David Bauer saved his best golf for the biggest moment of his summer, and the Hastings golfer left The Jewel Golf Club with a state championship and a ticket to Texas.
Bauer, a 2027 graduate from Hastings, won the 2026 Minnesota Boys Junior PGA Championship on Tuesday, June 30, finishing the two-day tournament at 4-under-par 138. Bauer opened with a 72 on Monday, then came back with a 5-under 66 in the final round to move to the top of a strong field and claim the first state title of his career.
The victory also earned Bauer a spot in the 2026 National Boys Junior PGA Championship, which will be played July 28-31 at Fields Ranch in Frisco, Texas. Bauer will be joined there by Lakeville’s Wyatt Holmes, who earned the second qualifying spot after a playoff with Chase Birdwell of Blaine.
Minnesota PGA Junior Golf conducts the local qualifying process for the National Boys Junior PGA Championship and the National Girls Junior PGA Championship. The overall low scorer and runner-up at the Minnesota Section level earn the chance to compete at the national championships. The 2026 national event for both boys and girls will be held at Fields Ranch East and West in Frisco.
For Bauer, the final round was a major step forward after a frustrating finish to his opening round. He closed Monday with back-to-back bogeys, which left him at 72 and just outside the lead. Rather than carry that disappointment into Tuesday, Bauer responded with the kind of round that wins championships.
A string of three straight birdies on the front nine helped Bauer move into red numbers for the tournament. He added a short birdie putt at No. 12, then made another birdie at No. 16, moving to 4-under for the championship. With Birdwell giving back shots late in his round, Bauer’s 66 was enough to hold up.
The key for Bauer was keeping the ball in play. After struggling to find fairways late in the opening round, he was much sharper under pressure in the final round. He hit every fairway but one Tuesday, a big reason the course became more manageable as the championship tightened up. That steady driving, paired with improved putting under nerves, helped Bauer close out the biggest win of his young career.
Bauer finished one stroke ahead of Holmes and Birdwell, who both closed at 3-under 139. Holmes posted rounds of 70 and 69, while Birdwell also carded 70 and 69. Holmes took the runner-up spot after the playoff, earning his place in the national championship field.
Birdwell made one of the biggest moves of the final round, overcoming a rough start by making five birdies over a six-hole stretch. That surge put him in position to win, but bogeys on the final two holes for the second straight round dropped him into the playoff with Holmes. It was a tough ending, but still a strong tournament for Birdwell in a field filled with some of the region’s best junior players.
William Roiland of Elk River, the recent Class AAA individual champion, also made a strong final-day push. Roiland shot a 5-under 66 on Tuesday and finished tied for fourth at 2-under 140 with Drew Velasquez of Sioux Falls and Alex Imgrund of Baxter. Velasquez also shot 66 in the final round, while Imgrund followed an opening 72 with a 68.
Fargo’s Ryker Grinaker finished seventh at 1-under 141. Andrew Burstad of Blaine and Will Hacker of Owatonna tied for eighth at even-par 142. Oliver Theel of Lakeville rounded out the top 10 at 1-over 143.
The top 20 also included Sander Ohe of Edina, Tyson Blom and Quinton Hollan of Sioux Falls, Brandon Yabandith of St. Michael, Jack Hagberg of Brainerd, Collin Ramos of Blaine, Brooks Ashfield of Mahtomedi, Noah Teeter of Albert Lea, Tyler Verhulst of Blaine and Isa Khan of St. Paul.
The Minnesota Boys Junior PGA Championship was held June 29-30 at The Jewel Golf Club. The Minnesota Girls Junior PGA Championship is scheduled for July 6-7 at Edinburgh USA.
Players in the Minnesota Boys and Girls Junior PGA Championships qualify within the PGA Section in which they reside. The Minnesota Section PGA includes Minnesota, North Dakota, most of South Dakota and a portion of western Wisconsin, including St. Croix County and Superior. Players must be 18 years old or younger on the final day of the national championship, must be amateurs as defined by the USGA and may not be full-time college students.
For Bauer, the checklist now includes a Minnesota title, a national championship berth and plenty more golf still ahead this summer. After a calm, confident final round at The Jewel, the Hastings golfer has given himself a chance to test his game on a national stage.