River City Days adds alumni golf tourney

Red Wing has sported a high school golf team for years – at least since the 1940s and probably the 1930s, according to Jerry Borgen.

“Nobody knows how many or how long,” he notes.

The 1947 Central High School figured it was about time the players from all those years had a chance to knock the ball around together, and so the Alumni Golf Tournament was born.

“I thought, ‘When should we have this? When would kids probably be back in town anyway?” River City Days,” he said.

He uses the term “kids” loosely: Some of the people signed are in their 40s and 50s. All ages are welcome, including current Wingers.

The first competition, which he acknowledges may have merely a handful of contestants, will have a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Saturday at Mississippi National Golf Links. He urges anyone who ever played for the Wingers and happens to be in town this weekend to register at 8 a.m.

“We call it a four-person best ball scramble,” he said, ruefully acknowledging that the first year indeed will be a scramble because the event is new and word has been spreading slowly and gradually.

Current head coaches Mark Herzog and Todd Petterson have been helpful in providing names, he said.

“Not every alum has been contacted,” Borgen said, adding, “It will be good next year.”

Borgen’s interest in organizing a tournament grew out of conversations with two recent players on the girls squad. He actually didn’t golf in high school -- the golfers this year he graduated were Mick McDonald, Jerry DuBois, Don Carlson, Dick Nelson and Rod Adolph – but the Red Wing native’s family tree, boasts quite a few members who did:

Lowell Borgen, a cousin, was on the state champion Boys Team in 1962. In 1974, the team included nephew Tim Borgen and son Dave Borgen. DJ Borgen, a grandson, was on the state tournament squad in 2008, and most recently Tanner Borgen, another grandson, teed up in 2011.

Talk over 12 months or so turned serious, and River City Days Chairman Joe Dube agreed to having the tournament an official celebration event.

Initially the plan was to have foursomes in which two members were from the same Winger team. There also was talk of having “boys and girls” would compete separately, as they do in varsity sports.

Borgen said the parameters in fact will be much looser: “We may just have a golf get-together for anyone that shows up.”

Competitors may sign up at the Mississippi National Golf Links clubhouse that morning or contact Borgen at 651-380-8960 or by email at jerryborgen@charter.net.

“Come down and we’ll match you up,” he said.

Tags: red wing, sports, golf