Dylan Kringen – from Long Lake, Minnesota – was the first-place finisher of the 54 Hole Phoenix Junior Open that took place the weekend of February 17th. Kringen scored 67, 73, and 69, giving him a combined score of 209 strokes – good for 7-under par. Kringen, 16, is one of the top class of 2026 players.
Dylan Kringen By The Numbers
Last year, 2023, Kringen ended the boys 16-18 age division ranked 57th. This year, he is already up to being the 20th-ranked golfer in the division. In ’23, he had a scoring average of 73.83, and this year in ’24, his scoring average is down to 69.67. That is a lot of progress so far, getting his score down by about 4 strokes. Last year, Kringen placed T-1 at the national championship, T-4 at the Midwest/West Regional Invitational, and T-5 at the Shattuck St. Mary’s Greater Minneapolis Junior Open. We caught up with Dylan after his victory in Phoenix.
What do you enjoy the most about the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour?
–Â “The thing I enjoy the most about the HJGT is that they have tournaments to play in year-round.”
What’s your favorite memory on the tour so far?
– “My favorite memory on the tour so far is making the 30-footer in a playoff the win the national championship in Orlando this winter.”
What did it mean for you to win the 54 Hole Phoenix Junior Open on our tour?
– “To win the Phoenix Jr. Open meant a lot, to be able to go win in another state against players from all over the country.”
How do you prepare for a tournament?
– “To prepare for a tournament, I spend a lot of time with wedges and getting the putter dialed in.”
What are your career aspirations?
– “My goals for golf are to go on and play at a very high level in college and move on to play professionally.”
What is your dream school/why?
– “My dream school would be the University of South Carolina because they have great golf year-round and a really good practice facility.”
What course would you play if you had the chance? Why?
– “If I could play one course, I would have to say Augusta National because there is no other place like it.”
What advice do you have for other junior golfers out there?
– “My advice for other junior golfers is to not let one round define who you are as a player, because everybody has their good and bad rounds.”
We look forward to seeing what success Dylan has the rest of this season on the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour.
