Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame
Bob Olds, the longtime head golf professional at the Minnetonka Country Club enjoyed a competitive playing career and an even more accomplished vocational career during his four decades of service at the club (1970-2008). He won the St. Cloud Pro-Am, the North Oaks Pro-Member, the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am (1987), and qualified for the National PGA Club Professional Championship four times. More significantly, for his influence at the state and sectional level, was his participation on the Minnesota PGA Section Board of Directors, from 1975-1984, which culminated in his serving as President (1981-1982). In 1982, he was named the Minnesota Section PGA Golf Professional of the Year. A friend to all and a mentor to many, Olds was instrumental in establishing the Minnesota PGA Junior Golf Academy, in forming a goodwill match-play competition between professionals and amateurs, the annual MGA-PGA Cup Matches, in 1977, and as the moving force in the creation of the Minnesota Women’s Open Championship, which Minnetonka Country Club hosted from 1985-1987.
Mike Barge holds the distinguished honor of being the oldest Minnesota State Open champion winning in 2006 at the age of 51 years, 10 months, and 19 days. Although born in Trimont, Minn., Barge graduated from Fargo South High School in 1972, the same year he won the North Dakota Junior Amateur and the State High School championships. He has spent much of his career as the director of golf instruction at Hazeltine National Golf Club, where he has mentored numerous state golf champions and was recognized by the Minnesota Section of the PGA as its Teacher of the Year two times. Barge knows how to finish a golf tournament having won a Section Stroke Play and two Match Play championships, four Senior Stroke Play championships, the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am, and the Minnesota Senior Open. He has qualified for 25 PGA Professional and Senior Professional championships, including three USGA Senior Opens and two PGA Senior championships. In 2012, Barge was inducted into the North Dakota Golf Hall of Fame.
Hilary (Homeyer) Lunke, was a standout junior player, winning the Minnesota State Junior Girls’ Championship, in 1996, and the Class AA Girls’ medalist title while helping Edina win the high school team title in 1997. She attended Stanford University and played on the women’s golf team, where she won two collegiate tournaments and was a four-time All-American. Lunke won the 2001 South Atlantic Amateur and earned a spot on the USGA’s Curtis Cup and World Amateur teams. She joined the LPGA Tour in 2002 and a year later won her first professional title, the 2003 U.S. Women’s Open at Pumpkin Ridge, in dramatic style. After 72 holes, Lunke was tied with Angela Stanford and Kelly Robbins forcing an 18-hole playoff. At the final playoff hole, Lunke needed a 15-foot birdie putt to win, and she sent the curling putt to the center of the cup for the championship and the record book. With husband Tyler on the bag, Lunke was the first Open champion to advance through Local and Sectional qualifying, joining two other Minnesotans as National Open Champions: Patty Berg and Jerilyn Britz. In 2008, Lunke’s LPGA peers recognized her with the William and Mousie Powell Award for best representing the spirit, ideals and values of the LPGA.
