July 20, 2018 at 5:15 p.m.
Northern Exposure
Minocqua Country Club set to host Wisconsin State Amateur's first Northwoods visit
Northern Exposure
It's not just a first for Minocqua Country Club, it's a first for the Northwoods area as a whole. Never before has the State Am been played north of Wisconsin Highway 29, which bisects the state from Green Bay to Wausau to River Falls.
But after holding two previous successful Wisconsin Golf Association Championships and the 2011 Wisconsin PGA Assistant Club Pro Championship, the club received a request from the WSGA to play host to the 2018 State Am.
"It's a beautiful area and a fantastic golf course that the top amateurs in the state are going to love," WSGA executive director Rob Jansen said. "But for the event to happen, it takes a supportive club and membership and we definitely have that at Minocqua (Country Club)."
The course, transformed into an 18-hole championship layout by architect Ron Garl in 2000, will be the stage for a tournament that lists former U.S. Open champ Andy North and 12-time PGA Tour winner Steve Stricker amongst its champions.
"Our membership has been 'all in' from the standpoint of planning and preparations," the Minocqua Country Club board of directors said in a statement. "From providing free housing to competitors, planning great meals, assisting in final course preparations and volunteering for a multitude of tasks, we're all hopeful your time spent with us will be memorable."
Here are five things to watch during the 72-hole tournament which will run Monday through Thursday.
The course
Minocqua Country Club is in pristine condition as it readies to host its first State Am. The par-72 layout will stretch to around 6,750 yards for the upcoming tournament.
With a number of big hitters in the field, the length of the golf course will not likely be the overriding challenge for the week. The undulating greens with several tiers, ridges and landing areas will put an emphasis on accuracy and distance control as well as test the players' short games.
"A lot of the difficulty is around the green," MCC PGA professional Dave Kemnitz said. "It's going to be really fun to see how the WSGA sets the pins and gets the speed of the greens going."
Still, with at least three of the four par 5s reachable for most everyone in the field, and a number of shorter par 4s on the front nine, there will be plenty of chances to score well, especially if rain softens the course.
"I think it's going to be under par," Kemnitz said when asked to predict a winning score. "I'm going to throw out 5-under par, something like that. I think under par would be great but, with the par 5s, they'll be able to take advantage of the length of the par 5s with three of them very reachable and the fourth one borderline."
The contenders
Eau Claire's Matt Tolan is looking to become the first repeat winner of the State Am since Ryan Quinn in 2001 and 2002. Last year, Tolan - a sophomore-to-be at the Universty of South Dakota - matched Quinn's 72-hole scoring record of 273 as he shot 7-under-par to win by four strokes over former University of Wisconsin player Eddie Wajda.
"I don't think there's that much pressure for me," Tolan said of his title defense. "It's such a big tournament and I'm not going to put too much pressure on myself. I know my game and I know I have the ability to compete again at that tournament. I'm just going to go out there and have a fun four days and see with the result gives us."
Wajda isn't in the this year's field of 162 players, but nine other players who were among the top 10 and ties are. They include Ben Skogen of Onalaska (T-3rd), Jacob Michel of Lodi (5th), Jack Schultz of Whitefish Bay (T-6th), Samuel Anderson of Stoughton (T-6th), Phillip Johnson of Colgate (9th), Hunter Eichhorn of Carney, Mich., (T-10th), Emmet Herb of Middleton (T-10th), Matthew Bachmann of Sheboygan Falls (T-10th) and Brian Murtagh of Milwaukee (T-10th).
The field also includes this year's State Match Play runner-up, Josh Thomas of Nekoosa and two other match play semifinalists - Tolan and Charles Maleiki of Mequon.
Romo
No player is going to enter the tournament with more hype and buzz than Burlington's Tony Romo (see related story P. 13). Romo, of course, is in his second season of retirement following a long stint as the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and is a more than capable golfer.
He's on form after reaching the Round of 16 in the State Match Play earlier this summer and he comes in having won the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in South Lake Tahoe, Nev., last weekend.
Local connections
There are several area players in the field this week who hope to be in the mix come Wednesday and Thursday's final rounds.
Minocqua Country Club president John Hogan is wearing multiple hats in the tournament. Not only is he essentially the tournament host, he's on the WSGA board and - as the reigning club champ at MCC, he also earned a special invitation into the tournament. At 65, Hogan is the oldest player in the field.
He's joined in the field by Lakeland Union High School golf coach Scott Howard, who shot 76 in a qualifier in Kaukauna to make the field.
Several local players also made it into the field through a qualifying event June 21 at Timber Ridge Golf Course in Minocqua.
Those who qualified include Mercer's Michael Kowaleski, who took home medalist honors with a round of 72. Merrill High School junior-to-be Russell Dettmering is in the field along with three players from Rhinelander - Ben Opsal, Josh Willis and Kass Schoppe - all of whom placed in the top eight at the Timber Ridge qualifier.
Eagle River's Garth Glister rounds out the list of participants from the tri-county area. The prospect of playing in a local State Am was a draw for many of the players.
"I've been looking forward to it ever since I heard it was up in Minocqua," Opsal said after qualifying at Timber Ridge. "It's a fantastic course and it's kind of like a home game for us in Rhinelander."
Spectator info
There will be plenty of areas for spectators to watch the tournament. The 18th hole plays into a natural amphitheater and makes for a great stage to finish the championship. Several other viewing spots a short walk from the clubhouse will provide a chance to view multiple holes.
Spectators are also encouraged to walk around with their favorite player or players, as long as they do not interfere with play.
Admission is free for the event. Spectators are asked to park at Lakeland Union High School, where a free shuttle will be taking patrons to and from the course every 20 to 30 minutes. Lunch will be available on the grounds and souvenirs will be available at the pro shop.
Also remember to bring along a copy of your State Amateur Preview booklet, found as an insert in today's paper. A limited number of copies of the publication will also be available on-site.
Lakeland Times sports writer Nick Sabato contributed to this report.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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