Hanneman Claims Spot in Begay Junior Championship; Spalding Wins Boys Qualifier with 132

PRIOR LAKE -- Carter Spalding rattled off three birdies on each of the nines at The Meadows at Mystic Lake earlier this week and also made an eagle while shooting an 8-under-par 64 in the second round of the Minnesota Regional qualifying for the Notah Begay III Junior National Championships, which will be held in Kinder, La., in November. That gave him a 36-hole total of 132, and earned medalist honors for him. 

But here's the question: Which was more impressive -- Shooting a score that was 12 under for two rounds, or going 36 holes without a bogey?

Spalding, who will be a senior at Woodbury this fall -- he concluded his junior year by tying for 13th in the Class AAA portion of the state high school tournament this spring -- started the qualifier with a birdie at the 412-yard, par-4 first hole at The Meadows, and added three birdies in a row at the fourth, fifth and par-5 sixth holes, then followed that with 12 consecutive pars on the way to a first-round 68. He birdied the first hole again in his second round and eagled the 320-yard, par-4 fourth and added birdies at the 372-yard, par-4 eighth and the 418-yard, par-4 ninth in the process of putting up a 5-under 31 on the front nine. He capped off his second string of three consecutive birdies at the 501-yard, par-5 10th. He got his fifth and sixth birdies of the round at the 442-yard, par-4 15th hole and the 150-yard, par-3 17th.

There was one other spot available for the boys in the national tournament, and Tyson Sparks of Muskego, Wis., claimed it by shooting 68-66--134.

Joe Honsa, who ended his sophomore year at Cretin-Derham Hall by finishing second in the AAA part of the state high school tournament to Jake Birdwell of Spring Lake Park, was third in the Begay qualifier. He opened with a 73 but came back with a 68 in the second round for a 3-under aggregate of 141.

There was only one spot in the Began tournament available for the girls, and Candy Hanneman got it with a 69-70--139. It is said that if you can play the par 3s in even par or under, you will post a pretty good score. That, basically, was what Hanneman. The soon-to-be junior at Orono -- she finished fifth in AAA at the 2023 state high school tournament -- was 4 under on the par 3s and 5 under overall. 

She got into red numbers by make a birdie at the 160-yard, par-3 second hole in Round No. 1 and birdied the 136-yard, par-3 seventh, as well, on the way to a front-nine 34. Her back nine wasn't quite so tidy. She made two birdies and two bogeys in the first six holes, but got to 3 under for the round with a birdie at the 130-yard, par-3 17th.

Hanneman made her one bogey on a par 3 at the second hole at the beginning of her second round. She also bogeyed the fourth (289 yards, par 4), but she made three birdies, including another 2 at the par-3 seventh. In addition to being minus 4 on the par 3s, she was minus 2 on the par 5s, thanks to her second birdie of the qualifying at the 461-yard, par-5 10th, and the last of her six birdies during the round was her second in a row at the par 3 17th. She made two bogeys and three birdies on each nine while shooting the second-round 70.

Emree Cameron, who came from Nevada, Mo., to play in the qualifier at The Meadows, finished second, six behind Hanneman at 145 (75-70). She was 5 under through 17 holes in her second round, but finished with a triple-bogey 8.

Reese McCauley, who will try for her third state Class AAA high school title next spring when she'll be a senior playing for Simley (she's home-schooled), was third with a 149. She opened with a 75 and made a double bogey at the par-3 second in Round 2, but birdied three of the next six holes, and was back to 2 over par overall for the 27 holes she had played. So she was six behind Hanneman at that point, and probably still had an outside chance to get the one spot, but that went out the window when she started the back nine with a triple at the par-5 10th and a bogey at the 11th.   


Minnesota Regional Qualifier for Notah Begay III Junior National Golf Championships

At The Meadows at Mystic Lake

Prior Lake

Boys 14-18 Division

Par 72, 6,718 yards

Final results (2 spots available for the national tournament, which will be played in Kinder, La., in November)

1. Carter Spalding, Woodbury                 68-64--132

2. Tyson Sparks, Muskego, Wis.              68-66--134

Did not advance

3. Joe Honsa, Mendota Heights              73-68--141

T4. Andrew Ballou, Victoria                      71-72--143

T4. Andrew Ramos, Blaine                       70-73--143

6. Ryan Nutter, Houston                           73-72--145

7. Patrick Hastings, Wayzata                    72-74--146

T8. Brayden Larson, Faribault                  77-70--147

T8. Landen Rogala, Maple Grove.            73-74--147


Girls 14-18 Division 

Par 72, 5,760 yards

Final results (1 spot available) 

1. Ava Hanneman, Orono                          69-70--139

Did not advance

2. Emree Cameron, Nevada, Mo.              75-70--145

3. Reese McCauley, Inver Grove Heights. 75-74--149

4. Jovie Ordal, Lakeville                             73-80--153

5. Jordana Windhorst-Knudsen, Lake City  76-78--154

T6. Treva Dodd, Brookfield, Wis.                 76-79--155

T6. Madison Haugen, Brookfield, Wis.         77-78--155

8. Lily Vincelli, Rosemount                            84-81--165