If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and the best will be available at high school golf tournaments this spring.
Four of the six individual state champions from last year are back and primed to defend their state titles.
They are Edina senior Torger Ohe (Class 3A) and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley senior Parker Brock (Class 1A) on the boys side, and Owatonna junior Carmen Jirele (Class 3A) and Dawson-Boyd senior Lindsey Lund (Class 1A) on the girls side. Both Class 2A medalists graduated.
Jirele's success continued into the summer last year. She participated in Players Tour events and was the player of the year.
Ohe, who was the Minnesota Star Tribune's All-Metro Boys Golfer of the Year in 2024, is committed to the Gophers.
"Torger is someone who has that drive, passion and curiosity of how to always become a better player," Edina coach Riley Johnson said. "He's eager to get started this year."
The defending state team champions are Benilde-St. Margaret's (Class 3A), Holy Family (Class 2A) and Fertile-Beltrami (Class 1A) in boys; and Maple Grove (Class 3A), Detroit Lakes (Class 2A) and Dawson-Boyd and Fillmore Central (tied in Class 1A) in girls. All but Fillmore Central return at least three golfers from those championship teams.
Johnson said Ohe is eager to get Edina on the list of team champions.
"Torger's got high expectations for himself this year, but he's always had that team-first mindset," he said. "He'd rather win it all with the team than another individual championship, which, yes, is still one of his goals."
Top 10 boys players to watch
Riley Baisch, Waconia, senior. College plan: North Dakota
Chase Birdwell, Spring Lake Park, sophomore. College plan: uncommitted
Cooper Daikawa, Centennial, junior. College plan: uncommitted
Patrick Hastings, Benilde-St. Margaret's, junior. College plan: uncommitted
Joe Honsa, Cretin-Derham Hall, senior. College plan: Minnesota
Torger Ohe, Edina, senior. College plan: Minnesota
Collin Ramos, Totino-Grace, sophomore. College plan: uncommitted
Sam Udovich, Cretin-Derham Hall, senior. College plan: TCU
Carter White, Staples-Motley, senior. College plan: North Dakota State
Jacob Wilson, Mahtomedi, senior. College plan: uncommitted
Top five boys teams
1. Benilde-St. Margaret's
2. Waconia
3. Cretin-Derham Hall
4. Edina
5. Rosemount
Top 10 girls players to watch
Genevieve Birkeland, Pequot Lakes, senior. College plan: St. Thomas
Lauren Chambs, Wayzata, junior. College plan: uncommitted
Ava Hanneman, Orono, senior. College plan: Furman
Kieley Hanson, Minnetonka, sophomore. College plan: uncommitted
Carmen Jirele, Owatonna, junior. College plan: uncommitted
Abigail Labrador, St. Michael-Albertville, freshman. College plan: uncommitted
Bella Leonhart, Forest Lake, senior. College plan: North Dakota State
Alyssa Raghuveer, Benilde-St. Margaret's, junior. College plan: uncommitted
Briana Simek, Two Rivers, sophomore. College plan: uncommitted
Selena Wu, Minnetonka, junior. College plan: uncommitted
Top five girls teams
1. Maple Grove
2. Wayzata
3. Minnetonka
4. Detroit Lakes
5. Minnewaska Area
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