Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2022 - 3

EDITOR'S
L E T T ER
Out of Office
It
pays to get out of the office and watch or work an
MGA event, even if it means taking your life in
your hands, or in a recent case, driving through
a monsoon near Spicer. The Minnesota State Junior
Boys' Championship at Little Crow Country Club went
through two weather suspensions during the second day's
final round, which had to be postponed until the following
morning because the course had become unplayable
with temporary water everywhere, and much to everyone's
consternation. On the way back to the Twin Cities,
the heavens opened up quite biblically, giving the surrounding
corn and soybean fields a well-timed quenching.
If you've heard the expression, " white knuckles, "
you get the picture. All that was missing were the flying
monkeys and Dorothy's ruby red shoes.
More pertinently, local golfer Peyton Coahran, who
had just made back-to-back birdies before play was suspended,
returned the next day and carded two more
birdies to win on his home course.
With Ben Greve's recent win at last month's MGA Amateur
Championship at Olympic Hills Golf Club in Eden Prairie,
he becomes the 23rd player to have won both the State
Amateur and the State Open. He is also the 12th former
Gopher player to achieve the distinction, joining the ranks
of Minnesota Golf Hall of Famers Lee Herron, Pat Sawyer
and Tom Lehman. Not only that, Greve becomes only the
second champ since 1948 to win the Amateur on his home
course. His 2-over par-218 total is a testament to the challenging,
flaxen fescued prairie-style course, which underwent
a complete renovation by architect Ron Pritchard.
Tony Finau, the Utahn with roots in the South Pacific,
came from 5 shots behind to win the 3M Open and
earn $1.35 million. Finau, who has family in the Twin
Cities, maintains that the annual trek to the Land of
10,000 Lakes is his opportunity to take the family fishing.
Speaking of fish, the 3M field donated 303 golf balls to
the water features that line several fairways and greens at the
TPC Twin Cities layout located in Blaine, and a treasure trove
of Titleist, Srixon, Callaway and Bridgestones for whoever
" The 3M Open
helped raise $1.5
million for local
charities. "
dredges the ponds after tournament week. Accordingly, the
3M ranks first in lost golf balls, 14 more than runner-up
Honda Classic hosted by PGA National's Champion course.
More pertinently, the 3M Open helped raise $1.5 million
for local charities.
Taylor Ledwein, a two-time state AAA high school champ
from New Prague, posted a final-round 68 at the recent
MGA Women's Amateur at Rochester Golf and Country
Club. It was timely given she came from four shots behind to
catch the leader, Leah Skaar, for the win. The two competitors
are familiar, as Ledwein defeated Skaar on the final hole
earlier this summer to win the MGA Women's Match Play.
Returning visitors to the A.W. Tillinghast design near
the Mayo Clinic would not know the place. Once known
as the tightest golf course in Minnesota, the club completed
a restoration of the 1915 course by Tom Doak,
which included the removal of 2,200 trees. The resulting
vistas of the golf course and clubhouse atop the
bluffs just west of Rochester's downtown are striking.
I should get out of the office more.
See you on the tee.
W.P. Ryan, Editor-in-Chief
mngolf.org
Fall 2022 MINNESOTAGOLFER
3
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2022

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