E/K-M’s Joe Kramlich reflects on winning Class B golf state title – Jamestown Sun

JAMESTOWN — The 2025 NDHSAA Class B Boys’ Golf State Tournament came to an end with a history-making putt for Edgeley/Kulm-Montpelier’s Joe Kramlich on Wednesday, June 4, at the Jamestown Country Club.

Kramlich sank a par putt on the 18th hole to win the state title with a total score of 2-over-par 146 (74-72). Kramlich said he did a “double take” when he saw the ball go in the hole on the 18th green. Kramlich said he felt like his putting was “dialed in,” which allowed him to secure the win.

“Get a par, hit the green and two putt but I didn’t hit it in two so I just had to chip it close and make the putt,” Kramlich said about his approach on the 18th hole.

When Kramlich’s ball went in the hole, Kramlich’s coaches Rory Entzi and his father, Aaron, both exploded in cheer and embraced.

“It was a relief when it went in. It was a great, awesome feeling. … He’s earned it. It’s a great achievement,” Entzi said.

After the round officially ended, Kramlich hugged both Entzi and his dad and shared some words with them.

“I just said we did it. It was kind of goal, a big goal, nobody’s ever won it from our school, not on grass greens before, so first person to do that,” Kramlich said.

Kramlich is the first golfer to win the state title from any of the three schools in the co-op since the NDHSAA switched to grass greens in 1995 and the first in general since Kulm’s Kevin Erickson won it in 1985. While the senior is now obviously finished in high school, there are expected to be nine returners next year from this year’s Rebels roster.

“I hope they can put some more time in this summer and try to get here and get to play in it because it’s a pretty fun tournament to get to come experience,” Kramlich said.

In the immediate aftermath of Kramlich’s win, Entzi got choked up reflecting on what it means to him.

“It’s awesome,” Entzi said. “… I just wanted him to play well. I figured that would take care of everything and I guess it kind of happened that way, he played really well. … He made a heck of an up and down to win on 18 and he had a really tough putt that broke away from him. That’s really cool to have something like that in the annals of history that’ll be pretty cool. It’s great for Joe, he’s really earned it, he’s worked really hard. He’s put a lot of time in the game. He’s probably been playing since he’s probably been four years old … it’s been a long time coming.”

After the first day, Kramlich was in second place, trailing Park River’s Jacob Solseng by two strokes with a 2-over-par 74 before he did enough on the second day to get the win. Kramlich said he knew he had a chance to win the state title when he saw the final scores come in after the first day.

“It’s doable, it’s doable. I can go get a couple birdies and hopefully get up close to that,” Kramlich said.

In total, Kramlich recorded five birdies and 25 pars during the 36-hole tournament.

“I hit a lot of fairways and when I didn’t hit fairways, I made some good scramble pars,” Kramlich said. “… I knew I had to do it because you can’t take a lot of bogeys if you’re trying to win. So I knew I had to hit them and if you’re in trouble you gotta get out of trouble.”

Kramlich finished one stroke ahead of Oak Grove’s Carter Paulus, who was in the group ahead of Kramlich on the final day.

“I knew he would shoot good but I didn’t check his score or pay attention until the last hole. So I tried my best to keep my mind off of that,” Kramlich said.

Entzi said he had to reassure Kramlich at points during the championship that he was doing well but Kramlich stayed consistent through 36 holes.

“He’s just really been really consistent. He was like, ‘What do you think? What do you think the score?’ I was like, ‘Joe, just play.’ Pars are always good. He putted really good, he made some big two-putts on the first day and he hit the ball really well off the tee,” Entzi said. “It wasn’t always perfect but he seemed to hit it where we could get a club on it and hit it again. … He always seemed to have a shot so he’s really good with that. I think the harder they are sometimes the more he enjoys it and things just gotta go right and they did today.”

One of Kramlich’s most remarkable shots throughout the two-day event came on the first day where the lefty had a ball resting next to a tree. He turned his club around to hit the ball right-handed in order to get out of the woods on the 10th hole.

“I’ve hit them before, I’ve practiced them so I knew what I was doing and it actually was great. I kept my eye on it and didn’t try and do anything crazy and it worked out perfect,” Kramlich said.

When Kramlich and the three other golfers in his group approached the green on the 18th hole, they did it in front of a packed crowd.

“I like when lots of people are around the green, it’s my favorite part of the day. I was just nervous because I had a little tough downhiller I needed to win,” Kramlich said.

Now that his high school career is over, Kramlich is preparing to head into his freshman year as a defensive back at the Air Force Academy (Colorado). Kramlich said he will play as much golf around the area as he can before he has to head out to the Air Force Academy on June 23.

“We got one campus that I’m gonna be playing as much as I can,” Kramlich said.

Despite all of the time commitments that come with being a Division I athlete at a military college, Kramlich said he has not put much thought into adding golf to his docket.

“I don’t know. I’m sure they probably called me already or they’ll call me soon, talk to me tonight,” Kramlich said.