University of Minnesota Athletics
100 Years of Minnesota Men’s Golf: Individual Championships
3/24/2022 8:57:00 AM | Men's Golf
Throughout the 100 seasons of the University of Minnesota men's golf program, individuals competing for the Gophers have claimed numerous championship titles as a team at the conference, regional and national level.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
1944 - Louis Lick
Lick was a 20-year-old medical student at Minnesota when he won the NCAA tournament in 1944 at Toledo's famed Inverness Golf Club. In the title round Lick defeated Michigan's John Jenswold one up. Lick never trailed and was a shade steadier. He forged ahead at the fourth, birdied the ninth and passed the turn two up. They split the 10th and 11th in pars. When Lick garnered the 14th he moved up by three, the widest spread. On the final hole Lick earned a tie when he outpitched Jenswold.
1998 - James McLean
University of Minnesota freshman James McLean fired a final round three-under par 69 to capture the individual title at the 1998 NCAA Men's Golf Championships at the University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course in Albuquerque, N.M. McLean's 72-hole total score of 17-under par 271 tied the NCAA individual all-time 72-hole record set by Arizona State's Phil Mickelson in 1991.
REGIONAL CHAMPIONS
1999 - James McLean - Columbus, Ohio
2002 - Justin Smith - Albuquerque, N.M.