Rask, Paulson Lead Minnesota Golf Champions at Minus 2

ST. LOUIS PARK -- Until last summer, Clayton Rask and Andy Paulson had traveled fairly similar paths as far as golf was concerned.

Both were high school stars (Paulson won a state championship while playing for White Bear Lake; Rask finished in the top four at the state high school meet four consecutive years); both played for the University of Minnesota; both were MGA Players of the Year (Paulson in 2006, Rask in '07); and both turned professional after completing their college eligibility. 

Then their paths diverged when Paulson decided to quit playing for money.

"It was tough to submit the form," he concedes. "But I was getting married, and I just needed to do something else."

But they were back in the same place on Friday at Minneapolis Golf Club, tied for first place after they both shot 2-under-par 70's in the opening round of the Minnesota Golf Champions, a kind of State Tournament of Champions that kicks off the competitive season in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

They're one stroke ahead of another former Gopher, Ben Greve, and a current Gopher, Robert Bell. 

Then came a group of five at 72, re-instated amateur David Christensen (a former State Amateur champ who went on to play on the Nationwide Tour) and four pros, including 14-time Minnesota PGA Player of the Year Don Berry, and Jeff Sorenson, the only other winner of the PGA Player of the Year Award in the last 17 years. Sorenseon won it in 2008, '09 and 2010. Berry has won this tournament five times, most recently an eight-stroke victory in 2010. Sorenson is also a former champion.

Also at even par are defending champ Brett Swedberg and former Gopher All-American Justin Smith. It was Smith who made the clinching putt when Minnesota won the NCAA team championship 10 years ago. 

As a former pro nine months removed from playing for pay, Paulson is in something of a golfing limbo. He's not a pro, but he's not an amateur, either. His status is that of "Amateur Awaiting Re-instatement." But he won't have long to wait. The former MGA Players and State Amateur champion (he accomplished a rare double by winning both crowns in '06) will officially become an amateur again on Aug. 7.

"I'm not planning on playing in more than two or three tournaments a year," he said, "and I want to have fun when I do it."

He must have had fun on Friday, beginning with birdies at the first two holes. He added birdies on both of the par-3's on the front nine, the 145-yard fourth and the 211-yard sixth, and he also birdied the daunting 217-yard, par-3 16th. But MGC was soft, the rough was lush, and the course played substantially longer than the official yardage of 7,045 yards. No one got around unscathed, and Paulson was nicked by three bogeys.

"I haven't played much," he said afterward. "Mostly, I've been working (for ChalkTalk Promotions). I hit balls the other night, and that was just the second time I've practiced this year. But when I have practiced I've been striping it. So I wasn't shocked by the way I played."

Rask, who has won the Minnesota Golf Champions title twice as an amateur (2005 and '07), spent 2011 on the Nationwide and was in the top 25 on the money list early in the schedule (if you end the year there, you move up to the PGA Tour), before injuries -- most notably one to his shoulder -- began to affect his game. He out of the top 60, and as a result lost his exempt status. 

"My shoulder is fine now," he said recently. "I've got a little problem with my elbow, but basically I'm good to go." 

He appeared to be in fine form earlier this week, when he tied for medalist honors in the U.S. Open Local Qualifying at Rush Creek. 

Like Paulson, Rask made three bogeys on Friday. If you worked out their best-ball score, it was 62. They didn't birdie any of the same holes, but they were both under par on the first hole (474 yards, par 5). Paulson, who is a long-hiiter, birdied it, but Rask, who is even longer, made an eagle. He birdied each of the other three par-5's (the 562-yard third, 500-yard 12th and 567-yard 15th, which meant that he played MGC's four par-5's in 5 under. 

Minnesota Golf Champions

At Minneapolis Golf Club

Par 72, 7,045 yards

St. Louis Park

First-round results (for complete results -- and hole-by-hole scoring -- go to the Minnesota Section PGA website: mnpga.bluegolf.com)

(a-indicates amateur, p-indicates professional, ar-indicates amateur awaiting reinstatement) 

T1. p-Clayton Rask, Crystal Lake GC                70

T1. ar-Andy Paulson, Bolstad/University GC    70

T3. a-Robert Bell, Bolstad/University                 71

T3. a-Benjamin Greve, MGC                               71

T5. p-Don Berry, Edinburgh USA                       72

T5. pJustin Smith, Bolstad/University                72 

T5. p-Jeff Sorenson, Columbia GC                    72

T5. p-Brett Swedberg, Alexandria CC               72

T10. a-Donald Constable, Spring Hill GC         73

T10. a-Troy Johnson, Rush Creek GC               73

T10. p-Bill Israelson, Vintage GC                        73

T13. a-McCabe Buege, Fox Hollow GC            74

T13. p-Ben Meyers, Medina G&CC                    74

T13. a-Colton Buege, Fox Hollow                       74

T13. p-Matt Norgaard, Somerby GC                   74

T13. p-Craig Brischke, Tanners Brook               74

T13. p-Tyler Obermueller, Troy Burne GC         74

T13. a-Adam Dooley, Albany GC                        74

T13. p-Jeff Kringen, Spring Hill                            74

T13. p-Eddie Wynne, Bolstad/University           74