Kraus’ Red Putter Repeat
Left to Right - Tracy Yttri Opper & Chris Opper (Red Putter owners) Matthew Kraus (1st Place), Mark Schroeder-Strong (Best Single Game), Zachery Kraus (2nd Place) & Alex Parys (3rd Place)
Words by Mr. Tee (aka Tom Loftus)
For the second year in a row, I made the trek east to next door Wisconsin to the charming getaway destination of Door County. At the peninsula's tip resides the Red Putter Miniature Golf in Ephraim. The course opened in 1974 and was purchased by Bob Yttri in 1993. Bob kicked off the annual pro tournaments in 2002. After he passed in 2017, his daughter Tracy and her partner Chris continued the yearly tradition of a Pro Tournament on the first Saturday of August. With previous turnouts of over 100 competitors, this competitive event is the premier and most popular putting mini golf event in the upper Midwest.
For 2023, the Red Putter joined the American Mini Golf Alliance’s scoring system for the first time and as usual, the field was larger and incredibly competitive. Former Team USA members Tim Tally (2021 Red Putter Champ), Gary Hester, Jeremy Inabinet, and John Powell got in town early along with other previous champs Mark Schroeder-Strong, Nick Kraus and Matthew Kraus. AMA members Matt Roaldstad, RJ Dusak, Tom Schweiss, Mick Cullen, and Maxwell Cullen made their debut playing this annual tourney.
In order to play in this 3-round tournament, players must submit a qualifying score under par (42) in the 364 days in advance of the tournament. Of the players that qualified, 66 registered to have a chance at winning the coveted Red jacket. The tournament starts at 9 am and groups of 3-4 people begin with a shotgun start across the 18 holes and play 3 rounds in succession. It’s a fairly straightforward format and the course is packed with putters aiming to score low. It’s followed by a traditional chicken lunch that is included in the players entry fee.
On a beautiful and warm morning in the upper 70s, I felt like I was experiencing deja vu when I saw the final results. For the 2nd year in a row, Matthew & Zachery Kraus finished 1st and 2nd respectively. Matthew Kraus has become the first player to win the Red Putter Pro Tournament three times! Alex Parys defeated Gary Hester in a playoff on Hole #7 (The Bear) to take home 3rd and Mark Schroeder-Strong tied the course record of 31 to take home the trophy for the low round of the day. Mark not only tied his own long-standing course record but his hole-in-one on Hole #1 was only the 8th of its kind in the 21-year history of the tournament. First-time Red Putter competitors Matt Roalstad and Tom Schweiss tied for 5th with John Powell.
