Minnesota's Nate Deziel earns spot into U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — An unusual amount on the line made this year's Minnesota Golf Association Amateur golf tournament extra stressful.
"Absolutely it was nerve-wracking," said this year's champion at Minnesota Valley Country Club, Nate Deziel. "The entire three rounds we just played, I was nervous."
It's a natural feeling because the winner of this tournament earned a berth into the U.S. Amateur, being held at Hazeltine National in Chaska.
"Certainly we've had a chance to host a lot of great global events, and this sits right at the top," said Hazeltine general manager Phil Anderson. "To have 312 of the world's best amateurs come to town, we're over the moon."
Deziel, a North Dakota State University graduate from Moorhead, Minnesota, is the most recent addition to the field. He surged past the pack, which, at one time, consisted of a five-way tie for the lead, winning by three shots at -11, and entering the coveted U.S. Amateur field.
"I don't think it's actually going to set in yet, knowing that I actually did make it until I probably drive in that driveway of Hazeltine," Deziel said.
"We want to host this because this is what we do. We host championship golf," said Anderson. "This is one of the most prestigious events in golf. We talk about the names that have won the tournament, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer. We want to be a part of golf history and that's what we want to continue to do in the future."
The U.S. Amateur goes from Aug. 12-18.
