406golf Newsletter - April 1, 2024

ON THE FIRST TEE... With Nick Dietzen

Are You Ready For Active Season?

In the Allied Golf Association world, “active season” is defined as the period on the calendar during which any round you play in your home state or region counts toward your Handicap Index.

April 1st is celebrated here as the beginning of “active season” in Montana. It’s a busy time of year for the MSGA Staff as well as for a golf course near you, with season staffing coming back in the coming weeks and course openings being staggered as weather allows.

No Foolin’ – Tournament Registrations are open April 1st for MSGA Championships, the Senior Tour as well as District Events for Junior Golfers. (See our ads in the following pages of this newsletter.)

Not interested in playing an MSGA Event?

We still promote opportunities for you to compete across the vast Treasure State. Our new, sortable Tournament Calendar can be found here and will continue to populate as clubs add events throughout the season.

Competitions are not for everyone. Not everyone considers themselves “competitive” and as an educational hurdle, we in the golf world have a long way to go in communicating the benefits of a handicap, one of the key benefits of an MSGA Membership.

I have heard many who are regular golfers remark “I’m not good enough for a handicap” or “I don’t play in tournaments.” While we conduct numerous competitions, ultimately our goal is to build a community of golfers, both grow and maintain the game.

The origin of the handicap system was to provide a basis for equitable competition between players of varying skill levels. It is one of the unique scoring systems that makes golf attractive to many who want to compete throughout a lifetime. I could go with a friend to a tennis court and their skill level may dwarf mine and neither one of us is going to have a tremendous time if our skill levels are not closely aligned. With golf and the handicap system, I could play with someone of any age or skill level in an equitable manner.

Again, this is an option, but it is not the reason to consider a membership or to encourage a friend to join the MSGA.

A Membership with the MSGA offers much more than just competitive playing opportunities. Junior Memberships, for example, are free of charge.

Your membership provides support to the community of golf broadly. The superintendent and their staff who maintain our playgrounds benefit from grants the MSGA provides for continuing education as do the PGA sections as they work to promote and encourage golfers at your local club. The MSGA provides grants to introduce the game to students across Montana – we provide scholarships to graduating high school students, to collegiate golf teams.

The MSGA serves our youth in multiple ways in addition to competition – all junior memberships are free of charge. In the coming year we will be expanding our partnership with Youth On Course in service of our juniors as we provide greater access to courses around the state with $5 or less green fees at participating clubs.

As we kickoff active season, know that we are concerned less with how well you played and more about you being part of our community and being active. I was fortunate to be introduced to the game at a younger age by my father who instilled the idea early that golf is a lifetime sport and I have benefitted from continuing to enjoy playing, occasionally competing and mostly from the community of golfers in my life.

As I continue to encourage my friends who are aging out of other recreational activities or exposing their children to new activities, I hope that they will consider golf – after all it is a game available to us in all seasons of life, and right now – it’s the active season in Montana. Let’s get out and have fun in 2024!

Thank you for being a member. If you can, encourage a friend to join us too.

MSGA ABOUT US

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - OFFICERS

PRESIDENT................................. Mary Bryson

VICE PRESIDENT....................... Peter Benson

TREASURER..................................... Bill Dunn

PAST PRESIDENT........................... Carla Berg

WOMEN’S CHAIR...................... Teresa Brown

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Russ Cravens, Bill Dunn, Ron Ramsbacher, Brett Bennyhoff, Teresa Brown, Rod Stirling, Mary Bryson, Sparkey McLean, Tracy Paine, Karen Rice, Joe Rossman, Peter Benson, Lisa Forsberg, Marcia Hafner, Carla Berg, Cheri Ellis

MSGA STAFF

Executive Director.............................. Nick Dietzen

Tournament Director........................... Tim Bakker

Communcations Coordinator............... Ty Sparing

Operations Manager................... Michael Williams

Membership Operations Director.... Emily Hulsey

Online Support....................................... Ian Hulsey

USGA Boatwright Intern....................... Katie Fagg

PARTNERSHIPS

Nick Dietzen .......... 1 (800) 628-3752, ext. 2

406GOLF STAFF

Editor in Chief..................................... Nick Dietzen

Consulting Editor.............................. David Bataller

Staff Writer.............................................. Ty Sparing

Graphic Designer..................................... Katie Fagg

Montana State Golf Association

P.O. Box 4306

Helena, MT 59604

1 (800) 628-3752

www.msgagolf.org

1. Who introduced you to golf?

My Dad.

2. Who influenced you the most in your golf life?

Mary Mattson, a wonderful woman Pro from Georgia who came to Ennis with her husband, Ed, who was also a Pro. Ed took over the job of grounds superintendent and Mary schooled all of us in course etiquette, rules and the proper way to do things.

Karen Rice

She was a wonderful teacher. Madison Meadows had just opened and they were a great influence, especially on the younger players and beginners.

3. What MSGA program are you most passionate about and why?

The K-12 Junior Player Development Program. Getting our schools and courses to offer programs that introduce golf to the kids at a young age is vital. Through Junior Grants we have been able to provide funds to get golf in PE programs throughout the state, but we aren’t there yet!

When youngsters have the opportunity to learn a lifetime sport early, their skills grow, HS golf teams benefit from more players and the courses are the ultimate winners! It truly is the future of golf in Montana.

4. What is your favorite course in Montana and why?

I love the old Whitefish course and the Lodge there has the best food ever! It’s a beautiful setting and offers challenges too.

5. What is a dream golf course you’d like to play once?

Way too many to choose from, but in Montana I’ve heard so much about Rock Creek I think it would be interesting.

6. What is your dream celebrity foursome (living or deceased)? Why would you choose them?

Jordan Spieth, Davis Love, Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam. I’ve met Davis Love, Jordan Spieth seems like the nicest golfer ever, Annika is a great

ambassador for women’s golf and who wouldn’t want to see Tiger’s skills!

7. What’s your most memorable moment on a golf course?

A hole in one at South Padre Island, Tex.

8. If you could change one thing about the game of golf what would it be?

Simplified rules so that beginning players would not feel intimidated and would know that using the rules actually gets everyone on the same playing field while still having fun.

9. What brought you to the MSGA? What do you hope to accomplish as a Board Member?

I joined the board of MSWGA so that the average golfer would become involved in the state organization and get involved; plus be the voice of the casual golfer who also liked competition and loved the game. I was President of MSWGA when Steve Sherburne approached me about joining the men’s and women’s organizations together.

I think it is the best thing that has happened to golf in Montana in the past decade. We are well on our way to introducing new golf programs to all skill levels and involving ALL golfers in what’s going on. Getting golf in all schools in the state and funding the teaching of it would be my ideal accomplishment.

Bonus: Lay up or go for it?

I used to go for it—now that I’m on the “back nine”, I tend to lay up. 

F R E E T w o - P a r t S e r i e s p r e s e n t e d b y U S G A R u l e s S t a f f

RULES OF GOLF WEBINARS

G r e a t f o r a n y g o l f e r i n t e r e s t e d i n l e a r n i n g m o r e a b o u t t h e R u l e s

E a c h w o r k s h o p h a s a s e p a r a t e r e g i s t r a t i o n l i n k l o c a t e d i n t h e b o x e s b e l o w

S e s s i o n s a r e s c h e d u l e d f o r 1 . 2 5 h o u r s

P A R T 1 :

T u e s d a y , A p r i l 9

T o p i c s :

A r e a s o f t h e C o u r s e

4 : 0 0 p m E T 1

P l a y t h e C o u r s e a s y o u f i n d i t

C L I C K H E R E t o R e g i s t e r

P A R T 2 :

T u e s d a y , A p r i l 1 6 1 2 : 0 0 p m E T 2

T o p i c s :

F r e e R e l i e f P r o c e d u r e s

P e n a l t y R e l i e f P r o c e d u r e s

C L I C K H E R E t o R e g i s t e r

Along with frequently providing a venue for high school and college tournaments, the Butte Country Club has also hosted many MSGA events over the past century, most recently the Men’s State Senior Tournament in 2021.

The Women’s State Amateur is one of Montana’s oldest sporting traditions, dating back 107 years. From the very beginning the Butte Country Club has been an integral part of golf in our state, having hosted the first State Amateur Championships in 1917, and in conjunction with those tournaments the Montana State Golf Association was created. Over the next century the event has rotated around some of the top courses in the state, and has seen legendary performances from Montana’s very best golfers.

The Women’s State Amateur offers four championships for a player to choose from: the Amateur Championship, the Mid-Amateur Championship, the Senior Championship, and the Super Senior Championship which is now in its second year. All players must be a member of the Montana State Golf Association and possess an active GHIN Handicap of 40.0 or below. Golfers must also be a Montana resident or are currently attending a Montana college or university.

The Women’s Amateur, Mid-Amateur, and Senior Amateur will compete over three days and 54 holes. The Super Senior Amateur will be

two rounds, contested over the first two days of play.

Any aged player can register for the overall Amateur Championship. Yardage for this championship will be close to 6000 yards.

The Mid-Amateur Championship is for those age 30 and above and will play from between 5600-5800 yards.

The Senior Championship will be for those age 55 and above and will play from between 5100-5300 yards.

The Super Senior Championship will be for those age 70 and over. Super Seniors will play 2 rounds contested over the first two days.

Montana State Match Play Championships

Golf’s oldest form of competition, Match Play. It’s the oldest form of golf competition in Montana too, having served as the Montana State Amateur Championships’ format from 1917 to 1966 when they were permanently changed to stroke play. After thirty years of dormancy, Match Play was finally brought back to life in 1996 as its own separate event, eventually handed off to the MSGA in 2023.

The MSGA is excited to have Match Play back in the fold as one of our great championships. This year we once again head to Bill Roberts Golf Course in Helena, June 7-9.

The Match Play Championships consist of three championships: Amateur, Senior, and Women’s. Players in the Amateur division must have a handicap of 10.0 or less. Seniors must be age 55 years or older and have an index of 15.0 or less. The Women’s Championship does not have an age or handicap requirement.

All golfers begin play on Friday morning with a qualifying round of stroke play. This stroke play round is used to create our match play brackets. The top 32 amateurs, 16 seniors, and 16 women will advance to the match play portion of the tournament. On Friday afternoon, the amateurs will compete in Round 1

2023 Women’s Montana State Amateur Champion Lauren Greeny with MSGA Executive Director Nick Dietzen.

of match play. Beginning Saturday morning all brackets will have 16 players ready to compete for the title. The head-to-head single elimination matches will continue through Sunday afternoon. When the championship belt is raised, the winners will have played close to 100 holes over three days.

Men’s Montana State Mid-Amateur Championship

The Ranch Club in Missoula will host the 38th annual Montana State Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship August 15-17. A field of 96 golfers from around the state will compete for the Mid-Am overall title, as well as the Joe tomes award for players over 50 years of age, and the Gene Cook award, which is given to players from the same club that have the lowest collective score.

Registration will be limited to the first 96 qualified entries who have a Handicap of 10.0 or less. All players must be 25 years old before August 15 and must be legal residents of Montana or currently attend a Montana College or University. Additionally, all accepted applicants must possess a current GHIN Handicap and are a member of Montana State Golf Association.

The Mid-Amateur offers a single division, and players will play from the same set of tees. Yardage for this event is approximately 6600 yards. Tee times will be scheduled in the morning each of the 3 days as players compete over 54 holes for the Mid-Am title.

Montana Men’s State Senior Tournament

Montana’s largest gathering of golfers is heading to Bozeman August 6-8 for the 70th annual Men’s State Senior Tournament. A field of 324 golfers will play three golf courses over three days. This year we are excited to visit Valley View Golf Club, Cottonwood Hills Golf Club and Bridger Creek Golf Course. All participants will play 18 holes on each golf course.

The State Senior Tournament offers four different divisions based on age: Freshman division is for those age 55-62, Sophomore division for those between the ages of 63-69, Junior Division for those 70-77 years of age, and Seniors for golfers age 78+. Players will compete within their age group and for an overall title.

Since 1955 this event has been highlighted by comradery, fun times and great food at a banquet gathering following the second round.

Entry Fee for this tournament is $300 and will include three rounds of golf with cart, range balls prior to play, a player banquet, and tournament prizes.

Registration for the Men’s State Senior Tournament opens on May 1st. All players must have a current MSGA Membership & Handicap Index of 36.0 or less. Additionally, golfers must have legal residence in Montana

Winners of the 2024 Montana State Match Play, hosted by Bill Roberts Golf Course in Helena, will receive these belts.

2023 Men’s Montana State Mid-Amateur Champion Jake Hedge with MSGA Executive Director Nick Dietzen.

or be an active golfer at an MSGA-member club, and are at least 55 years old as of August 6. An active golfer is defined as: a) a member of a private golf club; b) a season pass holder or member of a public golf course; or c) a player who posts at least 10 rounds from a Montana course within the previous 12 months of application.

Montana State Four Ball Championship

The 4th annual Montana State Four Ball Championship will be heading to the Meadow Lark Country Club in Great Falls this September 20-21. In the long history of Meadow Lark they have hosted the most MSGA tournaments of all courses in the state, and this will be the first occasion hosting the freshly created Four Ball Championship. It is a continuing honor to partner with Meadow Lark – one of the premium tournament courses in the state – and we look forward to another quality event.

The format of Four Ball is two person teams. Each teammate uses their own golf ball on each hole and teams record the better score between the two on each hole for their team score.

This year the State Four Ball Championship will be played with a single division, played from a single set of tees. In 2024, 56 teams will compete over 36 holes. Entry Fee is $325

for a team that includes: Two rounds of golf, a lunch, and tournament prizes. Carts and Practice Rounds are additional.

Montana State Junior Championships & Qualifiers

Since 1967 the Montana State Junior Championship has had the opportunity to host some of 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 Treasure State over the ensuing years.

The Montana State Junior Championships is the only MSGA event to have qualifying rounds. Last year over 200 juniors participated in one of the five local qualifiers across Montana, with 108 players advancing to the State Junior Championship. In 2024, we will once again be using the qualifying events.

Qualifiers

At each qualifier and State Championship, boys and girls will compete in their respective age divisions: 13 & under, 14-15, and 16-18. Juniors cannot have turned 19 prior to the first round of the State Championship or attended college the previous year.

At each local qualifier, the top 3 players in

2023 Men’s Montana State Senior Tournament Champion Bill Dunn with his trophy at The Ranch Club in Missoula.

The top four finishers in the 2023 Girls’ Montana State Junior Championships pose with their respective plaques.

each age group will advance to the State Championship. This year these five qualifiers will be held in early June:

• District 1: Double Arrow Golf Course, Seeley Lake, June 2nd

• District 2: Marias Valley Golf Course, Shelby, June 8th

• District 3: Cottonwood Hills Golf Club, Bozeman, June 12th

• District 4: Lake Hills Golf Club, Billings, June 4th

• District 5: Sidney Country Club, Sidney, June 10th

Please click here to find your District. Entry Fee for district qualifiers is $30 for 18 holes and a tee prize. Please note that all juniors must be able to walk 18 holes and parents are not allowed to caddie.

Montana State Junior Championship

The 2024 State Junior Championships will return to Polson Bay Golf Course June 17-19. All players who qualified through districts and those who are on the current exempt list, will receive a direct email and registration link for the State Junior Championships. Beginning this year there is an additional $30 entry fee for the State Junior Championships.

New this year will be the addition of a third

day for some players competing in the 14-15 & 16-18 divisions. The top six in each division + those within the Top 15 of a combined 14-18 Leaderboard will compete for the overall Junior Championship and spots on our Montana Junior Americas Cup teams and our Montana/ Alberta Cup Match Teams.

Juniors will compete on the Championship 18-hole course over the first two days of play, those competing on the final day will move to the Olde 9 for 18 holes of play on Wednesday.

The MSGA thanks Polson Bay for adapting to the new three day schedule this year. As a result of the new three day schedule, our top finishers in the combined 14-18 leaderboard will earn increased status from AJGA. This event will now count as a Performance Based Entry (PBE), to help juniors gain access to additional AJGA events. Results will also now be submitted to World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), where juniors can earn WAGR points.

The final day will also help finalize the Junior America’s Cup Teams for both boys and girls. The Junior America’s Cup will be played in Midway, UT this year. Teams of four juniors gather from the 17 western golf associations competing against each other. The top four finishers in the boys and girls’ divisions will comprise our Junior America’s Cup teams. This year, our boys’ team will have 3 spots available as a result of Kade McDonough earning a Top 10 finish at the 2023 Junior America’s Cup Tournament. With that Top 10 finish, he automatically qualified for the 2024 team, congratulations Kade.

The Montana/Alberta Cup is a renewed competition between Montana and Alberta. This year the competition will take place between the two teams in Montana in early August, at a course to be named soon. The Montana team will consist of two 14–15-year-olds, two 16–17 year-olds and two 18-year-olds for boys and girls.

The boys and girls’ champions will receive entry into the Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Calif., July 9-11.

The top four finishers in the 2023 Boys’ Montana State Junior Championships pose with their respective plaques.

PEAKS & PRAIRIES GCSA HOLDS “ALMOST” SPRING MEETING

BY LORI RUSSELL Peaks and Prairies Executive Director

In early March, nearly 75 attendees traveled to Billings, Mont., to participate in the “Almost” Spring Meeting of the Peaks & Prairies Golf Course Superintendents Association (GCSA). Four courses traveled approximately 450 miles each way, with one traveling 500 miles each way.

Participation reflects the outstanding educational opportunity offered with a who’s who of researchers andpresenters in the turf world.

The two-day event offered topics of interest in area, including: “Traffic Jams: How to use Golf Course Traffic to Your Advantage;” “Drought Stress Tolerance as Impacted by the Use of Biological Products — year two of nev -

er-ending testing;” and “Winterkill: Lessons Learned for Mitigating Damage, Reestablishing Greens, and Current Winter Turf Research Efforts.”

Also notable were four superintendents presenting on recent course projects, as well as an important discussion addressed during the evening session on mental health in the golf course superintendent industry, known to be stressful.

Participating in these events can help every facility, regardless of budget size, in providing some of the tools needed to help maintain courses at their highest level for the course budget. To all facilities who promote and support participation in our Peaks & Prairies GCSA events, we thank you for your support in our efforts to provide golfers a great experience!

Nearly 75 attendees traveled to Billings to participate in the “Almost” Spring Meeting of the Peaks & Prairies GCSA last month.

Peaks & Prairies

SPOTLIGHT on the GHIN APP: GPS Features

BY EMILY HULSEY MSGA Director of Membership Operations

Have you tried the GHIN app yet? If not, you’re missing out on some cool and useful features!

For example, the GHIN app comes with standard GPS features that are available to ALL users. These features include 1) 3D color maps for thousands of courses, 2) Touchpoint GPS distance to anywhere on the course, and 3) Distance to center of the green.

There are additional “Enhanced GPS” features available with an in-app purchase. These include: 1) Distances to the front and back of the green, 2) Shot tracking, 3) Ability to set/ move hole location, 4) Approach heat map, 5) Putt break map, and 6) Apple Watch GPS distances.

Both Standard and Enhanced GPS features are Rules compliant.

If you’re not sure about the Enhanced GPS option, each user has two free trials when tapping on “Play with GPS/Games.” The first trial

USGA

is for the entire round (18 or 9 holes) and the second trial is for the first 9 holes of the round. So, there’s no risk in giving it a try!

Nearly all U.S. courses and most international courses have the standard GPS and course maps available. And, most U.S. courses have the enhanced green view features. But, if you find your course isn’t mapped, please contact us and we’ll let GHIN know.

You will need to have the location enabled on your phone. But, using the GPS features shouldn’t significantly drain the battery on your device, especially if you don’t have a number of other apps open and you have auto-lock enabled for your screen.

The GHIN app is an example of an MSGA

membership benefit that can be used by everyone – even those who don’t use their handicap to play in tournaments. Help us spread the word about the benefits of an MSGA membership!

In the next issue, we’ll talk more about the Games/Score Keeping features in the GHIN app!

USGA

USGA

WHERE SHOULD GOLFERS PUT BUNKER RAKES?

BY GEORGE WATERS USGA Green Section Education Manager

The USGA gets questions every year about where bunker rakes should be placed on a golf course. In the bunker, out of the bunker, halfway in – each method has its supporters and there is actually no “right” answer. There is no rule about where rakes should be placed, but there are definitely some places that are more sensible than others. If the course you’re playing has a specific policy on where they’d like the rakes, just follow that and you’ll be all set. However, many courses don’t have a policy or you might forget to ask. That’s when the following tips can help:

Outside and out of the way

The USGA recommends placing rakes outside of bunkers and away from where they are likely to interfere with play. Ideally, you don’t want to place rakes across the line of play or in a location where they could trap balls in a

difficult spot – e.g., within a bunker on a steep slope near the lip. If a rake does trap your ball, you can move the rake but you must replace the ball on its original spot if it moves. This can be problematic if a rake traps your ball on a steep slope where the ball will not stay. If you can’t find another location within the bunker where the ball will stay at rest that is not nearer to the hole, you are facing one or two penalty strokes to obtain relief. This is a big part of why it’s usually best to keep rakes out of bunkers.

Spread them out

We’ve all walked into a bunker and had the frustrating realization that all the rakes are clustered on the opposite side. They were almost certainly carefully spaced out by the maintenance staff, but all it takes is a couple of careless golfers to make things more difficult for everyone else. It’s important to keep rakes spaced out when replacing them because this makes it easier for people to use them. If a rake isn’t nearby some golfers are quick to skip rak-

There may not be a rule about where to put rakes on a golf course, but some places are certainly better than others.

ing altogether, which only means more tough lies for the rest of us.

Keep maintenance in mind

Thoughtful rake placement makes life easier for the maintenance staff and helps to keep the bunkers in good shape. Placing rakes near the bunkers and close to access points is a good approach. If rakes are left too far from bunkers, it takes extra time to find and replace them and they could disrupt mowing operations or get run over. Leaving them on steep grass or sand faces makes them difficult or dangerous to reach and might encourage players to enter or exit from the high side of a bunker, potentially causing damage along the way.

Go easy on them

There are plenty of times when we’re not

happy with the bunker shot we just hit. While it’s OK to be mad, don’t take it out on the rakes! Slamming or tossing rakes can be tempting, but it’s bad etiquette and bunker rakes are surprisingly expensive. Bunker rakes can cost anywhere from $20 to $50 each – or even more – and courses often invest significant staff time in maintaining and repairing them each year. Treating bunker rakes with care sets a good example and will save your favorite course some money.

There may not be a rule about where to place rakes on a golf course, but being thoughtful can reduce the risk of rakes interfering with play or maintenance, and can make it easier for our fellow golfers to actually use them. It certainly seems like some folks need all the encouragement they can get!

While there is no rule relating to where bunker rakes should be left, on The R&A website, there is a recommendation to leave it outside at the point of least interference. USGA

FEMALE FIRSTS AND THE USGA

BY VICTORIA NENNO USGA Senior Historian

Timeline:

1895: With the election of Morris County Golf Club as an associate member in June, the USGA grants the then all-women’s New Jersey club full voting rights in matters of the Association. The same year, the USGA conducts the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur as one of the Association’s three original championships. It becomes the country’s first national golf championship for women.

1916: Following the 1916 U.S. Women’s Amateur, many competitors voice a desire for greater input on selecting the courses that would host their national championship. Immediately supportive of the initiative, the USGA Executive Committee inaugurates the Women’s Tournament Committee, responsible for the U.S. Women’s Amateur course selection. The first committee comprises female representatives from five different regions.

1926: Expanding the role of the Women’s Tournament Committee, the commit-

1898: Beatrix Hoyt of Shinnecock Hills G.C. wins her third consecutive U.S. Women’s Amateur championship and captures the attention of audiences and writers, becoming the country’s first female golf sensation.

tee is renamed the Women’s Committee of the United States Golf Association and assumes responsibility for facilitating every local aspect of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship,including receiving entries, registration, making pairings and arranging for press, policing and the transportation

The inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1895 marked the country’s first national championship for women. (USGA)

USGA

and accommodation of the competitors.

1932: The USGA and the Ladies Golf Union (LGU) of Great Britain and Ireland conduct the first official Curtis Cup Match to “stimulate friendly rivalry among the women golfers of many lands.” Competing in the Curtis Cup remains one of the most prestigious honors for female amateur golfers.

1949: As younger generations take to the game in increasing numbers, the USGA inaugurates the U.S. Girls’ Junior, providing a national championship for females under the age of 18.

1953: The USGA conducts the U.S. Women’s Open for the first time. It was first conducted by the Women’s Professional Golf Association (WPGA) in 1946, and operated by the newly formed Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) beginning in 1949 before the USGA was asked to conduct the championship in 1953.

1956: The Chicago Women’s Golf Club is elected a member club of the USGA, mak-

ing it the first all-African American club to join the association. CWGC member Ann Gregory (pictured below) subsequently becomes the first African-American woman to compete in a USGA championship at the 1956 U.S. Women’s Open.

1975: Fanny Fern Davis, Ph.D., becomes the first female recipient of the USGA Green Section Award. Davis is recognized by the USGA for her significant contributions to the field of turfgrass, including her role in developing the landmark chemical 2, 4-D and her service as acting director of the Green Section from 1943 to 1945 while Director John Monteith served in World War II.

1979: Hawaii’s Lori Castillo becomes the first woman to hold two USGA championship titles simultaneously by following up her 1978 U.S. Girls’ Junior victory with consecutive U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links titles in 1979 and 1980. Castillo also became the first WAPL champion to compete in a Curtis Cup Match in 1980.

Ann Gregory, the first Black woman to play in a USGA championship, had a career full of accolades on the golf course. (USGA Golf Museum)

USGA Golf Museum

John Mummert

1987: Judy Bell (pictured above) becomes the first woman elected to serve on the USGA Executive Committee. Bell compiled an outstanding record as a competitive golfer as well as a leader in women’s golf as chairman of the USGA Women’s Committee from 1981-84.

1992: Rhonda Glenn becomes the first woman to receive the USGA’s Herbert Warren Wind Book Award for “The Illustrated History of Women’s Golf.” Glenn dedicated her professional life to preserving the stories of exceptional female golfers through her writing and reporting, including 17 years with the USGA.

1996: Judy Bell is elected to serve as the first female president of the USGA, leading the Executive Committee in directing the Association’s staff and 1,600 volunteers who serve on 30 committees.

1998: Se Ri Pak sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the second hole of sudden death to defeat amateur Jenny Chuasiriporn at the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open. This victory and

her explosive rookie season on the LPGA Tour attracted new audiences and inspired a generation of young women from her home country, the Republic of Korea, to take up the game, changing the face of women’s golf.

2003: After seven years of supporting LPGA-USGA Girls Golf through grants, the LPGA and USGA announce they will partner to manage this extremely successful program that provides opportunities for girls to learn to play the game, build lasting friendships and experience competition in a supportive environment.

2012: The USGA Golf Museum dedicates The Mickey Wright Room (pic tured right), celebrating the four-time U.S. Women’s Open champion’s impressive competitive record and lifelong contributions to women’s golf.

2018: The USGA inaugurates the U.S. Senior Women’s Open, providing a national championship for professional female golfers over the age of 50.

Judy Bell’s presidential tenure was highlighted by the establishment of the “For the Good of the Game” grants program. (USGA)

2019: At the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open, the champion receives $1 million for the first time and the purse, at $5.5 million, is the largest in women’s golf.

2022: The USGA nearly doubles the U.S. Women’s Open purse to $10 million,

The $1.8 million Minjee Lee netted for her 2022 U.S. Women’s Open victory was more than she had earned in any single season prior.

(USGA/Darren Carroll)

making it the highest in women’s golf and among the leaders in all of women’s sports.

2024: Ally becomes the new presenting partner for the U.S. Women’s Open, helping to elevate the 2024 championship’s purse to $12 million, the highest in women’s golf.

The medal presented each year to the winner of the U.S. Women’s Open was renamed in Mickey Wright’s honor in 2020. (USGA/Jonathan Kolbe)

USGA

USGA

COLLEGE GOLF ROUNDUP

BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator

Rocky Mountain College Men at The Battle Rocky Mountain and sixteen other men’s golf teams were in Laughlin, Nev., March 25-26 to compete at The Battle. Playing three rounds at the Laughlin Ranch Golf Club, the Battlin’ Bears had their hands full against a bevy of competitive teams. Nine teams came into the tournament ranked higher than RMC no small feat considering Rocky came in ranked 28th in the nation. Five of those teams at The Battle came in ranked in the top ten.

The Battlin’ Bears finished in 11th place at +35 over three rounds. In a field of 97 individ-

THE BATTLE

Laughlin Ranch Golf Club

Laughlin, Nev.

March 25-26, 2024

uals, they were led by sophomore Jared Smith and junior Jake Johnson who finished in a tie for 27th at +7. Joining Smith and Johnson in the top half of the field was William Dexheimer who finished tied for 39th place at +10 and Daniel Sigurjonsson who finished tied for 44th at +11.

Number two ranked Keiser ran away with the team event at even par, winning by ten strokes. Oklahoma City University’s Michael Robson won the individual title at -9.

For full results CLICK HERE.

The Rocky Mountain men’s team will get a little break in the action before heading west to Lewiston, Idaho, April 16-16 for the Warrior Invite.

MSU-Billings

Rocky Mountain College sophomore William Dexheimer finished in the top half of the field at The Battle, at +10 overall (39th place).

Brandon Stinson

MSU-Billings Men in Central California

The MSU-Billings men’s golf team was in Turlock, Calif., March 25-26 to compete at the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational. The Yellowjackets played three rounds against fourteen other teams at the Turlock Golf and Country Club. Coming in one of the lower ranked teams in the tournament, MSU-B held up well and stayed competitive with three straight rounds in the 290s as a team.

The Yellowjackets ultimately finished in a tie for 10th place at +15 for the tournament. They were led by Liam O’Halloran who finished in a tie for 26th place at +2 over the three rounds. Also finishing in the top third of the field was Lucas Howell who ended up tied for 32nd at +4 overall.

Cal State Monterey Bay won the team event at -18, while Chico State’s Tyler Ashman and

HANNY STANISLAUS INVITATIONAL

Cal State Monterey Bay’s Simon Bjorken tied for first place individually at -11 overall.

For full results CLICK HERE.

Next up for MSU-Billings men’s golf will be the Hot Dirt Desert Shootout in Goodyear, Ariz., April 5-6.

MSU-Billings was led by senior Liam O’Halloran at the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational, who posted a T-26 finish at +2 overall.

UM and MSU at the Red Rocks Invitational

The Bobcats and Grizzlies were in Sedona, Ariz., March 16-17 for the Red Rocks Invitational. Twenty teams and 114 players made their way to the Oakcreek Country Club for three rounds of golf as the season winds down the last few events before conference championships in mid-April.

Between the two Montana teams, UM’s Raina Ports was the story of the tournament having stayed in contention to win the entire Invitational down to the last few holes before settling into a tie for 4th place at even par for the three rounds. It was the second career top ten finish for the sophomore Ports who continues to get better and better. Freshman Kendall Hayward also finished in the top third of

the field, finishing in a tie for 30th place at +7. It was the best finish of the young freshman’s collegiate career. Led by Ports and Hayward, the University of Montana finished in 15th place overall.

Following another record setting performance a couple weeks before at the GCU Invitational, Montana State didn’t quite have the same experience in Sedona, finishing in 19th place as a team, and Lauren Greeny was the sole Bobcat golfer to crack the top half of the field, having finished in a tie for 51st with a final score of +11

For final results CLICK HERE

Next up for both teams will be the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic held April 3-5 at Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Ariz.

Tommy Martino

Montana sophomore Raina Ports tied for fourth at the Red Rocks Invitational in Sedona, Ariz., finishing at even par overall.