Bozeman golfers win State Mid-Am, Master 40 titles

BOZEMAN — On a bright and sunny day at the Valley View Golf Club a pair of local golfers, Chris Haas and Mark Houser, won the titles for the 38th Montana State Mid-Amateur and the first Master 40 championship Saturday.  

Haas utilized his course knowledge and held on for a one-stroke victory over Nathan Bailey in the Mid-Am, while Houser secured a wire-to-wire victory over Whitefish’s Brad Grattan. 

Both Haas and Bailey, the 2020 Mid-Amateur champ and an MSGA Hall of Famer. shot 72 Saturday. Haas accumulated one early birdie and had three bogeys, and both golfers shot 2-over 72. Haas' three-round total was 1-over 211. 

Bailey, a three-time State Amateur champ from Laurel, missed out on a playoff with a bogey on 18. 

In third place was two-time State Am champion Joey Lovell of Bozeman, who shot the day’s lowest score, 69. He finished four strokes back. 

In the Master 40, Houser shot a 73 Saturday and ended up with a 220 total. Grattan, the 2022 Senior Tournament champ, was two strokes back. In third (at 226) was Bill Leach of Bozeman. 

House won the Joe Tomes Award for lowest score for players aged 50 and over with his 70 on Thursday; Bailey won the Dick Pittman Award for lowest round overall with a Thursday 66. 

The leaderboard can be found at the Golf Genius App via GGID: 25MSGAMMA.