Won Minnesota Open to compete state tournament Trifecta
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — From walk-on at North Dakota State to Atlantic Sun individual champion at Florida-Gulf Coast, it’s been quite the journey for Van Holmgren to earn his first professional win.
Van Holmgren has already won a state champion and amateur title in Minnesota, now he can add on the first professional win, which also came in the home state.
“Gathering these Minnesota trophies and putting in the best work I have to win them means the world to me because I won state with my fellow Wayzata teammates,” Holmgren said. “I won the State Am then finally got the trifecta of the state open. That makes my feel well rounded as I take the next step looking to succeed on another level.”
Winning the state open gives Holmgren a spot in the PGA Tour’s 3M Open qualifier next Monday at TPC Twin Cities allowing him the chance to live out his dream of playing golf at the highest level.
“One good round and I’m where I want to be,” Holmgren said. I also get in to the Brainerd Canadian event which I was already in to begin with PGA Canada status. All is good there, I think the going phrase for a person in my position is three good weeks and you’re looking at a new lifestyle.”
While having card status on the Canadian tour. the third tier of PGA sanctioned golf, Holmgren wouldn’t even be in this position if it wasn’t for the opportunity head coach Steve Kennedy gave him with the Bison.
“Putting in the work that nobody really sees and then you get moments like this where you realize this is why you work hard. This is why it pays off,” Holmgren said. “My time at NDSU is probably the biggest leap. Playing under coach Kennedy and coach Larry Murphy. They put a lot of trust in me. They saw what I had going on inside my head and the ability and performances I was able to put on in front of them. They coached me really well and gave me what I needed and let me run a little bit. I hit a few walls and was going back and forth but long story short I ended up growing my game in Fargo to the next level. Forever grateful for that.”
There are only two spots open for the 3M field. Hopefully his why can’t I do mentality gets him there.