Defending champ Ian Simonich of Moorhead got off to a hot start and led the entirety of the first round of the Minnesota Golf Association State Junior Boys Championship at Detroit Country Club Monday, July 27.
Simonich opened with birdies on the first two holes and polished off a 6-under par front nine score of 30 with an eagle on the par-5, fifth and birdies on the sixth and ninth holes.
Making the turn, Simonich birdied the par-4, 10th hole before finishing out with eight straight pars to finish atop the leaderboard at 7-under 64.
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Six players finished under par with Samuel Baker’s (Cloquet Country Club) six-birdie effort producing a second place score of 67 (-4).
Dayne Mann of Refuge Golf Club (68, -3) holds sole possession of third place a shot back. Elk River’s Brady Holland and Simonich’s younger brother Joey will start the final round in fourth place at 2-under par, five shots off the lead.
The @detroitlakescc brothers of Ian and Joey Simonich make up 2 of the top 3 spots after the morning portion of the #MNStateJuniorBoys. Ian, the defending champion, fired a 64 (-7) to take an early 3 shot lead over Samuel Baker. Joey shot 69. Follow the scoring at @MNGolfAssn pic.twitter.com/yMZz1kLxxF
— Doug Hoffmann (@MGAPGAPRO) July 27, 2020
Andrew Ramox of TPC Twin Cities shot a 1-under 70 for sixth place.
Hunter Burnside leads all local golfers in a six-person logjam tie for 10th place at 1-over par 72.
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Ian Simonich is an incoming senior at Moorhead high school and a North Dakota State University golf commit. He was the Section 8AAA champion and finished 16th at MSHSL state tournament last June before capturing the Minnesota State Junior Boys Championship in July. Simonich led that tournament from start to finish in claiming his first state win and is set for the same with another strong effort Tuesday.
In August of 2019, Simonich proved he was comfortable with his game at Detroit Country Club reaching the Pine to Palm quarterfinals defeating former Laker Isaac Cihak 5&3 to earn a match against eventual champion and NDSU senior Andrew Israelson.
The first round leaders tee off at 1 p.m., with the threesome of Simonich, Baker and Mann.
MGA State Junior Boys Championship - Round 1 of 2
1 Simonich, Ian Moorhead Country Club -7 64
2 Baker, Samuel Cloquet Country Club -4 67
3 Mann, Dayne Refuge Golf Club -3, 68
T4 Simonich, Joey Moorhead Country Club -2 69
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T4 Holland, Brady Elk River Golf Club -2 69
6 Ramos, Andrew TPC Twin Cities -1 70
T7 Berg, Kyle Southern Hills Golf Club E 71
T7 Sladek, Braeden Geneva Golf Club E 71
T7 Gish, Skyler Edinburgh USA E 71
T10 Orvick, Stellan Hiawatha Golf Club +1 72
Detroit Lakes and area golfers:
T10 Burnside, Hunter Detroit Country Club +1 72
52 Justesen, Lukas Detroit Country Club +6 77
T66 Schwan, Drew Detroit Country Club +8 79
T82 Tobkin, Nick Detroit Country Club +10 81
T93 Belka, Marcus Perham Lakeside Golf Club +12 82
T93 Green, Jake Detroit Country Club +12 83
T93 Justesen, Jack Hawley Golf & Country Club +12 82
T100 Schons, Logan Detroit Country Club +13 84
T100 Hines, Ben Detroit Country Club +13 84
T111 Justesen, Lawsen Detroit Country Club +15 86
T115 Syltie, Jack Detroit Country Club +16 87
120 Van Dusen, Tyler Bearpath Golf & Country Club +17 88
121 Suckert, Tommy Detroit Country Club +18 89
