43rd Annual Bobcat North Dakota State Open Attracts Golfers, Spectators for Charity
(WEST FARGO, N.D. — August 2007) More than 40 years after its first tee off, the Bobcat North Dakota State Open is still going strong. Over 2,300 people turned out Aug. 23 – 26 to watch top professional and amateur golfers compete in the 43rd annual Bobcat North Dakota State Open at the Fargo Country Club.
The golf tournament, sponsored by Bobcat Company, brings together some of the most talented professional and amateur golfers from the Upper Midwest for three days of competition and fundraising. The Bobcat North Dakota State Open is the final stop on the Dakotas Tour before the championship. This year 185 golfers participated in event, which benefits The Village Family Service Center in Fargo.
The tournament’s top pro golfer was local favorite Kane Hanson, 25, of Fargo, N.D., who won with a 10-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole, finishing 12 under par with a score of 204. Hanson, a Fargo South High School graduate, defeated Dean North to take home the $10,000 first-place check, plus $4,500 to cover his entry fee in this fall’s PGA Tour qualifying contest. North, a club pro from Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada, began the day eight shots back of Hanson but fired 6-under-par 66, and actually led the tournament briefly before bogeying the 18th hole.
The top amateur golfer was Alex Carper of Lincoln, Neb., who finished 3 over par with a score of 219.
“What’s unique about this tournament is it gives amateurs in the area the opportunity to play with the pros. Some of these professionals will go on to play in the PGA tour,” said Mark Johnson, tournament director and director of golf at the Fargo Country Club.
“It’s one of the major events in our golf community. Folks want to come out and see golf played at a very high level and that’s one of the reasons why this event has been so well-supported over the years,” he added.
Richard Pedtke, sector president of Compact Vehicle Technologies for Ingersoll Rand, said this year’s Bobcat North Dakota State Open was one of the most exciting tournaments that he’s witnessed. “In the 23 years of us hosting the tournament, I would say we had the best weather and a very solid group of contenders who rivaled past years’,” he said. “The playoff finish was a climatic end to an already energized weekend. We couldn’t be happier to be a part of this community and to sponsor such a worthwhile event.”
Officials with The Village were especially pleased with this year’s turnout. The event was again a success in raising money for the non-profit organization that has been working with children and families since 1891 when it was established as the North Dakota Children’s Home Society. Today, The Village provides a full range of services including counseling programs, adoption, financial counseling, unplanned pregnancy counseling and mentoring programs like the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program.
“This event is an important fundraiser for us and it allows us to provide resources and programs to families in the area,” said Tasha Haug, development officer for The Village. “The Big Brothers Big Sisters golf clinic is a fun event for the kids because some of these pros have grown up here and we’ve watched as they’ve become professionals.”
In addition to the tournament, several other events were open to the public. They included the Big Brothers Big Sisters golf clinic, a skill competition for tournament players and a Friday night barbecue. Though The Village has been the main charity of the golf event for more than 20 years, local high school scholarships also were awarded by the North Dakota Open Charitable Foundation and the Fargo Country Club. Since 1984, Bobcat Company (www.bobcat.com) has been the corporate sponsor for the North Dakota State Open at the Fargo Country Club, and has contributed more than $650,000 to the many worthwhile programs of The Village.
As an equipment manufacturer, Bobcat works behind the scenes in the golf industry. Many of its products, especially the all-wheel steer loader and the Toolcat™ utility work machine, are used by golf superintendents across the country to help maintain some of the most prestigious courses.
Nearly 50 years ago, Bobcat introduced a compact front-end loader that became the world’s first skid-steer loader, later adopting the familiar “Bobcat” brand. Bobcat Company leads the world in the design, manufacture and distribution of compact equipment, with more than 4,000 employees in plants and offices around the globe.