BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – In the golf world, the Ryder Cup is one of the biggest events in the world every two years. The Dakota Junior Golf Association (DJGA) is holding a similar competition on Monday, in conjunction with the State Junior Championships at Riverwood.
The DJGA Cup features a pair of 12-person teams playing four-ball and alternate shot matches. Team Missouri River is captained by Gehrig Geiss, while Team Red River is led by Jake Skarperud.
At a tournament in Mandan earlier this summer, they set a new record with 147 kids playing in an event.
“It’s good to have the want, now we have to fulfill the need. So we’re working hard on our end to get all of those kids involved in all of the events that we can, and it’s just tremendous support from across the golf community, not just the DJGA side but the NDGA side also, so many of these events in Bismarck are filling fast,” said DJGA Director of Golf Chris Geiss.
The DJGA Cup matches will take place on Monday evening after the first round of the State Juniors. Junior golf in North Dakota statewide has grown under Geiss’ leadership.
“We’ve always had the ability to really make it special, and now to have the staff to put it together. The staff has increased; we have 14 people on the tournament side. We have about 40 people on the teaching side. The lessons are overbooked. People have joined the waiting list to join the lessons in all ages, so that’s our goal. We want to see everybody. If you play once a month, enjoys it. If you play once a week, if you play everyday— golf is for everybody, everybody get out and enjoy it,” said Geiss.
Eight of the 12 players on Team Missouri River are local athletes. There’s a trio from Mandan: Anna Huettl, Isabelle Hale and Brittyn Mettler. Megas Robb plays for Heart River High School. On the boys’ side are Beulah’s Champ Hettich and Century’s Lucas Schoepp and Parker Beck, plus Quinn Shillingstad from St. Mary’s.
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Source: Dakota Junior Golf Association holds competition
