EDINA, Minn. (Oct. 28, 2025) – University of Minnesota Evans Scholars Chapter House Vice President Bryson Schenck was named the 2025 Minnesota Golf Association’s Fritz Corrigan Evans Scholar of the Year at the MGA’s 2025 Annual Awards Dinner, Oct. 27 at Town & Country Club of St. Paul. Along with Schenck, the MGA honored outstanding players, volunteers, and club representatives for their contributions to the amateur game of golf in Minnesota. They include: Skip Hambright, as the MGA Giles Kobilka Award winner, and Braemar Golf Course, as the MGA Member Club of the Year.
The evening’s highlights also included recognition of Mark Aldrich, Lynn Anderson, Ava Hanneman, Max Tylke, Sam Udovich and Kathryn VanArragon as the MGA Players of the Year. (see this link to a press release dated Oct. 24, 2025).
The MGA Fritz Corrigan Evans Scholar of the Year award is bestowed annually to an Evans Scholar from the University of Minnesota Evans Scholars Chapter House for outstanding achievement in academics, leadership and community service.
Schenck, 21, is a senior at the University of Minnesota, majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Biomedical Engineering. Following in the footsteps of his older brothers, Brandon and Ryan—both Minnesota Evans Scholar alumni—he caddied at Hazeltine National Golf Club for eight years.
The past two summers, Schenck has served as both an Operations Intern and a Mechanical Design Intern at RxFunction, where he contributed to CAD modeling, research, prototype testing, and 3D printing.
In addition to his academic and professional work, Bryson has served on the Executive Board of the Minnesota Evans Scholars House for the past two years as Vice President of House Operations, overseeing building maintenance, general upkeep, and security.
He will graduate in the spring of 2026 and plans to pursue a career in the engineering sector.
The Chick Evans Scholarship program is a four-year college scholarship for deserving caddies sponsored by the Western Golf Association in association with the MGA. There are currently a record 1,260 Evans Scholars attending 27 universities around the country.
In 1996, the MGA renamed the Evans Scholar of the Year award in honor of Fritz Corrigan, a long-time supporter of the Evans Scholarship program who helped establish the Evans Scholars Chapter House at the University of Minnesota.
Giles Kobilka Award
The MGA is proud to announce Skip Hambright as the recipient of the 2025 Giles Kobilka Award, which honors outstanding volunteers whose dedication and service embody the spirit of the MGA’s mission and elevate amateur golf throughout Minnesota.
Originally from Kansas City, Mo., Hambright relocated to Minnesota in 1968 to begin a 30-year career at IBM in Rochester. With expertise in materials management, financial analysis, and planning, he retired in 1998 but continued as a part-time consultant for another six years, all while deepening his ties to the game of golf.
Hambright became an active member of Maple Valley Golf & Country Club, where he eventually served as president of the men’s league. That leadership experience would lay the foundation for nearly two decades of service to the MGA and the Minnesota golf community.
In 2005, following a chance conversation with staff at an outreach event, Hambright stepped into the role of MGA Regional Course Ambassador. A year later, he began volunteering at association tournaments across the southeast region, in addition to the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open held at Interlachen Country Club—a career highlight for many MGA volunteers.
That same year, Hambright founded the Med City Golf Club, a Type 2 club without real estate, and has remained its driving force ever since. In 2010, he expanded his volunteer role further, becoming an MGA Tournament Rules Official and being elected to the Board of Directors. His contributions only grew from there.
By 2014, Hambright was serving as Southeast Regional Vice President and was named to the MGA Executive Committee, positions he still holds today. His leadership is characterized by a thoughtful approach, a collaborative spirit, and a passion for growing the game.
Beyond the MGA, Hambright has also been a steady force for youth development through his long-standing involvement with First Tee. Since 2010, he has served as a volunteer, lead coach, and board member, and in 2019, he became chairperson of the Rochester First Tee Advisory Committee, continuing to inspire the next generation of golfers.
The MGA Giles Kobilka Award is named in honor of Giles Kobilka, who passed away in 2020 after nearly 50 years of service. Known for his warm personality and deep commitment to volunteerism, Kobilka set a high standard for those who follow. Skip Hambright lives up to that legacy with every tournament, meeting, and coaching session—leading with integrity, heart, and an enduring love for the game.
Member Club of the Year
Braemar Golf Course was named the 2025 MGA Member Club of the Year in recognition of the facility’s support of the MGA Associate Member program and willingness to host MGA championships and qualifiers.
Braemar Golf Course sits in Braemar Park in southwest Edina on land that was planned for park and recreation use beginning in the 1950s. City leaders first proposed a municipal golf course in 1956, and the municipality purchased much of the Hayes/Marth farm acreage through a bond issue as the park plan developed.
Construction of the original facility began in early 1963. The initial scope included an 18-hole regulation course, a driving range and a par-3 (nine-hole) course; the first round was played on July 22, 1964. From the start the name reflected Edina’s Scottish roots — “Braemar” was chosen after the village and course in Scotland.
Through the 1960s and 1970s Braemar quickly became one of Minnesota’s premier public venues. It hosted the PGA Tour’s Minnesota Golf Classic in 1969 and drew national attention when it was the site of the 1979 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. The course also built a reputation for community programming and inclusive golf —partnering with the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in 1979 to expand adaptive golf opportunities.
As golf architecture and environmental priorities evolved, the City of Edina launched a major redevelopment of Braemar in the mid-2010s. Work began in late 2016 to transform the older 27-hole layout into a single, more modern 18-hole championship course designed by Richard Mandell. The redesign emphasized playability for a wide range of golfers, wider fairways and — importantly — environmental restoration: expanded wetland buffers and a significant oak-savanna restoration were incorporated into the plan. The new championship course opened to the public in May 2019.
Braemar GC has been a longtime host of MGA events and USGA qualifiers. In 2025, it hosted the inaugural Minnesota Adaptive Open, with champions Max Togisala (Men’s), Sarah Beth Larson (Women’s), and Steve Husome (Senior). Additionally, they co-hosted the 2008 and 2025 MGA Mid-Amateur Championships, won by Adam Dooley and 2025 MGA Men’s Player of the Year, Max Tylke, respectively. Previous MGA championships held at Braemar include the 2002 and 2010 Junior Team Championships, the 2000 Mixed Amateur Team Championship, and the 1998 Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, won by 2025 MGA Senior Women’s Player of the Year, Lynn Anderson.
Currently, Braemar GC actively supports the MGA’s non-profit mission through its MGA Associate Member program (1,192 active members) using the GHIN service. In recognition of this service to the game, the club received a plaque and will be featured in the 2026 Spring issue of The Minnesota Golfer, the official publication of the MGA.
About Town & Country Club
T&CC, established in 1887 as a social and athletic club, began spreading the gospel of golf immediately after opening a nine-hole golf course fashioned by George McCree in 1895. A few years later, the club officials brought aboard Robert Foulis, a protégé of Old Tom Morris, to design a new golf course, which opened in 1898. The fashionable St. Paul club originally housed in a clubhouse designed by famed architect Cass Gilbert and opened in 1890, has hosted numerous state amateur tournaments including nine MGA Amateurs and eight Minnesota Women’s Match Play championships.
About the MGA
Founded in 1901, the Minnesota Golf Association (MGA) serves as the governing body for amateur golf in Minnesota. The MGA administers the Rules of Golf, conducts major state championships and USGA qualifiers, and provides key services including handicapping, course rating, and golf news through The Minnesota Golfer magazine and mngolf.org.
Through the MGA Foundation, the association is dedicated to making golf more accessible to all Minnesotans, fostering personal growth and community through the game, and ensuring the sport’s sustainability for future generations.
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