Gopher golfer

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

SPRINGFIELD -- Followers of Springfield's Johnny Larson should be able to find him right away on the golf course next year as he will continue to wear the maroon and gold -- this time for the Minnesota Gophers.

Larson signed a National Letter of Intent to golf for the Gophers on July 11. The Gophers, who took eighth in the NCAA 2003 tournament, won the National Title in 2002 for the first time ever under coach Brad James.

Larson chose the Gophers over Florida Southern, George Mason and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

"I talked to the university [of Minnesota] and they gave me more opportunities, so I took a spot," Larson said.

Larson won't immediately receive scholarship money. Instead, he will earn scholarship money based on his performance on the course. The better he plays, the more money he'll receive.

He said the recent success of the program along with the young coaching staff were driving factors into his decision.

"He's a young guy, so we can relate to him," Larson said.

Larson was a five-time state participant in his career at Springfield. He capped his career with a state championship in the Class A tournament this spring.

He will be teamed up with fellow freshman Mike Fiedler of Faribault and Clayton Rask of Elk River. He said that initially it was a disadvantage for him coming from a small town, but his success helped out in the recruiting process.

"It's pretty hard to get noticed from a small town, but if you put up big numbers they can't ignore you," Larson said.

Even though he chose a northern school to further his career, he will have the same opportunities as many of the southern schools to golf year-around.

"They go places in the winter," he said. "They travel the southern U.S. and sometimes go out of the country."

Larson will begin practice August 21 with the Gophers and get ready for the Big 10 Tournament, which is held in the fall. In the spring season, Larson will have a chance to compete for the NCAA tournament.

"They've got a really good program there," he said. "I'm looking forward to playing there."