Jul. 5—ROCHESTER — Colton Rich is a multi-sport athlete, trading one club for another — a golf club for a hockey stick — when the Minnesota weather turns too cold to be on a golf course.
But no matter the season, Rich is never too far from his golf clubs.
When the courses are closed, the Rochester Lourdes senior-to-be finds time in his schedule a couple of days per week to work with his swing coach, former University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire coach John Means, in Hudson, Wis.
That year-round work continues to pay off in big ways for Rich.
As a junior this spring, he earned a third consecutive top-five finish in the Section 1, Class 2A meet, placing fourth. He also earned a second consecutive top-10 finish at the Class 2A state meet, finishing seventh after holding the 18-hole lead.
For all of that success — and for having the best scoring average in southeastern Minnesota this season (74.39) — Rich is also the 2024 Post Bulletin All-Area Boys Golfer of the Year.
“I’d say definitely the mental side of the game was a lot better this year,” Rich said of his success for the Eagles this spring. “I wouldn’t get worked up over a bad shot or a bad hole. And just talking with coach about what went well and what didn’t (after a round), you learn you can’t get upset about a bad round. You have to just get over it and move on.”
That ability to focus on the next shot and the next meet served Rich well this spring. The bad shots, bad holes and bad rounds were few and far between.
He opened the season by shooting a 74 at The Oaks to earn medalist honors at the Hayfield Invitational on April 13. Five days later he fired a 68 at the Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa Invitational, the second-best round this spring by any boys golfer in southeastern Minnesota (Stewartville’s Austin Walker shot a 67, in that same PIZM Invitational on April 18).
In fact, of his 15 varsity rounds, he finished 14 of them in the 60s or 70s. A second-round 80 at the Section 1-2A meet — on a day when scores were up, across the board — was the only time this season he didn’t break 80.
“My swing definitely improved this year, too,” Rich said. “Working with a new coach (Means), he’s definitely a guy who always asks you what you think went wrong and what you think went well in your rounds. Then he works hard on the parts of your game that aren’t working well. He keeps pushing you to try to get to where it’s perfect.”
Along with Rich’s individual success this spring came more responsibility, particularly in helping Lourdes’ younger players. The Eagles had three talented seniors on the roster — Jack Bowron, Tommy Karau and Eric Nelson — but Rich also took a leading role in helping the team’s up-and-comers, including talented freshmen Gavin Groettum and Charlie Kor. Rich offers a good combination of leading vocally and by example.
“A little bit of both,” he said. “I really like to help teammates work on their game. When they ask me what I see in their swing or their short game, working on their chipping and putting, I really like to try to help with that.”
Rich went straight from a busy spring to a a busy summer.
He tied for 17th at last week’s Minnesota Golf Association Boys Junior State Championship, shooting 71-72-78—221 at Crow River Golf Club in Hutchinson.
That came on the heels of playing in the prestigious Hudson Junior Invitational at the Country Club of Hudson in Ohio. Rich tied for 28th there in a 102-player field, shooting 76-77-72 — 225 to finish just seven shots out of the top 10.
“I thought I played well there. That’s probably the hardest course I’ve ever played,” he said. “It was tough off the tee and you had to (hit the) fairway to score well. And the greens, everything sloped from back to front.
“It took some time to adjust. At home here, if you’re long on your approach, it’s OK. There, if you’re long, you’re cooked.”
Rich will continue to work on his short game this summer and continue to grow the mental side of his game.
“The game is doing well,” he said. “I just want to be more consistent in scoring.”
2024 — Colton Rich, Lourdes
2023 — Isaac Ahn, Mayo
2022 — Anders Larson, Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa
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