ON THE FIRST TEE...
With Nick Dietzen
"Want to play sim golf tonight?”
Every year I go through a bit of golf withdrawals. This year, it’s been temperate enough for many of the crazy, I mean “enthusiastic” golfers to hit shots in between skiffs of snow. I admit, I haven’t done that this December. I did respond to my friend’s inquiry and I’m glad I did. Simulators are not the real thing. Clearly. They are sometimes, the best thing we have for
the withdrawals though. Four-and-a-half hours later and I had not made a putt, I hit the ball every direction, found the water at least three times and thankfully didn’t have a scuff on my wedge from the shot I hit from the rocks. Unquestionably, I had a good time.
Throughout my time as a golfer I have persuaded a hundred or so curious non-golfers to embark on a trip to the driving range, putting green or the course. Inevitably, these
Golf Withdrawals can happen at any age.
experiences have yielded some new golfers, but regardless, it has been the bond that even one simple excursion may create. In countless conversations, I’ve been reminded by friends of “that one time we went to the range” or “that time we played golf at Dan’s bachelor party.” All too often, I’m the link to the last time that a friend hit a golf ball.
This may not come as a surprise, but I can be a bit of a golf-crusader in conversations with strangers, while always acknowledging that golf is not for everyone. With friends, it’s the exceedingly positive memories that existed regardless of whether they became “a golfer.” Golf is fun and I like to have fun playing it. But I can’t help but think that it’s the shared experience of having someone you care about see you participating in a passion area.
We golfers sometimes forget the magic of the game, the uniqueness, the details, the process from getting to the course, preparing your golf bag, outfitting your pushcart etc. It’s quite the program when you think about it. The clothes, navigating the proshop or the locker-room, even the technology associated with a digital scorecard or GPS.
Whether or not you introduce (or re-introduce) the game to a friend this coming season, a lower-stakes way to share in the game is to invite a friend to play golf on a simulator. Many of the stresses related to golfing for
MSGA ABOUT US
BOARD OF DIRECTORS - OFFICERS
PRESIDENT................................. Peter Benson
VICE PRESIDENT................ Ron Ramsbacher
TREASURER..................................... Bill Dunn
PAST PRESIDENT........................... Carla Berg
WOMEN’S CHAIR...................... Mary Bryson
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bill Dunn, Ron Ramsbacher, Brett Bennyhoff, Rod Stirling, Mary Bryson, 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
Graphic Design & Content Coordinator......... Katie Fagg
USGA Boatwright Intern................................. Jess Miller
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
the first time are eliminated when taking golf indoors.
Not having to worry about the pace or slowing down a fellow group are eliminated. You can be more thorough in demonstrating or teaching some of what’s going on, still in a beautiful, albeit virtual setting.
So, if you have some time off this winter and friends or family coming to town, don’t forget to consider sharing in your passion by introducing them to a climate-controlled golf experience.
A few things to remember to make your experience a fun and memorable one.
1. Make a reservation. Many courses will be busy, and you are better off making sure you have time, not unlike a tee time.
2. Arrive early. (Cue my golf friends' eye roll.) In the winter you might have some wardrobe changes including footwear. You will want to stretch and be sure to share that routine with your guest. It’s a good way to lighten the mood and make sure there are no pulled muscles.
3. Be mindful that you may not get as
many holes in and that the score doesn’t matter as much as getting some swings in! Simulator golf more times than not ends up taking longer than you’d think for 9 holes, so either adjust your expectation to finish or use the driving range setting.
4. All of the etiquette rules apply to regular golf, thankfully you won’t have to repair a divot or a pitch mark, but you might want to clean up the tees that are littered about.
The popularity of golf simulators is exhibited by the sheer volume of options in our state.
We are working to identify and list the options statewide in 2025. Drop us a line of your favorite spot!
From our team to yours, we wish you a healthy and happy finish to 2024. We thank you for being a member. Share the game with loved ones this coming year, if you can do it over the holidays, all the better. Most importantly, have a good time!
BOATWRIGHT REFLECTION
BY JESS MILLER USGA P.J. Boatwright, Jr., Intern
A year ago today, I had found myself in the deepest, darkest corner of the library at my alma mater, Centre College, to prepare for hours of LSAT studying and prep. At the time, I would have never expected to move 1000 miles away from home to pursue a career in golf. Thankfully, I abandoned my dream of Law School, and upon graduation, I found myself searching for job opportunities that were in the field of sports.
Eventually, I stumbled upon an internship within the USGA called the “Boatwright.” With zero expectations, I applied to two state golf associations, the first being in Kentucky, which was home to me. The second association I applied for was the Montana State Golf Association, and thankfully, this is where I wound up. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities this internship has provided. In my reflection, I would argue that the people are what make this job, and the MSGA special. To begin, the MSGA staff are truly unique. I cannot thank Nick, Michael, and Tim enough for allowing myself, and the other interns to shine in our own way.
My first day at work was a shock, not because of my assignment, but rather due to it being below freezing in June. As a kid raised in the south, this was not necessarily the warmest of welcomes. Regardless, Michael’s positivity brought out the best of that day, and set the stage for the rest of the year. My first tournament was nerve wracking, but our tournament director Tim helped ease us into the role of a Boatwright Intern. I remember those days being filled with excitement and pleasure to be on the course, rather than resentment to waking up at 5:30 AM each and every day. Let’s not forget Nick, who was the biggest factor in my smooth transition from KY to MT. He always believed in my abilities, and having someone like that in your corner is remarkable. Thank you to these three, and the entirety of the MSGA staff for an unforgettable experience.
Finally, I would like to recognize the members that make up the MSGA, who are actually the TRUE backbone of what we do.. The ability to meet new golfers and people, while actually forming meaningful relationships that transcend the sport itself, that is what makes golf and the MSGA special. I look forward to what the future holds, and I am especially excited for what is in store for Montana Golf.
Jess Miller (right), with the MSGA's Andrea Tucker (left) and fellow USGA P.J. Boatwright, Jr., Intern Josh Austin (center).
LIBBY'S RYGGS JOHNSTON WINS AUSTRALIAN OPEN
BY TY SPARING
MSGA Communications Coordinator
Fresh off a thrilling run through three grueling stages of the DP World Tour Qualifying School in which Libby’s Ryggs Johnston fought tooth and nail for one of twenty coveted tour cards for 2025, he found himself down under in Australia for his first bit of action as a pro.
Many of us thought the excitement might die down for a bit as he gets acquainted with his new status as a European Tour golfer. That was not to be however, as Johnston decided to go ahead and win the Australian Open, his second tournament.
Having earned the tour card in early November, Johnston was in Brisbane, Australia
Ryggs Johnston waits to putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Australian Open golf championship at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia.
Asanka Brendon Ratnayake / AP
for the Australian PGA Championship. Playing at the Royal Queensland Golf Club, the former Arizona State golfer finished in a tie for 43rd place with a four-round score of -3 (210). With winnings nearing $8,000, it was a solid first tournament for the new pro.
Just a week later Johnston shocked the golfing world with a first-place finish at the Australian Open. He is just the third American in the last 31 years to win the event, last time being in 2016 when it was Jordan Spieth who came out on top.
Held at both the Kingston Heath Golf Club and Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne, a blistering first round of -7 (65) put Johnston in the top tier of the leaderboard, where he would sit throughout the entirety of the event. At one point he tallied five birdies in a row (holes 1216), with eight total that first day.
Seemingly without nerves and playing with confidence, Johnston didn’t let up the rest of
the way as he posted a -5 (68) in each of his final three rounds, which staved off the competition enough for a three-stroke victory. Australian favorite Curtis Luck made a run during the third round, getting to within three strokes of the leader Johnston, but the Montana native started the final round with an eagle on hole 1, and that proved to be more than enough cushion the rest of the way.
In victory the 24-year-old Johnston − from Libby, Montana − was awarded the Stonehaven Cup, which bears the names of greatness: Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, Norman, Watson, Sarazen, McIIroy, and Spieth, to name a few. Along with etching his name into golf history Johnston saw his world ranking go from 954th to the 316th, qualified for the 153rd British Open later this year, and earned roughly $245,000 for his efforts.
Congratulations Ryggs! Well deserved!
For full results, CLICK HERE
Ryggs Johnston of Libby, Montana, holds the Stonehaven Cup after winning the Australian Open golf championship at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia.
Asanka Brendon Ratnayake / AP
MONTANA STATE GOLF ASSOCIATION Champions
STATE AMATEUR CHAMPIONS
Lauren Greeny
In 2024 Lauren Greeny became just the third woman in the last 30 years to repeat as the Montana State Women’s Amateur champion. She kept the momentum going into her junior season with the Montana State Bobcats, establishing herself as one of the Big Sky Conference’s best golfers. With a host of top ten finishes this fall season, Greeny also earned the first individual title of her collegiate career with a second round of 66 that broke the program individual record for lowest single round.
Liam Clancy
Liam Clancy won his first Montana State Men’s Amateur Championship this past summer after a grueling four-hole playoff at the Laurel Golf Club that was suspended for a night due to the fading light. With a bright and early Sunday morning victory, Clancy not only joined his sister Kyla as a Montana State Amateur Champion, but also earned an automatic birth into the 124th U.S. Amateur Championship that was held several weeks later in Chaska, Minnesota. Clancy’s extraordinary summer didn’t end there as he teamed up with his brother Sean to win the Montana
State Four-Ball Championship that was held in mid-September at the Meadow Lark Country Club in Great Falls.
SUPER SENIOR AMATEUR – MEN
Cory Bedell
An event that’s only four years old, Missoula’s Cory Bedell is nevertheless putting Super Senior records out of reach for the next decade or so. Bedell is the most decorated Super Senior Amateur we have had to date, with three titles in the last four years, most recently this summer at the Laurel Golf Club. Along with his Super Senior Amateur exploits, Bedell has done well for himself on the ever popular Senior Tour, having won the 2024 Men’s Legends Gross Division final event that was held at Spanish Peaks Mountain Club.
MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONS
Sean Ramsbacher
Missoula native and former Montana Tech golfing standout Sean Ramsbacher won the 38th Montana State Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship in an impressive fashion. After the first two rounds of action there were twelve golfers going into the final day within
three strokes of the lead, but Ramsbacher –who was one back – found the zone early and posted a scorching -7 (65) and ended up winning by four strokes. It was the second MSGA Championship victory in as many summers for Ramsbacher, having won the Montana State Four-Ball Championship with teammate Kade McDonough in 2023.
Darah Newell Smith
In the Mid-Amateur Championship, Helena’s Darah Newell Smith captured herself a six-stroke lead after the first round and never looked back, ultimately winning the event by ten strokes. It was another eventful summer for Newell Smith, adding another batch of accolades to an already impressive resume. She previously won the Montana State Junior Championship in 2004 and the Montana State Amateur in 2010, and in the summer of 2024 she added a Montana State Mid-Amateur Victory, a ninth straight Green Meadow Country Club title, and was the State Four-Ball Champion with Bennett MacIntyre in the mixed division.
STATE JUNIOR CHAMPIONS
Katie Lewis
Frenchtown phenom Katie Lewis continued her winning ways this past year, repeating as the overall Montana State Girls Junior champion. The three-time Class A State Girls Champion is also a two-time Montana State Junior titlist, making her one of the most decorated youth golfers in the history of the state. This upcoming summer Lewis has a chance to be the first girl to ever win three straight High School titles and three straight Montana State Junior Championships. Lewis also earned a trip to Junior World Championships last summer, making the cut against some of the best youth players in the world. Griz fans will be happy to hear that Lewis is taking her talents to Missoula next fall to compete for the UM golf team.
Tye
Boone
Coming in as the reigning Class AA champion, Billings Skyview’s Tye Boone had his work cut out for him in attempting to overcome a strong field of contenders at the Montana State Junior Championships. Starting the third round just a stroke back of first place, Boone fired a two-under-round of 70, which was his best single round score of the week and enough to give him the title by two strokes. With the rare MHSA and MSGA State Championship titles in hand, Boone went eastwards where he recently finished up his first fall season of golf for the University of Southern Indiana.
MEN’S STATE SENIOR TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
Jerry Pearsall – Overall Winner/Freshman Division Winner
2024 was the summer of Jerry Pearsall, as the Billings’ golfer led wire-to-wire at the 69th Montana State Senior Tournament for his second title in the event. It was Pearsall’s second MSGA title of the year, as he also won the Montana State Senior Amateur earlier this summer at the Laurel Golf Club.
Gene Walsh – Sophomore Division Winner
Whitefish’s Gene Walsh finished in fifth overall at the State Senior Tournament and was the Sophomore Division Winner.
Doug Olson – Junior Division Winner
Doug Olson out of Helena ended up in a three-way tie for ninth place at the State Senior Tournament in Billings and was the top performer in the Junior Division.
Jack Thompson – Senior Division
Helena’s Jack Thompson got off to an early lead in round one and never looked back en
route to winning the Senior Division of the State Senior Tournament.
Jo
Smith
MSGA Hall of Famer, Jo Smith, won her record fourth Montana State Senior Amateur title, managing to outlast past champions Deb Porcarelli and Susan Court over the three rounds. Missoula’s Smith had previously won the title in 2018, 2020, and 2021.
MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONS
Scarlet Weidig
In early June of 2024 Scarlet Weidig won her second Montana State Women’s Match Play title in a row, defeating her college teammate and eventual State Amateur champion in Lauren Greeny. Weidig is an all-conference golfer for Montana State University and along with a productive fall season in Big Sky Conference play, she and fellow Bobcat teammate Maddie Montoya recently qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship that will be held May 10-14, 2025, at the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club.
Kade McDonough
After finishing his senior year at Missoula Sentinel, Kade McDonough won his second Montana State Men’s Match Play title in a row. A former Class AA state champion and a 2023 Montana State Four-Ball champ alongside Sean Ramsbacher, McDonough also added his fourth straight Schwartz Award in 2024, which is given out to the top junior player in the Montana State Amateur Championship. Most recently McDonough has completed his first fall of collegiate golf at the University of Utah.
Bill Dunn
MSGA Hall of Famer Bill Dunn took home the senior title at the Montana State Match
Play event at Bill Roberts Golf Course. A golfer who has won just about every Montana golfing event possible over the years was later honored for his vast success at the 38th Montana State Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, as the title trophy was renamed to the Bill Dunn Trophy.
MONTANA STATE FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONS
Liam Clancy & Sean Clancy
Winning was a family affair for brothers Liam and Sean Clancy, at the Montana State Four-Ball Championship held at Meadow Lark Country Club in mid-September. Originally from Laurel, the Clancy brothers needed one playoff hole against electric city golfers Ross Bartell and Ben Kaul before claiming the title. Another trophy for the Clancy’s, one of the exceptional golfing families in the state.
Darah
Newell Smith & Bennett MacIntyre
The MacIntyre-Newell Smith combination had a dominant win in the Mixed Division of the Montana State Four-Ball Championship, cruising to victory by 20 strokes. For Newell Smith the win capped off a summer full of titles at the State Mid-Amateur and Green Meadow Club Championships. MacIntyre was soon back at the drawing board as Carroll College’s Head Golf Coach, eventually finishing off a strong fall portion of the season that included a new two-round program record for the women’s team during the final event of the season at Bill Roberts Golf Course.
Julie and Mike Fauth
With MacIntyre and Newell Smith winning the gross title, Mike and Julie Fauth out of Laurel were the Net Champions in the FourBall Mixed Divisions. It is the second year in a row that the Fauth couple has won the FourBall net title.
IS REOPENING IN THE WINTER WISE?
BY TOM GOULD USGA AGRONOMIST, CENTRAL REGION
As the soil begins to freeze and the weather gets too cold for most people to play golf, a small jump in winter temperatures can create sudden excitement to play. A day with high temperatures in the low 50s can entice a golf course to reopen for play to make golfers happy and generate winter revenue. While it may be nice to sneak in some “bonus golf,” it is important to consid-
er golf course agronomics before reopening. If the soil at the surface is thawed from the warmer weather but remains frozen below, root shearing is possible.
Root shearing occurs when the upper layer of the soil is soft and malleable, while the roots below are solidly frozen in place. When the upper layer of soil moves due to cart or foot traffic, the roots that are still frozen below become severed. When the soil is completely frozen or completely thawed, root shear is less prevalent. Dam-
Golfers might be ready to play on a mild winter day, but it’s important to balance the risk of course damage against the potential benefits of a little “bonus golf.”
USGA
aged turf from root shear will be evident the following growing season, especially in the early spring.
The effective rooting depth of turfgrasses impacts how efficiently they can obtain water and nutrients. Grass plants with shorter roots, such as those that have experienced root shearing, are less traffic tolerant and more likely to become drought stressed. It is hard to remediate the damage from root shearing in the short term, so prevention is much easier.
When warmer weather comes this winter, evaluate the risks of root shearing before reopening the course. Golfers must also understand that course conditions will not be optimal.
Certain maintenance practices, like mowing or rolling, may not be performed to minimize root shearing and other disruption to playing surfaces. If you have any questions or concerns about winter play on your golf course, reach out to your regional USGA agronomist.
Click Here for more from the USGA Green Section Record ‒including the latest articles and videos on sustainable management practices that produce better playing conditions for better golf.
Recovering from winterkill on bermudagrass can be time consuming and expensive.
USGA
too late to give in 2024!
