golf Association.
Over the next century the event has rotated around some of the top courses the Treasure State has to offer and seen legendary performances from our state’s very best golfers.
Some notes from over the years:
• Since 1917 there have been 58 winners of the Montana State Amateur
• 21 winners of the Montana State Amateur have won multiple times
• The largest gap between victories was 19 years by George Sarsfield (1936-1955)
• Ed Zemljak has the most runner-ups with 6
• 11 different cities have hosted the event, at a total of 18 courses
Ed Zemljak and Gene Cook in 1961
Multiple Montana State Men’s Amateur Champions
• EJ Barker X 9
• Eugene Jones X 6
• Ed Zemljack X 6
• Gene Cook X 6
• George Sarsfield X 4
• Martin Kall X 3
• Danny Kane X 3
• Kelly Gilligan X 3
• Todd Kernaghan X 3
• Mike Grob X 3
• Nathan Bailey X 3
• Josh Hedge X 3
• Guy Owen X 2
• Louie Bartoletti X 2
• Rudy Merhar X 2
• Paul Sechena X 2
• Mike Barnett X 2
• Don Welch X 2
• Brandon McIver X 2
• Joey Lovell X 2
• Joey Moore X 2
Gene Cook in 1970
Mike Barnett tees off in 1975
THE SCHWARTZ MEMORIAL AWARD
BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator
Since 1979 the MSGA has presented the Schwartz Memorial Award to the lowest junior golfer participating at the Montana State Amateur Championships. Those aged 18 & under compete across all three rounds and the lowest gross score gets to take home the trophy. While the State Amateur itself brings out the best golfers in Montana, the Schwartz Award shines a light on the talented youth scattered across the state.
In the fall of 1978 it was determined to name the award after Steve Schwartz, a long-
time Whitefish resident who was known for his great contributions in supporting young Montana golfers. Among many other stories, he once bought 14 sets of golf clubs for Whitefish High School in an effort to keep the program from getting cut. Schwartz, who also served as the President of the MSGA at one point, died unexpectedly in 1977 at age 59, and as a way to honor his memory the Schwartz Award was introduced.
This year the MSGA will be handing out the Schwartz Memorial Award to somebody new for the first time in five years. Missoula’s Kade McDonough won the award a record four times in a row (2021-2024), which is two more than anybody else since it was first given out in 1979.
Caption
Joey Moore hits a shot in 2023
Caption
Previous Award Winners
Kade McDonough (2024)
Kade McDonough (2023)
Kade McDonough (2022)
Kade McDonough (2021)
Carson Hackmann (2020)
Matt Hobbs (2019)
Ryggs Johnston (2018)
Joey Moore (2017)
Liam Clancy (2016)
Paul O'Neil (2016)
Joey Moore (2015)
Sean Benson (2015)
Joey Moore (2014)
Tate Tatom (2013)
Austin Berg (2012)
Tom Swanson (2011)
Brandon McIver (2010)
Derek Colberg (2009)
K.C. Kindle (2008)
Colin Gunstream (2007)
Austin Dean (2006)
Nick Richards (2005)
Derrick Denning (2004)
Joey Zahara (2003)
Josh Hedge (2002)
Jason Johnstone (2001)
Renzi Lee (2000)
Josh Petersen (1999)
Nathan Bailey (1998)
Judd Norman (1997)
Billy Thompson (1996)
Stuart Cozzens (1995)
Kade McDonough with the Schwartz Award in 2023
THE BARNETT CUP
BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator
For 95 years the Montana State Golf Association has given out an award to the top two-man teams with the lowest first 36-hole scores of the tournament. Started in 1930, it was originally named the Merkle Cup in honor of Arthur Merkle who was the MSGA President at the time. Then in 1966 the name was changed to the Barnett Cup in honor Dr. Don Barnett who influenced the game of golf in Montana like very few others.
With players designated beforehand as representatives of their respective clubs, the Barnett Cup is designed as a collaborative side-event that showcases the high level of talent found at golf courses throughout the state.
Since the name change in 1966, eighteen different clubs have won the Barnett Cup. Meadow Lark Country Club is tops with eleven victories, Missoula Country Club next at ten, Yellowstone Country Club third at 8, while the Butte Country Club and Buffalo Hill Golf Course are tied at fourth with five Barnett Cup’s each.
Among the individual players who have won the Barnett Cup, the legendary Gene Cook sits at the top with five total victories on behalf of Meadow Lark. Jake Hedge has four victories for Yellowstone, tied with Jon Heselwood for second who at various points represented either the Missoula Country Club or the Buffalo Hill Golf Course. Yellowstone’s Brandon McIver and Buffalo Hill’s Justin Dorr are tied at fourth with three victories each. Many other golfers have won two.
Nathan Bailey and Sam Norman: Barnett Cup winners in 2024
Previous Award Winners
Nathan Bailey & Sam Norman (2024)
Kade McDonough & Sean Ramsbacher (2023)
Joey Lovell & Chris Goldan (2022)
Kade McDonough & Sean Ramsbacher (2021)
Josh Hedge & Jake Hedge (2020)
Ryggs Johnston & Jonny Cielak (2019)
Ryggs Johnston & Joe Cielak (2018)
Spencer Williams & Bennet MacIntyre (2017)
Logan Iverson & Ryan Porch (2016)
Tom Swanson & Bill Dunn (2015)
Brandon McIver & Jake Hedge (2014)
Brandon McIver & Jake Hedge (2013)
Brandon McIver & Jake Hedge (2012)
Nathan Bailey & Tom Meyer (2011)
Jerry Pearsall & Jeff Ballard (2010)
D.J. Kovach & Gordon Webb (2009)
K.C. Kindle & Gordon Webb (2008)
Spencer Williams & Phil Marra (2007)
Jason Johnstone & Shawn Tucker (2006)
Steve Williamson & Bob Blenker (2005)
Justin Dorr & Casey Keyser (2004)
Kade McDonough and Sean Ramsbacher: Barnett Cup winners in 2023
TITLE BELTS AWARDED AT MONTANA STATE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIPS
BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator
The annual Montana State Match Play Championships concluded earlier this month at the Bill Roberts Golf Course, with three medalists taking home the coveted State Match Play Title Belts.
In the final men’s match, after tying the first three holes Helena’s hometown golfer Nicholas Balcken birdied the par-3 fourth hole to go 1 up then followed that by taking the seventh hole and nailed an eagle putt on the ninth to go 3 up at the turn. Despite Balcken going 4 up after the tenth, Whitefish’s Billy Smith mounted a comeback taking four of
the next six holes, with birdies on fourteen and sixteen. However, the current Bill Roberts Club Champion demonstrated his savvy on the course and matched the UNLV golfer Smith’s birdies with two of his own on holes fifteen and seventeen. Balcken ultimately secured the victory after hitting it close on the challenging par-3 seventeenth hole. Taking the match 2&1, he can now call himself the 2025 Montana State Men’s Match Play Champion.
It's a fitting triumph for Balcken who is a fixture on the Montana Cup Points list. His first MSGA Championship comes after coming close many times over the years, most recently at the Montana State Mid-Amateur last summer at the Ranch Club in Missoula when he finished runner-up to Sean Ramsbacher. This
Nicholas Balcken (right) defeated Billy Smith for the Men's Title Belt.
year though Balcken broke through in a big way against the strongest and deepest field in the history of the Montana State Match Play Championships.
It didn’t come easy though as evidenced with his match against the Runnin’ Rebel Smith. Earlier in the day, Balcken had another tough match on his hands with Sam Boyd, a well-known figure in Missoula who is the former Director of Wow for the minor league Paddleheads baseball team. Balcken required all 18 holes of play against Boyd, who was the highest seed (32) of the tournament but clawed his way to the semi-finals after a couple upset victories over Tye Boone and Gavin Klein. Balcken ultimately took the match with Boyd 1 up after parring the final hole.
Smith meanwhile advanced to the finals after birdieing hole 17 to defeat Missoula’s Ramsbacher 3&1 in the semifinals.
The Women’s Division ended up in a Grizzly-Bobcat showdown between UM’s Bella Johnson and MSU’s Maddie Montoya. It
required all 18 holes, but it was Montoya who emerged victorious, taking the match 1 up over the Billings native Johnson. Montoya, who has been playing exceptional golf as of late, got a quick early lead over Johnson by taking six of the first ten holes, including a birdie on eight. However, like in the men’s division Johnson rallied in the second half, winning four of the remaining eight holes herself (11, 12, 14, 17).
That was the end of the comeback however, after both parred the final 18th hole, with Montoya winning 1 up and claiming another big title in the span of a month. She had previously won medalist honors at the Big Sky Conference Championship back in May.
Like with Balcken, Montoya’s final day was a prime example of the grueling nature of a Match Play event. In her semifinal round she went head-to-head against Bobcat teammate and the two-time reigning Match Play women’s champion Scarlet Weidig. The two friends battled it out with Montoya taking the tightly contested match 1 up. Afterwards Montoya had the advantage of Weidig caddying for her
Maddie Montoya (right) captured the Women's Title Belt with her win over Bella Johnson.
during the final match with Johnson.
Johnson, the Bill Roberts course record holder (66) was a two-time Class AA champion for Billings West and just completed her freshman year with the Griz. Having shown her prowess of the course after recording an ace in the previous days’ quarterfinal round, Johnson overtook Montana Tech All-Conference golfer Emma Woods 2 up in the semi-finals to advance to the title match against Montoya.
There was one repeat champion as MSGA Hall of Famer Bill Dunn defended his championship with an impressive 5&4 victory over Bozeman’s Todd Sisson. The Missoulian Dunn, who grew up in Helena and was a former Bill Roberts Club Champion himself, was even with Sisson after four but turned the burners on by taking four out of the next five holes to go 4 up. After birdieing the thirteenth hole as well Dunn closed out the match 5&4.
Dunn has been the senior to beat in recent years and adds to his already impressive collection of accolades over the years that include titles in the State Amateur, Mid-Amateur, State
Senior Amateur and State Senior Tournament among many other events around the state.
Dunn advanced to the final match after winning 4&2 over Helena’s Michael Williams. Williams, who was competing for the first time in the Senior Match Play Championship had a strong debut, leading early in the match before succumbing to the eventual champion.
Sisson meanwhile captured the top seed in the qualifier and had a collection of strong match wins before losing to Dunn. To enter the finals, he beat fellow Bozemanite Troy Bentson 2&1.
The Montana State Match Play Championship weekend at Bill Roberts saw some high-level golf and great weather. There was even a little extra fun on tap this year with the release of the new MSGA logoed cans for Lewis & Clark’s ever popular Mexican Lager. Thanks to all those who came out and supported the event!
Complete scores can be found online www. msgagolf.org
MSGA Hall of Famer Bill Dunn (left) beat Todd Sisson 5&4 to win the Senior Title Belt.
“I remember vividly watching during the week,” said Cohen, who took over at Chambers Bay on June 1, 2024. “What really struck me, first of all, was the grandeur of the golf course, the beauty, just the stark kind of setting against Puget Sound, and the uniqueness of the golf course, and how unique it was for the U.S. Open to be conducted on that type of golf course. I thought that was cool.”
The course replaced all their greens with Poa annua in 2018.
“Since then, the greens are truly as pure a Poa surface as you’ll see anywhere,” Cohen said of the pride and joy of Eric Johnson, the course’s director of agronomy. “Our greens are fantastic now, so that’s in the rearview mirror.”
As far as the other major criticism from 2015 – fan experience walking the golf course – engineers and experts are smart enough to figure out ways to correct that problem.
Bodenhamer admitted the USGA was too worried about a recurrence of the multiple slips and falls suffered by fans during the 2010 U.S. Amateur.
“If we ever return, we would be less conservative,” he said. “We would let more people in more areas to watch.”
It’s all the negatives from 2015 that didn’t make the headlines that will have a larger bearing on whether a U.S. Open returns to Chambers Bay. In a nutshell, that means money.
“I would say we had a good financial U.S. Open,” Bodenhamer said about 2015. “It was better than average, but not what it could have been.”
Sales of corporate tents didn’t match the enthusiasm of the individual ticket-buyer.
“We think it was mainly because the Seattle market didn’t really come down to Tacoma,” Bodenhamer said. “That was a bit of a surprise and a disappointment.”
Also, putting on a U.S. Open involves a lot of goods and services, and the tax bills can add up quickly.
And when the USGA takes its U.S. Open to some place like Oakmont, as it will this summer, there’s already a majestic clubhouse in place, with a plush locker room and plenty of ornate side rooms to entertain various distinguished guests.
The bottom line, though, is Chambers Bay still is remarkable for its setting and vistas along Puget Sound.
The U.S. Open setup for the par 3 17th hole at Chambers Bay in 2015. (PNGA)
here, put it to the test to see if it holds up, develop another lead there, ... .Today's brilliant deduction often folds under deeper examination and becomes tomorrow's dead end. And more than that, with no trouble at all you can get off on the wrong track, increase your error by studiously taking the wrong turn at another crucial fork in the road, and before you know it you are lost in a labyrinth of your own making."
Could Ben Hogan really have said all of that about something as elementary as the golf swing? I think what he meant was: disregarding your grip, your swing plane and your follow-through will lead you down the road to a poor golf swing, just as abandoning a few basic principles such as honesty, courage and integrity will lead you down the road to a poor character.
If you are interested in improving your golf swing, you should read Ben Hogan's book. In it, Hogan has shared the insights he developed over the course of a spectacular career. And, if you read between the lines, you will see that Mr. Hogan has revealed the quality of his own character by sharing his insights into the thing he knows best.
So too, if you are interested in developing a character that will stand up to the pressures of life, remember what Ben Hogan says about the golf swing, "Frequently, you know, what looks like a fairly good golf swing falls apart in competition. ...the harsh light of competition reveals that a swing is only superficially correct ... It can't stand up day after day. A correct swing will. In fact, the greater the pressure you put on it, the better your swing should function, if it is honestly sound." The same is true of your character.
ceive less light but often suffer from restricted airflow, which leads to wetter conditions and slower drying after rainfall or irrigation. These conditions reduce photosynthetic efficiency and slow greenup in the spring and recovery after stress.
Solutions: Improving sunlight and air movement around greens is key. Strategic tree pruning or removal, especially to the east and south, can allow light to reach the green’s edge during the critical growing hours. Creating or maintaining airflow corridors by thinning out surrounding vegetation can reduce disease pressure and promote better growing conditions on the green’s perimeter.
Construction and Design Shortfalls
In many cases, persistent edge issues trace back to construction flaws or aging infra-
structure. During greens construction or renovation, edge zones sometimes receive less-precise shaping or inconsistent layers of material. Variations in rootzone depth, poor surface grading, improper construction methods, settling and inadequate subsurface drainage can all cause edges to behave differently from the rest of the green. These inconsistencies can lead to moisture retention in some areas, drought stress in others, and weak root development overall.
Solutions: Not all construction-related issues require major renovation. In many cases, consistent performance along the edges can be achieved through a combination of basic maintenance and cultural adjustments. Start with using light, frequent topdressing to reduce scalping and promote a smoother transition between the green and collar. If rootzone inconsistencies are suspected,
Collar dams are one of many reasons why turf may struggle along the edges of putting greens.
