File photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm Country Club Director of Golf Tim Huffman poses for a photo with the 2024 New Ulm Invitational winner Johnny Larson after Larson won his seventh stein last year at the New Ulm Country Club.

By Kevin Sweeney

The championship of the 65th annual New Ulm Invitational Golf Tournament may come down to putting, according to New Ulm Country Club Director of Golf Tim Huffman.

With rain expected on Friday, the fairways will be soft, keeping drives from gaining any extra bounce, but the greens are fast, Huffman said. Those who can best navigate the greens will have the best chance of making it through a crowded championship flight.

The championship field features some old, familiar names and some new ones. Leading the pack is Johnny Larson, the Springfield native who is back to defend his title from last year. It was his seventh win since he started a three-year run in 2007. Larson, who now golfs out of the Farmer’s Golf & Health Club in Sanborn, topped last year’s tournament with a 189 over 45 holes, beating Ethan Kraus by two strokes.

Four of the top five golfers in last year’s championship round will be back. In addition to Larson and Kraus, Scott Paa, who shot a 195, and Aiden Guggisberg, who shot 197, will be back. Only Scott Stueber, who tied with Paa for third, will be missing.

Two other former champions, who split the titles from 2019 to 2023, will challenge for another title. Shane Kvidera, of Ramsey, won in 2019 and 2022, and Lukas Stull, from the Kalamazoo Golf Club in Michigan, won in 2020, 2021 and 2023. Paa has finished second three times in the last six years and will be searching for his first title.

Some new faces in the flight include Bobby Frazzini, who golfs out of Windsong Farms in Maple Plain. Huffman said he is a newcomer who brings a low handicap into the tournament.

New Ulm High School golfer Mason Buegler and New Ulm Cathedral golfer Owen Strei are joining the championship flight as well.

This is the 65th annual New Ulm Invitational, and the tournament will follow its well-established format. The public is welcome to come out and view the golfers throughout the weekend.

Friday will feature practice rounds, with a social hour at 4:30 p.m. and a banquet at 5:30 p.m. A shootout will be held at 6 p.m., with golfers competing hole by hole, the highest scorers eliminated until one golfer remains.

The first round begins Saturday morning at 8 a.m. Another shootout will be held in the evening, starting at 6:30 p.m.

The second round of the tournament starts Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m., with most flight winners determined after 36 holes.

The championship flight will continue in the afternoon with a 9-hole final round to determine the winner.

The final nine will start around 3 p.m., and the Invitational Trophy will be awarded to the winner afterwards.