Springfield's Tiger: Larson peaks at end of senior season

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- One can describe Springfield's Johnny Larson's demeanor on the golf course as "laid back" or sometimes even "nonchalant."

It may look like Larson doesn't care about how he does by his reaction or lack of one, but the recent graduate is just so used to doing well on the course that he doesn't get overworked by what he does.

Larson put the final piece of the the puzzle together for his high school career when he won the boys Class A state meet Saturday at Izaty's Golf Club in Onamia. The senior, who has participated in the state meet five times before, shot a 68 on the first day and a 69 on the second, winning the meet by 10 strokes.

"I feel pretty good," Larson said. "I've worked six years for this. Everything worked well. I pretty much missed one shot I hit bad in two days. It was the best I played all year."

Winning the tournament helped Larson breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's one of those things that you always shoot for, and once you do it you look back and just reflect on it," he said. "Once you get done with it, you go home and let it settle in for a while."

The game of golf has been a ritual in the Larson family. His mother, Peggy, is the golf coach for the Tigers and he credits his parents for teaching him the game. He said he participated in his first tournament at the age of eight and estimates that he probably first started swinging the club when he was three or four.

Larson competed in the Optimist Club District Qualifying Tournament Tuesday and will next compete in the District meet Sunday at Eagle Trace in Clearwater. It is there where the top golfers in four age groups from North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota will compete for the right to go to the National Tournament in Florida July 24-August 3.

Larson had a dominant back nine Tuesday and when told his back nine score was two strokes off the course record, he modestly said "That was a pretty good round."

Larson was ranked No. 1 for pretty much his whole senior season and he said the ranking helped him at state.

"You gotta use it to your advantage," he said. "You get to know people and there's really no pressure when you get up there. You just go up there and have fun, there's nothing else to shoot for after the state tournament."

Larson said the winning the state meet was great, but he expects the competition from here on out to only get tougher.

"I have a lot of my junior tournaments and I play a lot of amateur tournaments, and you get a lot more competition that way," he said. "You get to meet a lot of the better players in the state. Right now I got the State Amateur and State Player's Championships."

Larson plans to continue golfing next year at the collegiate level.

"Right now it's kind of up for grabs," he said. "I'm planning on going to Florida Southern, but things may change, you never know."

If the chance is there, Larson also may stay close to home and golf for the 2002 National Champion Minnesota Gophers.

Larson also dreams of one day playing professionally. He knows he will have to continue to get better and work on his game.

"It's a long ways away, but it's always everyone's goal when you're growing up so I may as well shoot for it," he said.

He also idolizes two of the greatest golfers to have ever played the game.

"Tiger Woods is someone you always look up to, but I like Jack Nicholas," he said. "I mean, look at the equipment that they had to play with and the scores that he shot was amazing."

His favorite golf moment came at the state tournament, but it wasn't necessarily the moment he hoisted the championship trophy. It came on the 16th hole on a long putt that helped him birdie the hole.

Larson will focus his attention on a number of junior and amateur tournaments this summer. His next meet will be Sunday at Eagle Trace in Clearwater for the Optimist District Tournament.