Fittingly, the 19th Boys of Summer Cup provided the committee their most difficult decisions yet, as COVID-19 caused hardships worldwide. As Spring came and went and July 25th quickly approached, the committee decided to move forward with conducting the event and hoping to give the community something to celebrate. Social distancing precautions were put in place and 93 men and women enjoyed a weekend of friendship, competition, and entertainment.
Although the annual Boys of Summer Cup Junior Clinic was postponed until next year due to COVID-19 concerns, the committee was excited to announce they had partnered with Danny Sinksen and the Sioux Falls Golf Junior Tour to support junior golf development in Sioux Falls and the surrounding area.
The One Club Invitational was again hosted by the Country Club of Sioux Falls as 50+ golfers competed for the Carmody Coat and hoped for that one magical swing that would win the Ace Pot and more than $3500. No holes-in-one were recorded, but a 9-hole scoring record of 2 under par 25 was established by Will Grevlos. His round was highlighted by a birdie 2 on arguably the most difficult hole in South Dakota, the 231 yard seventh. It is likely the only 2 ever recorded on the seventh in OCI history…and may never be matched! Grevlos also birdied holes five and nine with his lone bogey coming at the sixth. Joining Grevlos in the Mini March were OCI Champions Mark Anderson (29), Michael Martin (30), Nate Houser (30) and defending champion Steve Friesen (30). Also making the Mini March cut with scores of 30 were Clay Koppin and Josh Aberson (Mini March NS).
Despite Martin setting a Mini March record by recording consecutive birdies on 1 & 9 and Anderson recording a birdie and par to tie Martin for second, Grevlos’ par birdie Mini March solidified his place in One Club Invitational History with the greatest performance to date and his first Carmody Coat.
July 25, 2020 brought 90-degree heat and sunny skies to the pristine Prairie Green Golf Course. The traditional challenging set up and brisk south winds would prove to test all in the field and identify the best golfers. 2004 Champions March Finalist Bert Olson captured the first trophy by winning the Sova Senior Chalice. His stableford score of 36 bested the defending and two-time Senior Division Champion Marty Mosher who played alongside Olson and posted 29. The newly formed Ladies Division saw Mary Kroeze erase a 2-stroke front nine deficit to clip Megan Sage by 4 strokes to capture the Green Goblet. Two time defending Golden Tee Champion Matt Krivarchka’s handicap index dropped below 6.5 and forced him a tee box back to the BOSC Division. The Christensen Trophy was won on the final hole when Matt Kayser’s par gave him a 1-point victory over Matt Krivarchka’s brother, Joe Krivarchka. Lastly, Nash Stenberg’s 76 captured the Boys of Summer Cup Junior Trophy for the Lincoln High School junior to be. All champions received $150 Prairie Green pro shop gift cards.
For the 17th consecutive year, Dan Grider, Sr. awarded a $500 scholarship won by Augustana University Men’s Golf Team member Hunter Von Bergen. Hunter is majoring in Business Finance and Business Management. 2020 marked $15,000 in scholarships awarded.
The Boys of Summer Cup division continued to provide a strong field and competitive golf. Notables included the reigning SDGA Junior and Amateur champion Jack Lundin, the reigning SDGA Match Play champion Bryce Hammer, the reigning SDGA Mid-Amateur champion Ryan Trasamar, and the defending Boys of Summer Cup champion Trent Peterson.
The low 4 scores (and ties) qualified for the 19th Champion’s March. Medalist honors was shared by Bryce Hammer, 2019 One Club Invitational champion Steve Friesen, and last year’s Medalist and the reigning One Club Invitational champion Will Grevlos; all with a score of 3 under par, 69. Hammer was making his inaugural appearance in the March while both Friesen and Grevlos were trying to avenge playoff losses from the year before. Joining them in the March with scores of 2 under par, 70 was the defending champion Trent Peterson and Matt Johnson. Johnson was making his second appearance in the Champion’s March and Peterson was attempting to solidify himself as the greatest champion in Boys of Summer Cup history by winning his fourth Cup in six March appearances.
More than 30 carts and over 75 spectators watched as the pressure was ratchetted up. The first Finalist to crack was Matt Johnson. His wayward 7 iron on the 171-yard par 3 eleventh hit a wall of wind and found the hazard short and right of the green. After a wedge and 2 putts, his double bogey 5 dropped him to Even par. Bryce Hammer’s up and down par from the no-mow right of the green kept the Cup within grasp and appeared to possibly be the turning point of the championship.
Through 2 holes of the Champion’s March, the leaderboard read:
HAMMER 2 2
FRIESEN 3 2
GREVLOS 3 2
PETERSON 2 2
JOHNSON 2 E
The third and fourth holes of the Champion’s March did little more to space out the field other than the defending champion Peterson calmly rolling in a 10-footer for birdie on the Par 5 thirteenth to take a one stroke lead. Hammer, Friesen, Grevlos, and Johnson all found their balls greenside in two, but none could manage an up and down for birdie and all settled for pars.
Through 4 holes of the Champion’s March, the leaderboard read:
HAMMER 2 2 2 2
FRIESEN 3 2 2 2
GREVLOS 3 2 2 2
PETERSON 2 2 2 3
JOHNSON 2 E 1 1
The forward tee was again utilized by the Set Up Committee at the Par 4 fourteenth. 286 yards separated the Finalists from the possibility of an eagle two en route to the Cup and a bogey or worse and certain disappointment for the ensuing year. Peterson had the honor and his 3-wood found the rough short and right of the front left hole location, approximately 40 yards from the flagstick. Hammer was next to play and his tee ball covered the bunker and stopped on the back right portion of the green leaving him a tricky 50-footer down a shelf with 10+ feet of break. Third up, Friesen’s laser flew on a line just right of the pin and rolled through the green onto the back-left fringe. He was facing a similar putt to Hammer but would have the luxury of watching Hammer putt first. Grevlos pulled a hybrid from his bag and bounced it through the bunker onto the green leaving himself a 25-foot uphill putt with only a few feet of break. Last to play was Johnson and he too found the green, just atop the shelf that Hammer and Friesen would be putting down but far closer.
With a shot never seen by the Champion’s March gallery from the three-time champion, Peterson flubbed his pitch and failed to advance it, even to the bunker let alone onto the green. However, Greats do not qualify for six Champion’s Marches without overcoming adversity and Trent played his third over the bunker to near tap in range, saving par. He was left to watch, hoping he would have at least a share of the lead after the eagle attempts from his playing competitors.
Hammer navigated the shelf but underestimated the right to left break and was left with five feet for birdie and a share of the lead which he later converted. Friesen, learning from the putt that he just watched, nearly holed his eagle attempt, and also carded a birdie three. Grevlos had arguably the easiest putt of the group and his 25-footer peeked over the high lip but did not fall. The three competitors had to settle for birdie, but had also just caught the defending champion on the penultimate hole. Not since 2015 had four Finalists shared the lead on the final tee box.
HAMMER 2 2 2 2 3
FRIESEN 3 2 2 2 3
GREVLOS 3 2 2 2 3
PETERSON 2 2 2 3 3
JOHNSON 2 E 1 1 E
All four co-leaders managed to find the fairway or first cut of rough at the Par 5 fifteenth. Hammer, Friesen, and Peterson all laid up to varying wedge distances as only Grevlos had the length to challenge the Par 5 in two. He chose 4 iron from 245 yards and shaped a screaming draw around the water guarding the front of the green. His ball scooted past the front right hole location and settled on the back third of the green some 40 feet from the hole.
Peterson’s wedge shot flew beyond the hole and failed to check up quickly leaving him 25 feet for birdie. Friesen’s lay up found the left rough making his wedge shot more difficult to judge the proper distance and spin. His approach landed soft on the front fringe leaving him 20 feet for birdie. Hammer’s wedge landed just in front of the flag and took one big hop and grabbed immediately, 12 feet behind the hole.
Grevlos played first and lagged his downhill eagle putt to four feet. Peterson was next to putt and he tried to use some body English and a leg extension to coax his ball into the hole. Unfortunately, it was not to be and he was left to settle for par. Friesen putted third and his 20-footer grabbed the high lip and spun out to the right. Hammer’s 12-footer looked hearted for the entire roll until it dove left at the last second, grabbing the low lip taking a sharp turn right of the hole. This left Grevlos four feet away from his first Cup, four feet away from overcoming his playoff defeat a year before, and four feet away from matching Wil Collins in 2008 as the only person to capture the Summer Slam, hoisting the Boys of Summer Cup while wearing the Carmody Coat. With Don Henley ready to serenade the new champion, the lefty calmly rolled in his four-footer with an emphatic fist pump!
Grevlos took a moment to speak to gallery, “I just want to say Thank You to everybody who puts on this tournament. This is my favorite tournament of the summer. Last year was such a disappointment, not winning, and to get it done this year means a lot to me. So, thank you to everyone, thank you to Prairie Green for hosting, thank you!”
The final leaderboard read:
WELL PLAYED WILL! SEE YOU AT BOSC XX!
GREVLOS 3 2 2 2 3 4
HAMMER 2 2 2 2 3 3
FRIESEN 3 2 2 2 3 3
PETERSON 2 2 2 3 3 3
JOHNSON 2 E 1 1 E E