MGA Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner Nov. 4
October 28, 2013 | 9 min.
EDINA, Minn. (Oct. 28, 2013) – The Minnesota Golf Association’s 113th Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner will be held on Monday, Nov. 4, at Brackett’s Crossing Country Club in Lakeville. The evening’s highlights include recognition of the MGA Players of the Year (in six categories); the MGA Warren J. Rebholz Distinguished Service Award winner; the MGA Fritz Corrigan Evans Scholar of the Year; five inductees into the MGA-PGA Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame; the MGA’s President’s Award winner (Volunteer of the Year); and the MGA Member Club of the Year.
“The MGA’s Awards Dinner is an occasion to celebrate our amateur champions and to recognize the contributions and outstanding achievements of those who have enhanced the game of golf in Minnesota,” says Ken Gerzsenyi, MGA president.
MGA Players of the Year
By design, MGA Players of the Year achieve the honor by consistently playing at the top of their game. Since 1975, the MGA has awarded player points for top finishes in MGA and allied association championships, as well as select regional, national and international events. Notable Minnesota golf champions who have achieved MGA Player of the Year honors in their respective categories, include: John Harris, the 1993 U.S. Amateur champion, Hilary (Homeyer) Lunke, the 2003 U.S. Women’s Open champion, and siblings Tim Herron and Alissa (Herron) Super, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour and the 1999 USGA Women’s Mid-Amateur champion, respectively.
The players listed in the following categories have earned the distinction, the 2013 MGA Player of the Year:
Junior Girls’ Player of the Year Sarah Burnham, (590 points). Burnham, 17, of Maple Grove, is a member of Rush Creek Golf Club. She had three first-place finishes this year, the Minnesota Women’s State Open Championship, the MSHSL Class AAA Tournament, and the Twin Cities’ Junior Championship. Burnham also had two second place finishes, at the Minnesota State Junior Girls’ and the Minnesota PGA Junior championships, and a tie for third at the Minnesota Women’s State Amateur Championship. She finished in a tie for sixth in the Minnesota Women’s Four-Ball (with partner Lexi Bollant), and she advanced to the semifinal round at the MWGA Match Play Championship. Burnham also qualified for the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, advancing to match play.
This is Burnham’s third overall MGA Player of the Year honor, and her second consecutive title as MGA Junior Girls’ Player of the Year.
Women’s Player of the Year Olivia Herrick, (507.5 points). Herrick, 25, of Dellwood, is a member of the Dellwood Country Club and Manitou Ridge Golf Club. She won the MWPGA Four-Ball Championship (with partner Kristen Wagner) and finished runner-up twice, at the Minnesota Women’s State Match Play and the MWPGA Match Play championships. Herrick finished third at the MWPGA State Public Links Championship, fourth at the Minnesota Women’s State Open and tied for fifth at the Minnesota Women’s State Amateur Championship. She also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, advancing to the round of 32 match play. This is Herrick’s second MGA Women’s Player of the Year honor.
Junior Boys’ Player of the Year Jack Holmgren, (170 points). Holmgren, 17, of Corcoran, is a member of Baker National Golf Club. Holmgren won twice this year, at the Minnesota State Junior Boys’ Championship and the Minnesota PGA Junior Championship. He also earned a seventh-place finish at the MSHSL Class AAA Tournament. This is Holmgren’s first MGA Junior Boys’ Player of the Year honor.
Senior Women’s Player of the Year Leigh Klasse, (667.5 points). Klasse, 54, of St. Anthony, is a member of Meadowbrook and Keller Golf Clubs. Klasse earned her fourth consecutive Senior Women’s Player of the Year title thanks to finishing five times atop the leaderboard. She successfully defended at the Minnesota Women’s Senior Amateur and the MWPGA Public Links Senior championships; she was victorious at the MWPGA Match Play and the Minnesota Senior Women’s State Match Play championships; and she took first place at the MWGA Senior Four-Ball Championship (with partner Mary Hoisser). Klasse earned three additional top-5 finishes: runner-up at the MGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, third at the MWPGA Four-Ball Championship (with partner Merridith Duellman-Joly), and fourth at the MWPGA State Public Links Championship. She finished sixth at the Minnesota Women’s State Four-Ball Championship (with partner Betsy Aldrich), and the MGA Mixed Amateur Team Championship (with partner JT Johnson). For the third consecutive year, she advanced to the round of 32 match play at the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur. This is Klasse’s eighth overall MGA Player of the Year honor.
Senior Men’s Player of the Year Jim Lehman, (265 points). Lehman, 55, of Plymouth, is a member of Windsong Farm. Lehman’s year was capped with a victory at the MGA Senior Amateur Championship, his first year eligible as a senior. He also earned the title of low senior at the MGA Amateur Championship and finished tied for fifth low senior at the MGA Mid-Amateur Championship. Lehman advanced to the quarterfinal round at the MGA Senior-Players’ Championship and qualified for the USGA Senior Amateur, advancing to match play. This is his first MGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year honor.
Men’s Player of the Year Sammy Schmitz, (753.75 points). Schmitz, 33, of Apple Valley, is a member of Valleywood Golf Course. He earned the bulk of his player points by winning the MPGA State Public Links, the MPGA State Mid-Amateur and the Twin Cities championships, plus five third-place finishes. Schmitz claimed second place at the MGA Mid-Amateur Championship, following a playoff, and also finished as runner-up at the Minnesota State Open and the Minnesota Golf Champions. In match play he advanced to the quarterfinals at the MGA Players’ and to the semifinals at the MGA Mid-Players’ championships. He also finished in a tie for sixth at the MGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship (with partner Jesse Bull).
This is Schmitz’s third consecutive MGA Men’s Player of the Year honor.
Warren J. Rebholz Distinguished Service Award
The “Rebbie” award was established in 1994 to honor individuals who, through their actions, have exemplified the spirit of the game of golf at its highest level and who have made a substantial contribution to the game in Minnesota, or on a national or international level.
Dr. Donald White, 83, of White Bear Lake, has been selected as the 2013 recipient of the MGA Warren J. Rebholz Distinguished Service Award. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. White has had a significant impact on the turfgrass industry locally, nationally and internationally. He began teaching at the University of Minnesota in 1961, where he taught several courses related to turfgrass science, landscape design and nursery management to many of today's superintendents throughout Minnesota and the United States.
As a scientist, Dr. White's most important contribution to turfgrass research was the development of a commercially viable annual bluegrass, Poa annua. His research led to the release of the first creeping bluegrass in 1997, and is being used by golf courses throughout the world including Pebble Beach. As an environmentalist, he was a huge proponent of prairie grasses and reduced impact grasses, later called “sustainable” turf. As an educator, his 45 years of passionate education touched many individuals who became professionals in the turf industry, both on and off the golf course. Before the USGA offered their on-course turf advisory services, Dr. White was providing consulting services on his own time to courses all across the Midwest.
His perseverance and drive have served the game well and his contributions to education and research have been invaluable to golf course superintendents in Minnesota and beyond. In 2006, the MGA and the Minnesota Section PGA recognized White’s career contributions by electing him into the Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame.
In addition, five new inductees to the Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame will be so recognized: Larry Murphy, 70, of Moorhead; Claudia Pilot, 56, of Brainerd; Rosalyn Wisen, 89, of Lauderdale; and Clive “C.T.” Jaffray and W.R. “Ray” Smith (the latter two posthumously).
Additional Award Winners
Awards for the MGA Fritz Corrigan Evans Scholar of the Year, the MGA Member Club of the Year and the MGA’s President’s Award (Volunteer of the Year) will be announced during the evening program on Monday, Nov. 4.
The awards program begins at 5:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Anne Colehour at the MGA office 952-345-3969.
About Brackett’s Crossing Country Club
Brackett’s Crossing has been an active supporter of amateur golf and MGA championships since the early 1970s. In that time, Brackett’s Crossing has hosted numerous MGA qualifiers and championships including: the 1973 and 2009 MGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championships, the 1993 MGA Amateur Championship, the 2003 MGA Mid-Amateur, the 2006 MGA Mixed Amateur Team Championship, and the 2012 MGA Women’s Mid-Amateur. In addition, Brackett’s Crossing has hosted several MGA Senior Tour events, as well as MGA Junior Team qualifiers. In 2012, Brackett’s Crossing was named the MGA Member Club of the Year.
Brackett’s Crossing actively supports the MGA’s non-profit mission through a large and active MGA Associate Members program, which includes more than 520 golfers, and has assumed an active role in adopting new handicap software and hardware testing.
About the MGA
Established in 1901, with the formation by seven golf clubs to organize the state’s most prestigious and storied golf championship, the MGA Amateur Championship, the Minnesota Golf Association is today the governing body over amateur golf in the state, responsible for administering the Rules of Golf, and committed to upholding and promoting the game of golf and its values for all golfers in Minnesota.
The MGA conducts 16 major amateur championships and nine USGA qualifying events each year. Thanks to the support of its member clubs and associate members, and the efforts of its volunteers and staff, the MGA provides a variety of services such as handicapping, course rating and measuring, an online golf news and information resource, www.mngolf.org, and an official publication, Minnesota Golfer magazine, which benefit all golfers throughout Minnesota.
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