St. Peter, Minn. – There isn’t much that has not already been said about the performance of senior Alex Kolquist (Hermantown, Minn.) at this season’s MIAC Championships. Not only did Kolquist claim individual medalist honors, he did so in a fashion unmatched by any in the history of Gustavus men’s golf or the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. For his outstanding performance, Kolquist has been named the Gustavus Male Student-Athlete of the Month for October.
“Alex had an outstanding fall season,” said Head Coach Scott Moe. “He had a couple tournaments that really stand out – one of which he won at Eau Claire by five shots in brutal conditions. I think that proved to Alex how good his game was at the time and that he could beat anyone he faced.”
Although Kolquist entered the conference tournament under the quiet umbrella of an 11th place finish a weekend before at the Twin Cities Classic, there was certainly nothing quiet about his first round performance where he shot a three-under-par 69 to lead the field.
“Playing as our No. 5, he wanted to be the first one on the golf course and set the tone for the rest of the squad. He certainly did that,” said Moe on Kolquist’s opening round showing.
Despite his hot start, Kolquist faced trouble early in the second round. “His biggest test was on day two, where he needed to hole a 15 footer on the first hole to save double,” explained Moe. “After sinking the putt, he made a stretch of pars and then birdied 6-of-7 holes. After that, it was smooth sailing.”
Kolquist would record a five-under 67 in the second round and a one-under 71 on the final round to bring his three-day total to a nine-under-par 207. A total of 17 Gusties had won the MIAC individual crown before this season, but none of them did it quite like Alex. His 207 is not only the lowest three-round total in the storied history of Gustavus men’s golf, but it is also the lowest 54-hole total in the history of the MIAC Tournament.
“Everything that weekend was easy for him and it was fun to watch,” added Moe. “If he hit a bad shot, his recovery shot was right on, and then made the putt. I have seen a lot of tournaments over the years but this was the best wire-to-wire event I have witnessed. To shoot nine under is amazing in itself, but to do it under those conditions and to beat the field by 14 shots is even more impressive.”
Kolquist broke Gustavus’ previous 54-hole individual score of 211 (-7) held by Tim DeJarlais in 1990, and shattered the MIAC record of 213 (-3) held by Saint John’s Tony Krogen in 2009.
The Gustavus men’s golf team won the 2012 MIAC Championship with a three-day 885 (+21), the fourth best team total since the MIAC moved to a 54-hole format in 2006.
Coach Moe describes Kolquist as a fierce competitor that hates to lose – one that will grind it out until the bitter end. “No matter what is in front of them, our guys battle until the last putt is made. I attribute that to Alex’s leadership and his determination to win.”