ON THE FIRST TEE...
With
Nick Dietzen
ASeason to Remember
Just like that the end of another year of Montana State Golf Association events is in the books. The MSGA Tournament Team made the trip to Kalispell for the Montana State Four-Ball Championship at Buffalo Hill where 60 teams were treated to awe-inspiring views, risk reward holes and pristine conditions. Our Senior Tour concluded at The Wilderness Club in Eureka where 48 of our players who had traversed the state throughout the year were able to play one of Montana’s finest layouts. Nestled in the woods of Eureka, always worth the drive, the weather was as fantastic as the host course as we capped off the third season of Senior Tour play.
With five junior qualifiers, 12 Senior Tour stops, and nine multi-day championships, MSGA events stretched from Eureka to Sidney, filling the past five months with competition and camaraderie. New friendships were forged, laughs were abundant and sharing the tall tales and recounting the near misses and incredible makes were staples of the 19th hole from clubhouse to clubhouse.
Highlights and Memories
This season wasn’t just about the golf—it was about the people. We witnessed incredible shots, career-best rounds, and new friendships formed on fairways and at 19th holes across the state. Personally, I was lucky to share the course with players who posted personal milestones, reminders of the joy and magic this game provides. The exceptional weather—minimal smoke, lush conditions, and very few weather delays—made the year even more memorable.
2 - 406GOLF - OCTOBER 1, 2025
Thank You to Our Tournament Staff
The success of MSGA events is built on the dedication of our staff.
• Tim Bakker, Tournament Director, completed his third season, continuing to make our championships professional and special.
• Katie Fagg, Tournament Manager, in her first year as a full-time contributor, balanced 406golf Magazine while blossoming as a leader at tournaments statewide.
• Shanda Imlay, now in her fourth year, brought unmatched professionalism and joy, devoting more time than ever.
Together, they have elevated MSGA tournaments to new heights.
Celebrating Our Interns
Our P.J. Boatwright Jr. Interns—Dean Hendrix, Ella Prigge, and midseason addition
Stella Claridge—provided invaluable support with energy and positivity. Stella capped her season with a victory in the Mixed Four-Ball at Kalispell alongside Ryan Buls. Congratulations, Stella! Additional contributions from Ty Sparing, Ian Hulsey, Beth Munro, and Emily Hulsey helped improve operations both on-site and remotely. A special thanks also to Jess Miller, who after an internship year, continued assisting before moving on to a role with the Carolinas PGA Section. We miss
him, but are excited that he remains in golf!
Volunteers: The Backbone of Our Events
Dozens of volunteers across Montana gave their time to ensure events ran smoothly and players had enjoyable experiences. From scoring to logistics, your contributions made a difference. While we can’t list everyone here, please know how grateful we are for your efforts, and we hope to see you back in 2026 and beyond.
Tim Bakker and Katie Fagg working on match play pairings following the conclusion of the qualifying round of the 2025 Montana State Match Play.
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on 2025, we remain committed to providing a diverse slate of events for our members. The 2026 schedule will be released later this month, with exciting opportunities for golfers of all ages and abilities. Thank you to our host facilities and their memberships for welcoming us and helping showcase the clubs and courses that make Montana golf so special.
Together, We Are Montana Golf!
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
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...... Nick Dietzen
USGA PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern................ Dean Hendrix
USGA PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern...................... Ella Prigge
USGA PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern................ Stella Claridge
PARTNERSHIPS
Nick Dietzen.... ......................... 1 (800) 628-3752, ext. 6
406GOLF STAFF
Editor in Chief............................................... Nick Dietzen
Consulting Editor........................................ David Bataller
Senior Writer..................................................... Ty Sparing
Graphic Designer............................................... Katie Fagg
Contributing Writer......................................Emily Hulsey
Contributing Writer...........................................Ian Hulsey
Contributing Writer...........................................Pete Grass
Contributing Writer...................................Brian Whitlark
Montana State Golf Association P.O. Box 4306
Helena, MT 59604
1 (800) 628-3752
www.msgagolf.org
Boatwright interns Dean Hendrix and Ella Prigge are all smiles at the 2025 Montana State Junior Championships.
REMEMBERING THE BIG SKY OPEN
BY TY SPARING MSGA COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
Sixty years ago the Big Sky Open Golf Tournament was introduced in Polson, a popular women’s event that lasted for over three decades. Originally attracting some of the best golfers in the Northwest, the Big Sky Open was organized mainly because female golfers of the era desired a competitive stroke play tournament to go along with the Women’s State Amateur Championship which was still a match play event back in those days.
The ladies who showed up were no slouches either, with MSGA Hall of Famers like Helen Tremper, Edean Anderson Ihlanfeldt, Jane Hibbard, Jewell Lee, Mona Clark, Doreen Ehlert, Penny Sipes, Sally Sisk, and even MSGA’s own rules official Shanda Imlay was in the mix (titlist in 1975), just to name a few.
The great Helen Tremper won that first Big Sky Open in 1965, which was held at the then nine-hole Polson Country Club. At that point in time Tremper was in the middle of her prime, having already won eight of her eventual fifteen State Amateur titles. She dominated the entire decade of the sixties, winning the State Amateur Championship every single year, except for, ironically, 1965 when she was unable to play due to an illness. With somebody as competitive as Tremper, no doubt the Big Sky Open was seen as an opportunity to remind the competition that she was still top of the class and would be for some time.
As Shanda recalls playing against the
perennial women’s champ, Tremper “always had a gallery and it was fun watching her play and how she tried to intimidate the players, especially the young players.” A competitor if there ever was one.
Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of Tremper’s success was that the 1960s and 1970s was somewhat of a golden age for women’s golf in Montana and the Big Sky Open was representative of that fact. Drawing in elite female golfers from the Northwest and Canada, the event could get over 180 entries, comparable to the Montana State Women’s Amateur Championship that regularly hosted over 200 competitors during this era. And while it “was not as competitive as the Women’s Amateur,” as Shanda tells us, with the amount of talent that showed up every September it was nothing to sneeze at either.
Tremper ended up winning the Big Sky Open three more times, achieving the threepeat from 1970-1972 after the event had relocated to the Whitefish Lake Golf Course following several years in Polson and once each for Lewistown and Helena.
Tremper’s longtime friendly rival Jane Hibbard won the tournament three times between 1968-1978, and PNGA Hall of Famer Edean Anderson Ihlanfeldt took home a victory as well in 1969 at her old stomping grounds, the Green Meadow Country Club. For those three legendary Montana golfers with 27 State Women’s Amateur victories between them, the Big Sky Open titles get lost in a sea of golfing accolades. But considering the “limited competitive tournaments” for
women in the 1960s and 1970s – there was no State Women’s Mid-Amateur for instance until 2020 – events like the Big Sky Open inevitably drew top tier players, because it was the only game in town. Although as Shanda reminds us, they were all “pretty much playing for fun.”
(From the sounds of it, they also had a little fun at the 19th hole afterwards)
As the years rolled on, however, the tides of women’s golf started changing, and the
Big Sky Open responded in kind by fading away.
“Back in Helen Tremper and Jane Hibbard days,” Shanda tells us, “They were married and belonged to country clubs and did not have to worry about work and careers. They could concentrate on raising the children and playing golf.” Whereas along with still taking care of kids, “women today are evolved in their careers.”
While the nation’s workforce in the 1970s
Helen Tremper and caddy all smiles after winning the inaugural 1965 Big Sky Open.
Lu Goldstein looking sharp at the 1982 Big Sky Open.
began including more women in permanent full-time roles, junior golf started taking off as well, which allowed more opportunities for girls to play at the high school and college level. Title IX was signed into law by Richard Nixon in 1972 and by the time the University of Montana and Montana State female golf teams were finally rolled out in 1993 the transformation of women’s golf in our state was pretty much complete. Competitive women’s golf in Montana became a pursuit monopolized by the youngsters.
As an example of the changing cultural dynamics within the game, a noticeable shift happened in the late 1970s where the dominant female players in this state went from women like Tremper, Hibbard, and Ihlandfeldt who were winning titles well into their forties, to predominately college golfers or those who had recently graduated. It’s a shift that is still in effect today, as seen in the Montana State Women’s Amateur Championship leaderboards where top tens regularly appear to be all-star teams of college golfers from around the state. In fact, since 1976, only one golfer over the age of 25 has won the State Women’s Amateur, the great Joanne Steele who won the event for the second time in 2009 at the age of 38.
In 1984 the Big Sky Open had its largest field ever of 187 entrants, with familiar names like Tremper, Hibbard, Jewell Lee, and the eventual winner, Susie Knight. However, by the end of the decade the event was struggling not only to find host courses, but to attract high level competitors like when it first started in 1965. As the demographics of elite women’s golf in Montana were shifting younger, the Big Sky Open being scheduled in late September, meant that the best players were in college playing for their respective colors. Tremper, Hibbard and Ihlanfeldt never had those collegiate athletic opportunities.
Having become something of a cross
between a mid-amateur and a senior event, the Big Sky Open sputtered along without an identity throughout the nineties, roughly half of those years organizers had to cancel the tournament due to lack of interest from both courses and participants. By 1999 it was gone for good. After three and a half decades the power of tradition could not match the pace of cultural change. A once proud event that hosted the best of Montana golf slowly dissolved into non-existence.
Why don’t women between the ages of 2645 play as much competitive golf as the same cohort would’ve in the 1960s and 70s? This is a question I posed to Shanda, our brilliant rules expert, who has perhaps more wisdom in this area than anyone I know. Considering that the last few years have experienced record-breaking growth in women’s participation in golf, one might think that would correlate to more competitors of that age range showing up to high-level events like the Women’s State Amateur or State Match Play Championships.
A couple salient points that Shanda explained was on the one hand “women after the age of 24 typically can no longer play on parents’ memberships and usually cannot afford to join a country club or pay daily green fees.” Cost hindrances are especially true today, at least in Montana, where housing prices and ability to afford groceries, let alone children, are pressing concerns for many young adults.
Another important aspect that Shanda explained to me was that along with more involvement in the workforce, moms “are now busy taking their own children to practice or ball games and do not have the time to play in the Big Sky Open.”
Certainly, time and money have a way of influencing things, and a lack of both doesn’t result in more competitive golfers. It’s not
always easy to take off for several days and spend hard-earned dollars on hotels, gas and food when there are many other pressing concerns.
Maybe there’s something more as well to what Shanda said about how golfers at the Big Sky Open were “pretty much playing for fun.” Having worked in the golf industry for her entire adult life, and even once owning a small business called FUNdaMental Golf & Learning Center, Shanda certainly has a keen insight on what works and what doesn’t when it comes to getting people to enjoy their time on a golf course.
“Many of todays players just like to play for fun and are less competitive,” she says, “That is why the Senior Tour is so popular.”
The National Golf Foundation has an interesting stat to consider as well: 28% (7.9
million) of “on course” golfers in the United States were females in the year of 2024, which is the highest ever recorded. However, “Off-course only participants”, stuff like Topgolf, clinics, lessons and other club activities, found that women were at a 43% participation rate. A fairly significant difference. Perhaps these “off-course participants” are in the “fun” category of golfers that Shanda was talking about.
As we turn the corner on a fantastic 2025 season of MSGA Amateur Championships and Senior Tour days, these are some of the conversations going on as we look forward to curating next years offerings and beyond. Don’t worry about us trying to revive the Big Sky Open, but we are always searching for new avenues in which to serve our membership, whether it’s the high-level competitors or those who are out for just a bit of fun.
Longtime friendly rivals, Jane Hibbard (left) and Helen Tremper (right) squaring off in a dueling postion at the 1970 Big Sky Open.
INTRODUCING GHIN
BY EMILY HULSEY MSGA MEMBERSHIP OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Ready for a Challenge? GHIN Challenges is coming soon to the GHIN app!
GHIN Challenges is a virtual competition at a featured course. During the Challenge, which can range from 1-4 weeks long, scores you post at that course are automatically included on a virtual leaderboard, using your total Net Score (Adjusted gross score –Course Handicap – Total par for tees played).
To participate, you must:
• Be an active MSGA member
• Have an established Handicap Index®
• Have the GHIN app
• Play at least three 18-hole rounds at the featured course
After posting a score at a course hosting a Challenge, a pop-up message will display allowing you to join the Challenge. Additional scores will be added to the Challenge after posting, with a ranking on the leaderboard after the 3rd score. All of the scores you post during the Challenge are considered, using the top three. If multiple courses are hosting a Challenge, golfers can join only one at a time.
GHIN Challenges is a fun way to be part of a competition, at your own time and pace!
The MSGA will feature several Challenges in October, with the winners receiving great prizes! Watch our website and social media channels for more information about a GHIN Challenge scheduled in your area!
20 - 406GOLF - OCTOBER 1, 2025
GHIN CHALLENGES
1. Who introduced you to golf?
My parents introduced my two sisters and me to golf. We grew up in Miles City and played at the Town & Country Club (a very nice 9 hole course). My grandparents also played, so they would take us out, too.
2. Who influenced you most in your golf life?
My parents – they introduced me to the game, and they are still my golf partners on a regular basis (they’re members at Laurel, too, and we try to make a trip to Bandon Dunes together every year).
3. How did it feel to win the Montana State Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship this year at Laurel GC?
It was fun! I haven’t played competitive golf in a long time, but I’m a member at Laurel and live near the course, so it seemed like a good time to get back out there. I was quickly reminded that playing competitive golf feels a lot different than a weekend round with friends and family, but I had a great time and I got to spend a couple of mornings when I would’ve otherwise been working at the golf coursel.
4. Outside of Old Works, what is your fa-
vorite course in Montana and why?
Whitefish Lake (North Course). My grandparents spent a lot of summers at Flathead, and we would go visit them and play golf in the area. I always liked the Whitefish courses, and my family and I played in the 4th of July tournament there for many years. The North Course is the site of my only hole in one (so far) and my husband also has a hole in one on the North Course (different hole).
5. What is a dream golf course you’d like to play once?
There are many, many courses on my list, but I’ll go with an obvious one – St. Andrews.
6. What is your dream celebrity foursome (living or dead)? Why would you choose them?
Caitlyn Clark – She’s a golfer, and as a former basketball player and now a fan, she seems like she’d be fun to play a round with.
Scottie Scheffler – The best golfer in the world at the moment, so it would be fun to see just how far apart his game is from the rest of us.
Steph Curry – There’s a theme here with the basketball players, but I’ve always been
a Steph fan since his college days, and he’s a great golfer. I lived in San Francisco when the Warriors drafted Steph, and I used to see him at Whole Foods in his early days in the league.
7. What’s your most memorable moment on a golf course?
Meeting my now husband on the first tee at Old Mac (one of the courses at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort).
8. If you could change one thing about the game of golf what would it be?
I’d go back to the old drop from shoulder
height rule. I think this was intended to be a player friendly rule change, but dropping a ball from knee height will always feel awkward.
9. What advice would you give to beginner golfers?
Stay patient and remember it’s supposed to be fun. That’s actually good advice for me, too.
Bonus: Lay up or go for it? Go for it!
Ashley Cortez after winning the 2025 Montana State Women's Mid-Amateur Championship that was held at Laurel Golf Club
GOLFING THE SAVANNAH
BY IAN HULSEY MSGA Membership Services Coordinator
Golf is a worldwide sport. Played and beloved by millions, it continues to grow and thrive, especially in recent years. For example, the World Handicap System (WHS), implemented in 2020, is working to unify the game around the globe. It is currently used in 130 countries, which includes a healthy list of associations. From mountains, coastlines, forests, and savannahs, golf links find their home everywhere.
Vibrant, exotic, and mysterious, Africa shines as an example of what golf can really be. When my wife and I arrived this summer, we were mainly thinking about the coming Safari. But golf soon became a driving factor of interest in this vast continent. Take a little tour with me!
First stop, South Africa.
What do you need for a perfect game of golf? (Besides hitting under par) Two significant factors are good weather and good courses. South Africa has both. Most golfing meccas have just one, like Great Britain. Sure, it has first-class courses rich with quality and history…but the weather? Gloomy, cloudy, rainy.
Not all the time, of course, I’ve enjoyed some sunny days in England – but those tend to be less numerous. Not ideal for an outside sport.
You won’t find that here. South Africa is warm and dry, while avoiding the extremes. Year-round, 60’s and 70’s are very likely to be in the forecast, with a few high 80’s sprinkled in. It’s got the courses, too. One of the first recorded courses in the country was the Cape Golf Club, established around 1885 in Cape Town. Later, it was renamed the Royal Cape Golf Glub, and it remains one of the country’s most prestigious and well-respected courses to play. As the resources continued to grow, so did the locations. Cities like Johannesburg and Durban quickly laid the foundations for their golfing communities as well. Other local favorites include the Gary Player designed Leopard Creek Golf Club, with a polished layout and views of elephants across the river. Where else can you see that while playing a round? For a more challenging experience, try the Jack Nicklaus designed St. Francis Links, showcasing towering sand dunes and sloping greens guarded by deep bunkers.
South Africa also has a rich tournament history as well. The first official Open Championship was held in 1903, one of the oldest in the world. Initially a competition populated by
British and Scottish players, it quickly became a place for local talent to flex their skills, to prove what they were made of. Out of the 20th century came some of the game’s most recognized and respected players, all born and raised South Africans.
For example, Bobby Locke rose to fame and won four open championships in the 1950’s. Arguably the most famous South African golfer, Gary Player, won nine major championships, including three Masters titles. He also became a promoter and ambassador for
Elephants are part of the unique wildlife found near golf courses in South Africa
the game in South Africa, designing several world-class courses such as the one mentioned earlier. In our modern timeframe, South Africa continues to roll out famous players. A shining example is Ernie Els. His smooth, effortless style earns him the nickname “The Big Easy”.
The stunning and uniquely diverse landscapes, the rich history, and the pleasant weather of South Africa make this, in my mind, one of the premier golf destinations on our planet.
Next stop, Zimbabwe.
One of my biggest takeaways from this region is the people. Warm, dynamic, and hospitable are just a few qualities in this area that I won’t forget. These qualities translate to the golfing community as well. The original foundations of the game were built by the heavy British influence of the early 20th century. They brought their refined, tried-andtrue methods to the links. At first, golf in this area was only played by colonial officials and the privileged. But as time marched forward, the locals became entranced by the game and popularized it.
Among the first clubs built in Zim was The Royal Harare Golf Club around 1890. The 13th hole is appropriately called “the island”, as you navigate a green surrounded by water. The Zimbabwe Golf Association was formed in 1980, which helped to stabilize and fuel the
game’s growth even further. The immaculately kept greens and challenging obstacles showcase how proud Zimbabweans are of their courses. Another gem is the Elephant Hills Golf Club, blending golf with jaw-dropping views of the nearby Zambezi river and, of course, Victoria Falls. The dry season from May to October is fantastic for golfing, as temperatures are mild and rainfall is minimal.
As I was having conversations with the locals, I mentioned golf. It blossomed from there. They excitedly rattled off several courses that “everybody” plays, so many I could hardly keep enough mental notes to keep up. They love it. They were so humble and more than happy to show us around. They considered hosting us and our other activities a privilege. If you haven’t yet experienced a true African Safari, it was one of the unforgettable highlights of my life. This place surprised me in more ways than one. I could fill a magazine with the experiences, but I don’t want to irritate our gracious editorial staff.
Basically, as we come down to the short game, Southern Africa is a unique treasure. What other place in the world can you swing a club near a wild elephant, or near a roaming lion’s back yard? As the game of golf continues to grow around the world, who knows what other treasures are waiting to be discovered? Just don’t forget your golf bag, like I did.
Beautiful golf courses are found all over Africa.
CLEAN UP ON FAIRWAY 3
BY PETE GRASS
CERTIFIED GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT, RETIRED
Last month’s article was all about the good and bad of trees on a golf course. This month I will continue about trees but in a little bit different “light”. Speaking of light, what environmental factors cause deciduous or leaf trees to change color and eventually drop their leaves each fall? The major ones are reduced daylight hours and cooler temperatures (frost and freezing). What causes the leaf color to change, the trees stop sending water and nutrients to that year’s leaves, and they then lose the green chlorophyl and depending on genetic variety, eventually turn generally orangish or yellow. When the vascular system to the leaf is completely closed, that leaf will fall off and the trees’ energy focus is already into prepping the health of next year’s leaf buds.
On a golf course, in your home yard, a city park or other natural area, leaves changing color and falling is a very stunning beauty of nature. The difference between the golf course and those other areas is that at home, in a park or other areas, people are not trying to find a very small, sometimes colored the same as fallen leaves colored round object called a golf ball multiple times over a huge area.
I know I sound like a broken record (glad that vinyl is making a comeback so even young people may get that expression) but again
depending on the number of trees on a property and the maintenance budget/off season labor at that golf facility, the ability to keep fallen leaves under control varies significantly. Another major factor is that the more variety of tree species you have, the more different timing of leaf fall that occurs. At Hilands Golf Club we have over 800 trees on 9 holes (43.5 acres). The first tree to turn color, an Ohio Buckey starts the 3rd week in September and the last species, Golden Willows don’t lose their leaves until Thanksgiving. That means DAILY cleanup of some leaves for over 10 weeks or 2.5 months. That takes a lot of labor, equipment, fuel and frustration trying to “beat” mother nature and keep a course playable. If you have a home with trees on your property (or your upwind neighbors do), I am guessing at some point in time, you have completed cleanup of the leaves in your yard, just to have wind completely destroy all of your hard work. Now times that feeling by 40150 acres worth and hopefully you will have some understanding of the maintenance staff frustration wherever you play. 10 minutes of wind can totally ruin 10 hours of cleanup and raise Superintendents’ blood pressure by 10% or more.
This time of year, be thankful to still have days nice enough to enjoy a round of golf. Understand that a typical golf course leaf cleanup plan prioritizes greens, then tees and fairways,
usually blowing leaves into the roughs for then, eventually pickup or mulching. As the same can be said for losing a ball in the rough in the middle of golf season, don’t complain about losing a ball in the rough during leaf season, the entire course just physically can not be leaf free every hour of every day in these fall months. If you are going to have a fit about losing a ball, then I suggest you still enjoy a nice fall day but change your routine to play whatever club you know you can hit the fairway with and make that the challenge rather
than a traditional golf attitude. Thank goodness technology has provided our industry with much more efficient equipment (turbine blowers, sweepers) to expedite the leaf removal process. 50 years ago, when I first started at Hilands, at the end of September, golf came to a stop because there was no way to keep the course clear of fallen leaves. Please be thankful that times, budgets and equipment have changed to allow golf through fall and even early winter depending upon where you live in this beautiful state.
Fall season maintenance of the golf course includes picking up leaves for nearly three full months.
USGA
PNW PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Canyon River Golf Course in Missoula recently hosted the PNW PGA Professional Championship. Held September 16-18, the three round event had 107 entrants, consisting of some of the best professionals in the entire northwest competing for a purse of over $80,000.
Bainbridge, Washington’s Austin Hurt managed to claim his second victory in the event, winning by six strokes with a cumulative score of -19 (197). The first round alone
saw Hurt record 10 birdies as he got out to an early lead that he would not relinquish the rest of the way, and with the win Hurt took home $10,000
Leading the Montana players were a couple of Iron Horse pros, Brandon Dixon and Ryan Oliver who tied each other for 26th place at -2 (214). They each took home $940.83. Joining those two in the top third of the field was Kalispell’s Ryan Malby who finished in a tie for 36th with an even par score of 216, which earned him $770.
For full results of the PNW PGA Professional Championship, CLICK HERE
Washington's Austin Hurt claimed victory at the recent 2025 PNW PGA Professional Championship at Canyon River Golf Course in Missoula.
PNGA SENIOR AND SUPER SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
For the first time in 30 years the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) hosted a golfing event on Montana soil, the PNGA Senior and Super Senior Championships at Old Works Golf Course. The mid-September event drew in some of the most elite players in the northwest, a three-round showcase of the talent found throughout the region. With the MSGA having recently joined the broader PNGA network, high-level tournaments like these, among a host of other benefits, are now accessible for Treasure State golfers.
The Montana contingent of golfers showed up well too in the inaugural PNGA event, five total ending up in the money. MSGA Hall of Famer Bill Dunn led the way and was even battling for first place throughout most of the tournament. He had a first round of -4 (68) which included seven birdies, putting him just one stroke out of the top spot.
Missoula’s Dunn kept pace with a handful of low scorers atop the leaderboard throughout the second round and into the first half of the third round, but a couple bogeys on the back nine dropped him a few spots and he wasn’t able to pick up the extra strokes the rest of the way, despite scoring an eagle of the par five fifteenth hole. Dunn ultimately finished in seventh place with a final score of +2 (218), earning $150 for his efforts.
Two-time Montana State Senior Tournament champion Jerry Pearsall (Billings) joined Dunn in the top ten, finishing in a tie for ninth place at +4 (220). Also in the money was Matt Sheridan (Missoula) and Todd Sisson (Bozeman) who tied each other for 18th place at +6 (222), and Brad Grattan (Whitefish) who finished in a tie for 20th
place with a three-round score of +7 (223).
Spokane’s Nate Hair won the event at -1 (215) after a two-hole playoff with Tom Herrick (Olympia) and Yi Bae (University Place). Rounding out the top five was former Seattle Mariners pitcher, Erik Hanson, and Pocatello’s Darren Kuhn who tied for fourth after finishing with a score of even-par 216.
In the Super Seniors division, Marshall Bettendorff (McAllister) was the lone Montana representative in the top half of the field, finishing in a tie for fifteenth place at +13 (229).
Happy Valley, Oregon’s Pat O’Donnell won the Super Seniors by three strokes and was the only player under par at -3 (213).
For full results of the PNGA Senior and Super Senior Championships, CLICK HERE
MSGA Hall of Famer, Bill Dunn, teeing off at the PNGA Senior and Super Senior Amateur Championships. Dunn finished in 7th place.
MONTANA STATE FOUR BALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Buffalo Hill Golf Course in Kalispell hosted the Montana State Four Ball Championship this past September 20-21, the final MSGA championship event of the season. It was another exciting finish with some familiar faces and some new ones too atop the leaderboards.
While most golfing events focus on singular performances, Four-Ball’s team format offers a fun alternative and still manages to maintain the high-level of competition that mark other MSGA tournaments. Held for the first time in 2021 at The Briarwood Golf Club in Billings, the Montana State Four-Ball Championships have rotated around some of the best golf courses in the state, this time around competitors headed up to beautiful Buffalo Hill.
In the overall men’s division, the dynamic duo of Sean Ramsbacher (Missoula) and Maxwell Milton (Polson) took home the title by two strokes with a two-round score of -9 (135). For Ramsbacher, who was the 2024 Mid-Amateur champion, this is his second Four-Ball victory, the only competitor to achieve multiple titles in its five-year existence. Milton meanwhile collected his first
MSGA Championship, and as one of the best young golfers in the state no doubt it won’t be the last.
There was a tie for second place at -7 (137) between two Kalispell area teams, the contingent of John Morberg and Travis Mays with Ken Bush and Ryan Santa. Rounding out the top five at -6 (138) was another tie between Missoula’s Kyle Weaver and Mike Mattson with the Helena team of Grady Stinchfield and Nicholas Balcken.
In the mixed gross division Buffalo Hill’s club champion, Stella Claridge, along with Ryan Buls utilized their course knowledge to capture the title with a final score of -6 (138). It is the first MSGA Championship for the pair. Following Claridge and Buls was the teams of Brad and Cheryl Grattan who finished at -4 (140) and in third place was Bozeman’s Wyatt and Lauren Nielson at -1 (143).
The Grattan’s ended up taking the net mixed division with a final score of -13 (131). Brad was the 2022 Montana State Senior Tournament champion. They were followed by the Nielson’s and the Claridge/Buls team who tied for second at -9 (135).
For full results of the Montana State Four Ball Championship, CLICK HERE
SENIOR TOUR FINALE
After a third eventful season of the popular MSGA Senior Tour, the grand finale took place September 22 at one of Montana’s best courses, The Wilderness Club. It was a beautiful fall day as sixteen qualifiers in each of three divisions (Legends, Masters, Prestige) competed for both Gross and Net titles.
In the Men’s Legends Division (age 60+) Bozeman’s Doug Solberg won the Stableford Net title, collecting 53 points over the round. Solberg’s day was bolstered by four birdies (holes 2, 8, 9, 13). Kalispell’s Bruce Scott meanwhile took the top spot in the Stableford Gross with 54 points. Scott’s round of
even par 72 was highlighted by five birdies (holes 4, 6, 8, 11, 13).
Great Falls’ Bruce Clark won the Men’s Masters Division (age 70+) Stableford Net event with 60 points while Polson’s John Kelley took the Stableford Gross title with 48 points.
In the Women’s Prestige Division (age 60+) there was a tie between Helena’s June Briceno and Glasgow’s Marj Markle who both collected 60 Stableford points in the Net event. In the Stableford Gross Bozeman’s Sue Peterson took home the win with a total of 30 Stableford points.
For full results, CLICK HERE
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Senior Tour Finale participants celebrating a wonderful season of events.
JACKIE MEE AND CONNOR HAUSAUER INDUCTED
INTO CARROLL COLLEGE HALL OF FAME
Libby’s Jackie Mee and Bozeman’s Connor Hausauer, along with five other individuals, were recently inducted into the 2025 Carroll College Athletics Hall of Fame Class. Both having graduated in 2015, Mee and Hausauer were formally recognized for their achievements on the golf course at a recent homecoming ceremony held September 27th.
Mee, a former Montana State Mid-Amateur Champion in 2023, is described in a recent Saints announcement as “Inarguably the best Carroll Women’s Golfer of all-time”, due to her accomplishments as Frontier Con-
ference titlist in 2013, along with holding the program record for lowest career scoring average. Jackie is the first female golfer inducted to the Hall of Fame in Saints history and joins her brother Jimmy who was inducted in 2023.
Hausauer meanwhile was “one of the greatest golfers in Carroll history,” with a long list of individual wins including a Frontier Conference individual title run in 2014.
Hausauer, who was an MSGA Boatwright Intern, now has his name on the Gene Cook Cup as a member of Valley View's winning team this year. The Fall of 2013 Hausauer held the second-lowest scoring average in the entire NAIA. He also was a two-time Academic All-American.
Congratulations to Connor and Jackie on honors well deserved!
Connor Hausauer (left) and Jackie Mee (right) pose with Carroll College head golf coach, Bennett MacIntyre, at the recent CC Hall of Fame ceremony.
had back-to-back rounds of 70 that included eight birdies and was the only competitor that finished under par.
Battlin’ Bear teammate Tyla Potgieter finished six back of Metcalf to end up in second place overall with a final two-round score of +2 (146).
Other RMC golfers in the top ten included Kadence Fischer who finished in seventh at +6 (150), and Kirsten Smith who tied for tenth at +11 (155).
The Montana Tech women’s team got in on the record breaking as well, with not one but TWO broken records for a single round score. It started during the first round when Senior Kodie Hoagland broke her own record that was set the week previously, with a score of -1 (71). With four birdies and an eagle,
Hoagland had the first under par finish in program history.
Not to be outdone, Senior Emma Woods broke Hoagland’s record the next day after finishing her second round at -4 (68), setting a new program record as the first Montana Tech woman golfer to post a score in the sixties. After bogeying the second hole, Woods was flawless throughout the rest of the round, notching five birdies and the rest at par.
Fittingly, Woods and Hoagland tied each other for third place at +3 (147), followed by Oredigger teammate, Casha Corder, who finished in a tie for fifth at +5 (149).
Ellie Stastny led the way for Carroll College with a twelfth-place finish at +12 (156), and Zoie Ceartin was the top golfer for Provi-
Rocky Mountain College's Kristjan Burkelca broke a program record and was titlist at the Dickinson Sate Invitational.
dence, ending up in 29th place at +39 (183).
RMC won the team event by ten strokes over Montana Tech, finishing up with a cumulative score of +14. Carroll College finished in fifth at +81.
For full results of the Dickinson State Invitational, click here, CLICK HERE
MSU-BILLINGS MEN AND WOMEN’S GOLF TEAMS AT THE TRAVIS ROY MEMORIAL INVITATIONAL
The MSU-Billings men’s and women’s golf teams got their seasons underway recently at the Travis Roy Memorial Invitational at the Powder Horn Golf Club in Sheridan, Wyoming. Held OCTOBER 1-16, South Dakota Mines hosted the two-round event.
Last year Orraya Tipasathien broke countless program records, and she began the 2025-2026 campaign in similar fashion, tying her own Yellowjacket program record for lowest 36-hole score at E (144). Tipasathien had matching rounds of 72 and even recorded an eagle on the same par-5 hole six during each round on her way to a fourth place finish.
Following Tipasathien in the top half of the field was Ella Tannenberger who finished in a tie for thirteenth place at +9 (153), and Kyleigh McGowen who ended up in 22nd place at +12 (156). As a team the Yellowjackets finished in fourth place out of twelve teams with a cumulative score of +39 (615).
For full women’s results, CLICK HERE
The men’s team meanwhile finished in eighth place with a final total score of +30 (606). Playing in his first collegiate tournament, freshman Aubrey Kelley caught fire in
MSU-Billings freshman Aubrey Kelley with a fourth place finish at his first collegiate tournament.
the second round, posting a score of -3 (69), which vaulted him up the leaderboard by twenty spots. The former Montana Class A state champion finished up in a tie for fourteenth place at +3 (147).
Joining Kelley in the top half of the field was Kaopun Akmaneenin who tied for 21st place at +5 (149).
For full men’s results, CLICK HERE
EVA HEINZ SHINES AT THE YELLOWSTONE INTERCOLLEGIATE
If Montana State golf fans were worried that the program might see a downturn this year with the loss of All-Conference golfers Scarlet Weidig and Becca Tschetter, their fears were alleviated within the first few weeks of the collegiate season. Junior Eva Heinz has been on an absolute tear to bring in the new year, breaking records, winning
tournaments, and making a case for being the next Bobcat golfer to make the leap into the top tier of the Big Sky Conference. Along with Heinz, newcomers Norah Seidl, Sailor Graham, and Ashleigh Wilson are all making some noise thus far, each already with a top ten finish at the most recent Yellowstone Intercollegiate.
Hosted by MSU at Riverside Country Club in Bozeman, the Yellowstone Intercollegiate had eleven teams at the early September event, including the University of Montana Grizzlies and several others coming from the Big Sky Conference. As the only team under par throughout all three rounds of competition, Montana State once again put the rest of the conference on lookout as they cruised to a fifteen stroke victory over CSU Northridge with a final cumulative score of -16 (848). Even more interesting was the fact that MSU had a different player lead the field through each individual round.
Eva Heinz was the big story of the tour-
Eva Heinz broke a Big Sky Conference single-round record and was titlist at the Yellowstone Intercollegiate.
nament however, breaking a program and Big Sky Conference single round record for low score after posting a blistering first day performance of -10 (62). She had a whopping nine birdies on the day (holes 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 13, 16, 17) and one eagle which was recorded on the final par-5 eighteenth hole. The score obliterates an MSU record of 66 that was previously held by Lauren Greeny and bested the Big Sky Conference record by two strokes, which was previously held by Northern Arizona’s Lizzie Neale.
Heinz wasn’t done quite yet either, posting ensuing rounds of +1 (73) and E (72), which gave her the easy victory by five strokes over California Baptists’ Samantha Dizon. Nobody even came particularly close throughout the three rounds as Heinz managed her emotions and continued to execute on the course, leaving her with an overall score of -9 (207).
Tied for third place was one of the Bobcat newcomers, Norah Seidl, who ended her three rounds with a final score of -3 (213). The Tulsa transfer vaulted up the leaderboard after recording the lowest third round score in the field, -4 (68).
Playing as an independent, incoming freshman Sailor Graham likewise led the field with a -2 (70) score in the second round, en route to a fifth-place finish at -2 (214). Right behind Graham in sixth place at -1 (215) was last year’s Big Sky Conference and Montana State Match Play Champion, Maddie Montoya. Also in the top ten was another newcomer, Ashleigh Wilson who finished in a tie for eighth with an even par three round score of 216. Two-time Montana State Amateur winner, Lauren Greeny, meanwhile overcame a sluggish first round to end up in the top third of the field at +2 (218) in a tie for thirteenth place.
Right behind Greeny was the reigning Montana State Women’s Amateur Champion, Raina Ports, who was the top University of Montana golfer, finishing in 15th place at +3 (219) overall. Playing in her first collegiate tournament was the record-breaking high school champion out of Frenchtown, Katie Lewis, who finished up in 32nd place at +11 (227). As a team UM finished in eleventh place.
For full results of the Yellowstone Intercollegiate, CLICK HERE
Montana State's Norah Seidl led the Bobcats with an eighth place finish at the Kalispel Invitational in Spokane.
GRIZZLIES AND
BOBCATS
AT THE KALISPEL INVITATIONAL
The Montana State and University of Montana golf teams were at the Kalispell Invitational, September 22-23, competing over three rounds against twelve other teams at the Kalispel Golf & Country Club.
MSU kept up their solid play to start the season, having established themselves once again as top-tier in the Big Sky Conference. As a team the Bobcats finished up in third place at +22 (886), behind Gonzaga at +14 and Santa Clara at +4.
Montana State was led by Tulsa transfer
Norah Seidl, whose final round included three birdies and zero bogeys en route to a score of -3 (69). She jumped up the leaderboard by fifteen spots that final day for an eighth-place finish.
Seidl was joined in the top 20 by a couple freshman, Ashleigh Wilson and Sailor Graham, who finished with three round scores of +4 (220) and +6 (222) respectively.
The Griz meanwhile finished in ninth place as a team with a cumulative score of +40 (904). Reigning Montana State Amateur winner was UM’s only player in the top twenty, having tied for the twentieth spot at +7 (223).
For full results of the Kalispel Invitational, CLICK HERE
BY TY SPARING
MSGA COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
EASTERN CLASS A DIVISIONALS AT LAKE HILLS GOLF CLUB IN BILLINGS
Livingston’s Anna Lende cruised to a fivestroke victory at the Class A girls divisionals at Lake Hills Golf Club, finishing her single round with a score of +2 (74). Her colorful front nine included four birdies with three
straight at one point, followed by a back nine where she hit ever par. For Lende this is her second win of the season, having captured the Beaver Head Golf Course Invitational back in September.
In second place was Billings Central’s Jordan Nielsen at +7 (79), followed by teammate Berkley Park in third at +11 (83), Izzy Baisch (Sidney) finished fourth at +13 (85), and Kaitlin Ferris (Billings Central) ended up in fifth place with a single round score of +15 (87).
With three girls in the top five, Billings
Central ran away as a team, finishing at +51, forty-eight strokes ahead of second place Park High School.
The boys individuals had a tie for first place between Livingston’s Stuart Gentry and Laurel’s Grady Wilder at +1 (73). Stuart’s brother Sawyer finished up in third at +3 (75), Caleb Fornshell (Billings Central) ended up in fourth place at +4 (76) and there was a three way tie for fifth at +6 (78) between Colin Jensen (Billings Central), Royce Taylor (Laurel), and Kason Brown (Lewistown).
Led by brother Gentry, Park High School came away with a three stroke team victory over Laurel, with a final cumulative score of +22.
For full results of Class A Eastern Divisionals, CLICK HERE
WESTERN CLASS A DIVISIONALS AT HAMILTON GOLF CLUB
Two of the top boys golfers in all of high school were both competing in the Western Class A Divisionals at Hamilton Golf Club on September 26. The reigning Montana State Junior Champion, Brady Powell (Corvallis), and last year’s Class A State Champ, Max Milton (Polson) battled it out at the Hamilton Golf Club in what may be a preview of the final pairing in the state event.
This time around Brady Powell came out on top with a first-place finish as the only golfer under par at -3 (69), helped by five birdies over the round. Powell’s teammate Tag Jessop snuck ahead of Milton for the
The Hamilton girls team took first place at the recent Western High School Class A Divisionals.
second place spot with five birdies himself, finishing up with a score of even par 72. Milton was one stroke back at +1 (73), followed by Dylan Wirt (Corvallis) in fourth place at +4 (76), and in a tie for fifth at +5 (77) was Silas Zetterberg (Frenchtown) and Oliver Rowe (Ronan).
With three players in the top four, Corvallis ran away with the team victory with a score of +8, followed by Frenchtown at +35 and Polson at +39.
On the girls side Hamilton’s Cameron Burnett finished up with a seven-stroke win at +4 (76). For Burnett it marks the fourth tournament victory of the season, and she’ll be on the short list of female competitors battling it out at the state tournament in Sidney.
In second place was Ryhlee Scott (Whitefish) with a score of +11 (83). Tied for third place was two Dillon teammates, Skylar LaPierre and Briley Alberi, who finished up at +14 (86). Bryn Cianflone (Hamilton) meanwhile rounded out the top five at +16 (88).
Playing at their home course, Hamilton won the team event by five strokes at +84, followed by Whitefish in second at +89, and Dillon in third place at +98.
For full results of Western Class A Divisionals, CLICK HERE
AA EASTERN DIVISIONAL TOURNAMENT AT EAGLE FALLS GOLF CLUB IN GREAT FALLS
Held September 24-25, the High School Class AA divisionals were the first post-season golfing event underway this fall season. Playing two rounds at Eagle Falls Golf Club in Great Falls were competing over a chance to play in the state tournament in early Oc-
tober at the historic Butte Country Club.
The Class AA boys individual state title might be the most wide open of all, with eight different tournament winners this year, and probably as many other competitors who didn’t win yet this season but have the talent to take it all come October 2-3.
CM Russell’s Jack Pinski was the eastern divisional winner playing in his hometown. Pinski, who was titlist in this year’s Butte High School Invitational, won by two strokes with a final score of +2 (144).
Following Pinski was Isaac Mosser (Skyview) and Ryan Dailey (Gallatin) who tied for second at +4 (146). Billy Benjamin (Skyview) and Benson Lauermann (Gallatin) meanwhile tied for fourth place at +6 (148).
Bozeman High School won the boys team event by four strokes over Gallatin, with a final cumulative score of +28 (596). CMR came in third at +46 (614).
On the girls side Billings Senior’s Payton Tryan won by four strokes with a final score of +14 (156). Tryan had previously won the Billings City Meet back in August.
In second was Belgrade’s Lilia Troxel at +18 (160), followed by Breckin Frederick (Gallatin) in third place at +20 (162), Anna Fenhaus (Billings West) finished fourth at +22 (164) and in fifth place was Bozeman’s Kira Connell at +23 (165).
For full results of the Eastern AA Divisionals, CLICK HERE
AA WESTERN DIVISIONAL TOURNAMENT AT NORTHEN PINES GOLF COURSE IN KALISPELL
Missoula Big Sky’s Zoey Loberg took home the girls victory by five strokes at the
Class AA Divisionals at the Northern Pines Golf Course in Kalispell. Finishing up at +25 (169) over the two-rounds, Loberg had a tournament low score of +8 (80) in the second round to overcome a three-stroke deficit to win by five. It was her second win of the season, having one the season’s first event back in August, the Missoula Intercity Meet.
Following Loberg were Glacier teammates Maggie Mitton at +30 (174) in second place, and in third at +32 (176) was Kendall Tkachyk. Capital High Bruins’ Harlow Anderson took the fourth spot at +37 (181) and in a tying for fifth place at +38 (182) was Helena High’s Harlow Anderson and Glacier’s Vaida Cole.
Glacier won the team event by thirty-eight strokes over Helena High, finishing up at +142 (359) overall. In third place at +223 was Missoula Big Sky
Glacier’s Luke Nelson won the boys side
of things with a two stroke victory over last year’s Class AA State Champion, Missoula Sentinel’s Hudson Goroski. Nelson’s tworound score of -6 (138) was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 eighth hole during Friday’s second round.
Goroski meanwhile finished in second place at -4 (140). Nelson’s teammate Torren Murray took the third spot at -2 (142), while John Gilbert (Capital High) finished in fourth at -1 (143) and Sentinel’s Jack Schaefer took fifth at +2 (146).
With two players in the top five, Sentinel won the team event with a score of +11 (288). That was three strokes ahead of second place Glacier who finished at +14 (294) and in third place was the Capital High Bruins who ended up at +40 (318).
For full results of the Western AA Divisionals, CLICK HERE
Glacier's Luke Nelson captured the individual victory at the Western AA High School Divisionals.
CHAMPIONSHIP BUNKER PREP: SOFT FLOORS, FIRM FACES
BY BRIAN WHITLARK REGIONAL DIRECTOR, WEST REGION
Championship golf should ask the best players difficult but fair questions. One reliable test is bunker firmness. For elite mid-amateur golfers, firm sand often promotes high-spin recovery shots with plenty of control. Our target for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Troon Country Club and Troon North Golf Club in Arizona was to prepare the bunkers so that the sand surface does not fully support the weight of a golf ball. When a ball settles into the top layer, sand will interfere with club-to-ball impact, making it more difficult for even the best players to impart spin. Trajectory and distance control are also harder to predict, which leads to more-difficult bunker shots.
The method used to create these bunker conditions during the 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur is straightforward and repeatable. With sand depths of approximately 5-6 inches in the bunker floor, the crew dragged a “hula hoe” through the top inch to slice and lift
the sand. This created a uniform, soft surface with firm sand below rather than deep fluffy conditions. The team used an Accuform bunker rake to smooth the surfaces and leaf rakes with long teeth to maintain softer but not fluffy conditions. “Fried-egg” or buried lies were not the goal!
Bunker faces were prepared the opposite way. Paint rollers or the back of a rake were used to smooth and seal steep areas and entry and exit points so balls release to the bunker floor rather than plugging in the face. This pairing of firm faces and softened floors produces good aesthetics, but more importantly results in the desired playability – fair but challenging.
The move to soften the sand in the bunker floors was a bit of an audible a few days prior to the official start of the championship. The agronomy team handled this adjustment with poise, and I would like to acknowledge the professionalism of host superintendents Seth Miller and Brad Anderson, along with their entire teams.
Bunker maintenance is serious business at championship events.
Getting the bunkers prepared for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Troon Country Club in Arizona.
