Ben Greve began the final round of the Minnesota State Amateur at Olympic Hills Golf Club on Wednesday with a five-stoke lead and needed all of it to win his first tournament in five years.
The former Gopher and two-time Minnesota State Open champion (2016, '17) closed with a 7-over-par 79 on his home course for a 218 total — one stroke better than runner-up Jack Ebner of Windsong Farm who finished with a 72. Greve had a bogey 4 and a double bogey 7 on his last two holes.
"I played fantastic on Day One," said Greve, who shot a 6-under 66 for a four-shot lead. "The course wasn't as windy, but it was set up really difficult and it was long."
He had a 1-over 73 his second round, widening his lead to five shots.
"I gave myself a big buffer coming in and, obviously, didn't have to play great the rest of the way," Greve said.
"I didn't quite have it today like I did the other two days. I didn't control the ball as well and the speed with my putter was off all day. My game plan changed throughout the day, and I thought I did a really good job the first 12 holes of playing against myself and the course."
He is just the second player since 1948 to win the State Amateur at his home course.
"It means a lot to win here," Greve said. "It's a fun place and we had six guys from our club play in the event and play well. I have a lot of friends out here and everyone was talking about the tournament the last few weeks going into it, so that part is really special."
