Going with the Gophers: Shanley golfer commits to play at the University of Minnesota

Fargo Shanley senior-to-be Grady Meyer has chosen to play golf at the University of Minnesota after leading the Deacons to a state title in 2011 and a runner-up finish last spring. Carrie Snyder / The Forum

By Jeff Kolpack

July 19, 2012 at 9:31 PM

FARGO - Another year, another local Division I golfing prospect. Shanley High School's Grady Meyer verbally committed to the University of Minnesota on Thursday.

The senior-to-be said it was an easy decision considering the Gophers had been talking to him since last summer when he competed in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Gold Mountain Golf Course in Bremerton, Wash.

Meyer shot 79-76 and missed the cut by three strokes, but that didn't diminish his national tournament experience.

"That was just amazing going out there," Meyer said. "I missed the cut, but it was fun being there."

Meyer was part of Shanley's state title team in 2011 and state runner-up team last spring. A Gophers assistant coach was at Fargo's Edgewood Golf Course watching Meyer in the East Region tournament.

He said North Dakota State was "in the back of my mind," but when the Gophers made an offer, he accepted. NDSU has seen its stock rise in the Summit League, with four local golfers and West Fargo's Connor Holland on the way.

"It's good to see that people know we can play up here," Meyer said. "There's so much local talent that no one sees."

Meyer plans on playing the Pine to Palm and Resorters tournaments later this summer. Then it's back to Shanley.

"I have to work on my overall consistency," he said.

Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack can be reached at (701) 241-5546.

Kolpack's NDSU media blog can be found

at www.areavoices.com/bisonmedia

Kolpack is the host of the WDAY Golf Show Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. on 970-AM.

By Jeff Kolpack

Jeff would like to dispel the notion he was around when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, but he is on his third decade of reporting with Forum Communications. The son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, Jeff has worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he's covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995.
Jeff has covered all nine of NDSU's Division I FCS national football titles and has written three books: "Horns Up," "North Dakota Tough" and "Covid Kids." He is the radio host of "The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack" April through August.