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Area golfers continue to have success in SDGA golf championships
Area golfers continue to have success in SDGA golf championships
Roger Merriam, Watertown Public OpinionThu, July 23, 2026 at 8:03 AM UTC·3 min readArea golfers continue to have success in SDGA golf championships
Duane Broek of Watertown won the Men's Masters Championship in the South Dakota Golf Association Senior and Masters Match Play Championships that ran Friday through Sunday, July 17-19 at the Meadowbrook Golf Course in Rapid City. (South Dakota Golf Association)Tournaments held each summer for men, women, boys and girls
Area golfers continue to have success in SDGA golf championships
Tournaments held each summer for men, women, boys and girls
Tournaments held each summer for men, women, boys and girls
Area golfers continue to have success in 2026 South Dakota Golf Association championships.
Recent events have included the SDGA-Sanford International Series Championships on Monday, July 21 at the Sutton Bay Golf Club in Agar, SDGA Senior and Masters Match Play Championships July 17-19 at the Meadowbrook Golf Course in Rapid City, SDGA Men's and Women's Amateur Championships July 10-12 at the Elmwood Golf Course in Sioux Falls and the SDGA Husband-Wife, Senior Husband-Wife and Masters Husband-Wife Championships June 27-28 at The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHere are highlights for area golfers from each of the recent events:
SDGA-Sanford International Series
Clark-Willow Lake High School standout Brynn Roehrich of Watertown won a two-hole playoff over Olivia Braun of Aberdeen to win the girls division title in the series championship. Both golfers shot 1-over par 73s. The tourney featured the top 12 golfers from the summer series.
Claire Crawford of Aberdeen finished third with a 4-over 76. Gabi Olson of Watertown finished 12th with an 88.
Tyson Lunn of Brookings topped the 24-player boys division by beating Cooper Shuman of Brandon in a three-hole playoff. Lunn and Shuman each fired even-par 72s. Jonathan DeBoer of Twin Brooks took sixth with a 74 and Harper Schnabel of Aberdeen 16th with an 80.
Men's Senior & Masters
Steve Beardsley of Rapid City, a 1971 Watertown High School graduate, and Duane Broek of Watertown each won division titles in the tourneys.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBeardsley won the Men's Senior Championship with a 3&2 win over Rob Hollan of Sioux Falls. Beardsley advanced to the finals with a 3&2 win over Jason Pieper of Watertown.
Broek won the Men's Masters Championship with a 4&3 victory over Chuck Eide of Sioux Falls.
Men's & Women's Amateur
Defending champion Jake Olson of Watertown made a strong bid to repeat in the Men's Amateur before ending up in a tie for fourth with a 7-over par 209 (68-69-72).
Parker Edens of Brookings, Olson's golf coach at South Dakota State University, topped Dakota Munger of Pukwana on the first playoff hole to win the tourney. Edens (67-68-71) and Munger (69-67-70) each finished at 10-under 206.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOther area golfers who finished in the top 40 were Watertown native Charlie Jacobson of Sioux Falls (tied for 19th, 216), Bob West of Watertown (tied for 29th, 220) and Ty Lenards of Watertown (34th, 221).
In the Women's Amateur Championship, Kaitlin Strain of Rapid City held off Braun to win the tourney. Strain finished with a 1-over 217 (76-70-71) and won by three shots over Braun (72-76-72). Roehrich tied for fifth at 225 (78-71-66) and Olson took 12th at 239 (81-81-77).
WATERTOWN'S WESTS: Former Watertown High School golfers win SDGA Two-Man Amateur tourney
Alan and Joan Hegerfeld-Baker of Volga won the Husband-Wife Masters Championship with a 15-over par 159 (83-76), topping the field by three shots.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWatertown golfers Mark-Lisa Williams (third, 166), Arlo-Colita Remmers (fourth, 166) and Steve-Beverly Mack (eighth, 170).
In the Husband-Wife Seniors Championship, Scott and Jackie Witlock of Aberdeen took fourth with a 7-over 151. Mike and Mary Wicks-Neuroth took sixth at 154 and Todd and Monica Hanten of Goodwin took seventh with a 157.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Area golfers continue to have success in SDGA golf championships
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