RAPID CITY – Ryan Jansa is at it again.
The 47-year-old Sioux Falls resident continued to make history over the weekend, winning the SDGA Men’s Amateur Championship in a playoff at Arrowhead Country Club.
It marked Jansa’s eighth victory in the event – but first since 2009 – and his 30th SDGA crown all-time. Both marks are records.
Jansa beat defending champion Jack Lundin, of Sioux Falls, on the second hole of a playoff after both players finished regulation at 6-under 207.
Jansa shot 68 Friday, 70 Saturday and 69 Sunday, while Lundin carded 69-70-68.
Jansa went out in even-par 36 in the final round before bogeying the 10th. He birdied Nos. 11 and 12 before rattling off five consecutive pars.
With Lundin – who was playing in the group ahead – already in the house at 6-under, Jansa needed to birdie No. 18 to force a playoff. He did, tallying a 4 to keep his title hopes alive.
Lundin also birdied the 18th moments earlier after taking a bogey at the tricky par-3 17th.
Rapid City’s Nick Lust (70-67-71—208) and Tyler Rachetto (68-68-73—209), the leader after the first two rounds, and Mitchell’s Brandon Sigmund (73-68-71—212) rounded out the top five. Rachetto double-bogeyed Nos. 3-4.
Sioux Falls’ Bryce Hammer (71-74-70), the 2020 Match Play winner, and Mitchell’s Russell Pick (70-74-71) tied for sixth at 215.
Five of the 94 players in the field broke par.
Jansa was runner-up in the Match Play in early July at Willow Run in Sioux Falls – his 14th career second-place finish in an SDGA event. He and his daughter, Reese, defended their title in the Adult-Junior on July 26 at Broadland in Huron.
Jansa also won the Amateur in 1993-96 and 2003-04. He took the Match Play in 1993 and 1995, as he is the only player in history to win both individual major events in the same season twice [Huron’s Dave Hanten (1974), Onida’s Curt Byrum (1979) and Sioux Falls’ Paul Schock (2002) and Tom Vining (2015) each accomplished the feat once].
He and Julie have nine Husband-Wife titles – 2006-11, 2015-16, 2018.
Jansa additionally has four Mid-Amateur Two-Man (2008 with Steve Reiter; 2011-13 with Kasey Kogel), three Mid-Amateur (2008-09, 2015), one Mixed Team (2013 with Julie Jansa) and one Pre-Senior Two-Man (2019 with Keith Kogel) triumph.
Lundin was looking to become the first back-to-back champion since 2005-06, when Brookings native Michael Martin accomplished the feat.
Lundin became the youngest champion in SDGA Amateur history at the age of 18 last year, prevailing at Brookings Country Club with a 7-under 209 tally.
He won the Junior in both 2018 and 2019 and capped a standout high school career by winning the Class AA state title – his fourth consecutive top-five finish in the event – and leading Roosevelt to the team crown in 2019.
Lundin is heading to Nebraska in the fall.
The SDGA Pre-Senior and Senior Championships are Aug. 22-23 at Hillsview in Pierre. The year’s final major – the Two-Man Championship – is Aug. 29-30 at Bakker Cross in Sioux Falls. The Mid-Amateur Two-Man, Pre-Senior Two-Man and Senior Two-Man Championships are Sept. 19-20 at Hart Ranch and the Red Rock in Rapid City.
Women
Laerke Jensen, a junior at USD from Hobro, Denmark, held on to win the SDGA Women’s Amateur Championship at Arrowhead.
She shot 73 Friday, 71 Saturday and 79 Sunday for a 54-hole tally of 10-over-par 223 and a three-stroke victory.
Jensen went out in 1-over 37 in the final round before running into trouble. She doubled No. 10, bogeyed Nos. 12-13 and 15 and doubled No. 16. She parred the final two to hang on.
Rapid City native and SDSU freshman Alex Kandolin was runner-up at 13-over 226 (75-75-76). She was tied for the lead going to the 18th before making a triple-bogey 8.
Rapid City’s Natalie Young (72-80-77) and Sioux Falls’ Julie Jansa (78-79-79—236) and Liz Duncan (81-80-76—237) rounded out the top five.
