It was a very good week for the Golfers of Watertown Jake and Gabi Olson.
Six days after his sister Gabi killed a junior golf golf record of the southern dakota association of 9 holes of 28 hols (7 sous) at the Lakeview Golf race in Mitchell, the older brother Jake closed the week by winning the 104th SDGA Men’s Match Championship on Sunday July 13, 2025, at the Prairie Green Course.
It is the first Champion of the Adult SDGA tournament for Jake Olson, who recently completed his first year at the South Dakota State University.
Other golfers in the region also had solid projections in the male, female and senior SDGA game championships. The male and female tournament took place in Sioux Falls and senior events at the Central Valley Golf Course in Hartford.
Olson wins the tournament
Olson continues to rewrite history for Watertown golfers. The graduate of the Watertown Secondary School in 2024 won individual class AA championships in 2021 and 2023, becoming the first Golfer Arrow to win two state titles since George Andree in 1949 and 1950. He also finished second in 2022. With Olson in the lead in 2023, the Arrow Boys won their first golf golf champion since 1971.
He was a triple champion of the Dakota conference in the south of the East at the school, triple golfer junior of the southern Dakota and double champion junior SDGA.
Olson, the son of Doug and Amber Olson, obtained an expression of qualification for the male game championship (an event that started in 1921) by reaching the semi-finals in 2024. This year, he went 3-0 in his pod to reach the Top 16.
“I did not get out of the best box, but I did a good job around the green myself and I played quite regularly throughout the tournament,” said Olson.
After reaching the top 16, Olson beat Derek Anderson de Tea 3 & 2 and survived Jon Burns de Sioux Falls in 21 holes to get to the semi-finals. On Sunday, he won 3 and 2 on Russell Pick of Sioux Falls in the semi-finals before garnishing Hayden Scott de Sioux Falls 3 and 2 in the championship.
Scott is a former Harrisburg high school golfer who will be a first -year teammate from Olson to SDSU this fall.
“It was good,” Olson said about his first -year season in SDSU. “I did not shoot as well as I would have liked, but I qualified for many tournaments and I had a good experience while learning to play university golf.”
Olson is the first Watertown golfer to win the Men’s Match Match Championship SDGA since Dick Scott in 166. Don Dravland won twice (1953 and 1956) and Jack Rude (1946), Hobe Richards (1943), Bob Walrath (1932) and Bob Dugan (1936) each.
Other lies for men.
The other Golfers of Watertown in the field of 64 players included the former Golfers of the WHS Ty Lenards (1-2), Stuart Stein (1-2), Charlie Jacobson (1-2), Nick Mahowald (1-1-1), Nick Heig (0-3) and Gabe Norberg (0-3).
Lenards won the AA class classroom championship last October for the Arrows.
Women’s game
In the 49th SDGA female match match, McKenzie Mages de Sioux Falls beat Allison Meyerink de Mitchell 5 & 4 to win the 32 -playing event.
The tournament opened in 1928 but was not held from 1963 to 2008.
In the quarter -finals, Magi exceeded Olivia Braun of Aberdeen 5 & 3. Braun won the title of AA class AA girls in June. Braun went 3-0 to be one of the eight Pod winners. She was a tournament finalist in 2024.
Gabi Olson and the former Golfer of Whs Avery Palmquist each have 2-1 and Kyley Wirebaugh of Aberdeen 1-1-1 in the Pod game. Only the Pod winners reached the quarter -finals.
Senior male championships and masters
Scott Hardie de Watertown advanced to the final of the Master Men’s Championship in Hartford before falling 2 and 1 to Sam Prue de Sioux City.
Rob Dewit de Sioux Falls won the senior male championship with a 2 and 1 victory against Brad Buche de Mitchell.
Senior female championships
Jennifer Stalley of Pierre won the senior female division with a 3 and 1 victory against Jackie Witlock of Aberdeen.
In the silver support, Dawn Mcinroy de Sioux Falls won 1 on Pam Hoiland of Sioux Falls.
Follow the sports journalist for public opinion of Watertown Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @Po_sports or e-mail: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
