2026 National Lefty Open

The 2026 National Association of Left Handed Golfers (NALG) National Left Handed Golfers Championship, contested at Keller Golf Course,  in St. Paul, MN concluded September 27th.  Sixty-eight left-handed golfers gathered for 5 days that included a two-day championship and three rounds of early week competition. Thirty-two players came from Minnesota, which gave the tournament a strong local flavor.

Rain threatened Saturday, but the heavier storms kept mostly west and north. What reached Keller was little enough to endure, and did not halt play.

17-year-old Easton Fiddle tee'd off in the later wave and played through the worst of the rain, but it was no bother. He fired a 3 under 69 to take a first round lead. Hot on his heels was two-time defending Minnesota State Lefty champ Nolan Frank in solo second who shot 70. 

Round 2 is where Easton separated. He backed up his first round 69 with an even better 68 on Sunday. Frank faltered a bit shooting a respectable 75, but it left no doubt. Fiddle coasted to his first NALG title.

A junior at White Bear Lake High School, a member of the Minnesota National Development Team, and a recent AJGA winner, Fiddle played with the quiet confidence that comes with a familiarity with competitive golf. 

(2026 NALG Lefty Open Champion Easton Fiddle)

His rounds of 69 and 68 carried him eight strokes ahead of fellow Minnesotan Nolan Frank and twelve ahead of defending national champion Joe Buchholz. 

The weekend belonged to more than its champion. On Saturday, Scott Fredrickson holed his tee shot at the thirteenth, playing approximately one hundred yards in the Masters Division. It was his ninth career ace!

At eighty-four, Jim Pfrogner bested his age twice shooting 77 on the weekend,  In another feat, eighty-nine-year-old Jack Hammond fired rounds of 88 and 87. Together they offered the field a most attractive prospect and a reminder of what the NALG Championship is all about: Our best years may always be ahead of us and that our championship continues to represent camaraderie, community, and competition!

At the awards dinner, attention turned toward Reno, where the 2027 NALG tournament will take place June 12–15. Further details will follow early next year.

Saturday evening also marked a change in leadership. The board elected Colorado’s Joe Buchholz as NALG Chair, succeeding Sid Miner. Miner and his fellow board members helped restore the association’s footing and prepare it for growth; his considerable labor and personal financial contributions deserve lasting gratitude.

So the gathering ended with a young champion, old masters, a new captain at the helm, and another destination ahead. More than just the incredible golf at a historic venue, This year's NALG National Championship strengthened the organization's mission of camaraderie, community and competition.