SHORTSTOP TOURNAMENT (2026)
COUNTDOWN TO THE 100TH PLAYING OF THE SHORTSTOP TOURNAMENT
Wed Aug 26
⛳ 10 DAYS TO GO!
The countdown is officially on to the 100th Playing of The Shortstop Tournament at Green Lea Golf Course!
For a century, the Shortstop has brought together great golf, great competition and generations of players and spectators.
Today, it remains one of Minnesota golf’s great traditions — and the 100th playing is almost here.
Over the next 10 days, we’ll share some of our favorite stories, records and memorable moments from Shortstop history.
🏆 100th Playing. 100 Years of Stories. One Albert Lea Tradition.
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Thu Aug 27
⛳ 9 DAYS TO THE 100th SHORTSTOP
Here’s a mystery nearly 100 years old…
Nobody knows who won the first two Albert Lea Shortstops!
🏆 1927 Champion: UNKNOWN
🏆 1928 Champion: UNKNOWN
Somewhere out there, could an old newspaper clipping, scorecard, photo or family scrapbook hold the answer?
Check those dusty attics!
If you have information about the 1927 or 1928 champions, contact Green Lea Golf Course at 507-373-1061.
Help us solve one of the great mysteries in Albert Lea golf history!
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Fri Aug 28
⛳ 8 DAYS TO THE 100th SHORTSTOP
Who has won the most Championship Flight titles in Albert Lea Shortstop history?
🏆 CHRIS BAAS — 7 TITLES
And he’ll be competing again this year!
Right behind him is Brent Miller with six championships — and Brent is also entered this year.
Other five-time champions include:
Ole Williamson — 5
Dick Davies — 5
John Eymann — 5
Two of the most successful players in tournament history will be back in the field for the 100th Playing of the Albert Lea Shortstop!
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Sat Aug 29
⛳ 7 DAYS TO THE 100th SHORTSTOP
Winning the Championship Flight is difficult.
Getting all the way to the championship match and finishing runner-up again and again might be even tougher!
Three players stand out:
🥈 Jeff Stadheim — 6 runner-up finishes
🥈 Andy Petersen — 4
🥈 Chris Baas — 3
Sometimes the history of a tournament isn't just about who lifted the trophy.
It's also about the great players who kept putting themselves in position to win it.
The 100th Playing is almost here!
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Sun Aug 30
⛳ 6 DAYS TO THE 100th SHORTSTOP
How hard is it to repeat as Shortstop Champion?
Very.
In 99 tournaments, only 18 players have won the event two or more times.
The first player to successfully defend his title was Stan Larson, winning back-to-back championships in 1933 and 1934.
Chris Baas took it even further, winning three straight from 2001–2003.
And Shortstop history even includes an incredible four-year championship run from 2014–2017!
Nearly 100 tournaments. Generations of great players.
🏆 Who adds their name to the list this year?
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Mon Aug 31
⛳ 5 DAYS TO THE 100th SHORTSTOP
Many consider Jon Christian the best golfer ever to come out of Albert Lea.
And he's also an Albert Lea Shortstop Champion.
🏆 1988 Shortstop Champion
Christian later turned professional and won on the Hogan Tour, the developmental tour below the PGA TOUR at the time.
He also won the Connecticut Open by seven shots.
Because the Shortstop is an amateur event, Christian only had a few opportunities to compete before turning professional.
But his name remains permanently etched into Shortstop history.
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Tues Sept 1
⛳ 4 DAYS TO THE 100th SHORTSTOP
Longtime Green Lea owner Jeff Elseth has a unique place in Shortstop history.
He's not just the owner of the course that now hosts the tournament…
He's a Championship Flight Champion! 🏆
Elseth captured the title in 1991, roughly 15 years before the tournament eventually moved to Green Lea.
From Shortstop Champion to owner of its host course — that's a pretty special connection to one of Albert Lea's greatest sporting traditions.
Only 4 days to the 100th Playing!
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Wed Sept 2
⛳ 3 DAYS TO THE 100th SHORTSTOP
Golf tournaments don't survive for 100 playings by accident.
Many "shortstop" tournaments have disappeared over the years. They're difficult to organize, require dedicated volunteers and need players who keep coming back.
Albert Lea's Shortstop hasn't just survived.
It has thrived.
This year's tournament filled in only TWO HOURS!
One major reason is the people behind it. Eric Amann has been involved in organizing more than 30 Shortstops — the longest run by a tournament organizer in event history — while Larry Petersen has also played an important role across both host courses.
👏 Here's to the people behind the scenes who kept the tradition alive.
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Thu Sept 3
⛳ 2 DAYS TO THE 100th SHORTSTOP
The 1976 championship may have produced the strangest finish in tournament history.
Rick Graen and Warren Ostlund were tied after 18 holes and went to sudden death.
On the first playoff hole, Ostlund chipped close. Graen said:
"Good chip."
Ostlund thought he heard "That's good" — meaning the putt had been conceded — and picked up his ball.
It hadn't been conceded.
After hours of discussion and consultation with golf officials, Ostlund was disqualified and Rick Graen was declared champion.
Ostlund never played the Albert Lea Shortstop again.
Nearly 100 tournaments produce some unforgettable stories!
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Fri Sept 4
⛳ 1 DAY TO THE 100th PLAYING!
Why has the Albert Lea Shortstop lasted when so many other tournaments have disappeared?
It's more than golf.
Labor Day weekend. Match play. Great courses. Spectators surrounding the action. Generations of competitors. Volunteers. Friends. Families.
And a community that embraces the tournament.
The Shortstop doesn't feel like just another golf tournament.
It feels like an Albert Lea event.
Tomorrow, another chapter begins.
🏆 THE 100th PLAYING OF THE ALBERT LEA SHORTSTOP
📍 Green Lea Golf Course
⛳ Albert Lea, Minnesota
100 Playings. Generations of Golf. One Incredible Tradition.
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