Bison Golfers Excel at North Dakota Open, Metzger Secures Third Bobcat Title
The Bobcat North Dakota Open saw the domination of Bison golfers, turning it into a North Dakota State invitational event. The Fargo Country Club witnessed their impressive performance in both the amateur and professional divisions. One golfer who has been particularly successful in recent years is Andre Metzger, hailing from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Metzger, who participated in one PGA Tour event last February, secured a thrilling victory in the Dakotas Tour tournament, which featured one of the most exciting finishes in decades.
Despite facing challenges, Metzger managed to claim the victory, although he stumbled with a double bogey on his final hole, marking his 54th shot. This narrow win not only earned him $10,000 but also provided him with an entry fee to PGA Qualifying School, encompassing a package worth $16,000. Notably, this was Metzger’s third time triumphing in the Bobcat competition within the last four years, making him the first-ever player in the tournament’s history to achieve this feat, surpassing the records set by Tim Ailes and John Cook.
Metzger admitted that the tournament was tough for him, stating, It was just a tough day; I didn’t really have my stuff. Didn’t have it at the start, and where I expected to turn it on, I didn’t turn it on and just battled. The battleground for this challenging victory was the 18th hole. While leading by three shots, Metzger’s tee shot ended up in the left rough near the Red River. Subsequently, a discussion ensued regarding the location of Metzger’s shot within the hazard and where he could take a proper drop.
At one point, the group of players even went back to the tee box to resolve the matter. Metzger reflected on the confusion, saying, At one point, we were talking about back at the tee box and where I would drop on the tee box, that’s where it really started getting confusing. The debate further continued about the exact spot where Metzger crossed into the hazard. Eventually, the decision fell upon the two players accompanying Metzger, Ben Vanscoyk and Jonathan Yoshishiro, as well as tournament director Mark Johnson. Metzger took his drop and delivered his approach, which unfortunately fell beyond the green. However, his pitch and subsequent two-putt secured him the win.
This victory marked Metzger’s second triumph in the five Dakotas Tour events he has participated in, consistently finishing in the top 10 in all of them. Remarkably, at 41 years old, Metzger seems to be improving with age. When asked about this, he replied, I hope I am because if I don’t get better, then I’m not going to get to where I want to go.
Heading into the final round, Metzger held a comfortable three-shot lead, which, given his experience and mental maturity, felt even more substantial. However, he faced some inconsistency on the front nine, with three birdies and two bogeys, trailing Chris Gilman by just one shot until a birdie on the 13th hole. For many participants, the game-changer was the 16th hole. Gilman encountered trouble with a wayward tee shot on the short par-4, leading to a bogey. This setback followed his prior bogey on the par-3 15th.
Metzger, on the other hand, expressed his focus on staying close to par, stating, I was just lollygagging around, not really conscious of the scores and just trying to stay close to par. Understanding that the determining moments of victory often occur on the final stretch, holes 15, 16, 17, and 18, he believed he didn’t personally win it but rather didn’t lose it either.
Metzger clinched a birdie on the par-5 17th, while Gilman narrowly missed a short putt for his own birdie. Ultimately, Gilman finished just one shot behind Metzger, tying with Zander Winston. In the amateur division, NDSU golfer Ian Simonich triumphed with a one-shot victory over his Bison teammate Jake Skarperud and Mason Rolof. Notably, several NDSU golfers, including Nate Adams, Jack Johnson, Josh Galvin, and former Bison player Brock Winter, secured top 10 finishes in the competition.
