Blast From the Past Sports: July 2024

50 YEARS AGO: JULY, 1974

Dan Frie wins berth in a national golf tournament. The Monticello 17-year-old earned a berth in the United States Amateur Golf Championship in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Frie missed the cut by one stroke the year before but shot a 72 in the 1974 Minnesota sectional tournament at Hillcrest Country Club in St. Paul to claim second in the 36-player field. The top four scorers advanced to the national tournament.

The all-expenses paid trip sent Frie to Brooklawn Country Club included registration, practice rounds, a banquet and other activities before the tournament began on Tuesday, July 23, 1974.

25 YEARS AGO: JULY, 1999

Ken Maus of Monticello’s Maus Foods won first place at a PGA Pro-Am event in Minneapolis. Maus and his team played in one of the Dayton’s Challenge Pro-Am best-ball events.

“It was just a thrill top be able to play in that environment,” said Maus. “That was great.”

In its fifth year, Dayton’s Challenge at the Minneapolis Golf Club was hosted by PGA Pro Tom Lehman. Included were two pro-am events, where amateurs played 18 holes with professionals.

Maus played on a team of four, including plus pro Mike Nicolette. The team shot a 48-24 under par to win the championship crystal trophies and plaques by one stroke.

After the second-place team eagled the 17th hole, Maus hit two long putts on the 18th to save par and win the championship. Maus had previously won a local Monticello tournament with a hole-in-one in the 1980s.

10 YEARS AGO: JULY, 2014

A Monticello youth baseball team won its fourth straight tournament of the summer. The latest tournament they won took place in Mendota Heights as the team improved its record to 36-1.

The 13 and under team was 16-0 in Gopher State Baseball league play and won all four tournaments they played in. They capped the Mendota Heights tournament championship with a 15-10 victory over the Austin Stars. Monticello beat Armstrong Cooper 6-5 in nine innings to advance to the championship game.