High school boys golfers who faced suspensions qualify for state tournament

Three of the five boys golfers who faced possible suspension late in the season are headed to the Class 3A state tournament.

All finished in the top three in section play to qualify for the state tournament June 13-14 at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids.

Cretin-Derham Hall sophomore Sam Udovich, ranked sixth by the Minnesota Golf Association, was the runner-up with a 2-under-par 142 in the Section 4 meet at Bunker Hills. Udovich was the Class 2A champion at St. Croix Lutheran in 2022 before transferring to Cretin-Derham Hall.

Top-ranked Spring Lake Park junior Jake Birdwell was the runner-up with a 1-under-par 143 in the Section 5 meet at Bunker Hills. He finished tied for 14^th in the state meet a year ago.

Rochester Mayo sophomore Isaac Ahn, ranked No. 32, tied for third place with a 2-over-par 146 in the Section 1 meet at The Jewel in Lake City. Ahn tied for 10^th in the state meet last season.

The two other golfers caught up in the matter, Totino-Grace brothers Andrew and Collin Ramos, will complete the Class 2A, Section 5 tournament next week. Andrew, a junior, is ranked eighth in the state; Collin is a freshman.

The Minnesota State High School League backed off last week on plans to suspend the five for playing too many rounds in outside events during the high school season. MSHSL had previously approved their participation in those events.