WEST BEND — Spencer Turtz took a two-shot lead into the final round of the 125th Wisconsin State Amateur Championship and watched it evaporate in a matter of minutes.
After one hole Thursday at West Bend Country Club, Turtz was tied with Ricky Kuiper. After two holes, he trailed Kuiper by one. After eight holes, he’d fallen three behind.
Somebody had cornered the market on momentum, and it wasn’t Turtz.
“I was kind of thinking this is not what I really thought was going to happen,” he said. “It was definitely hard to flip the switch from worrying about what he was doing to what I was doing.”
But as that plus-handicap slugger Rocky Balboa once said, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.
Turtz, a former University of Wisconsin golfer from Charlotte, N.C., put his head down and kept moving forward. After Kuiper made a double-bogey mess of the ninth hole, Turtz had pulled to within one shot. More importantly, he adjusted his attitude.
“On (No.) 10, I took a slow walk over (to the tee box) and just kind of sat there,” he said. “I thought, ‘I’m not a different person than I was yesterday.’ … I started to realize that I shouldn’t change what my game plan has been all week.”
He went on to play a flawless back nine, making eight pars and a decisive birdie on the par-5 15th hole, which put him back in the lead for the first time since the opening hole. Kuiper’s double-bogey on the par-3 17th then sealed the deal.
Close
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Cody Guetzke
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Ricky Kuiper
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Danny Behm
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Preston Dembowiak
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Brandon Cloete
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Vince Sigl
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Mason Schmidtke, Andrew Delong
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Garrett Schultz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Jason Shwartz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz, Cameron Huss
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz, Cameron Huss
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Vijay Kumar
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Elliot Skinner
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Will Harned
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Lee Reinke, Logan Suter
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Easton Haworth
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Cameron Huss, Spencer Turtz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Jacob Beckman
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Charlie Erlandson
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Ross Thomson
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Ryan Banas
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Mason Schmidtke
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Charlie Erlandson
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Ricky Kuiper
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Russell Dettmering
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Griffin Pohl
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Cody Guetzke
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Sam Enea
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | William Schlitz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Griffin Pohl
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Mason Schmidtke
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Garrett Jones
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Cody Guetzke
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Ricky Kuiper
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Danny Behm
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Preston Dembowiak
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Brandon Cloete
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Vince Sigl
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Mason Schmidtke, Andrew Delong
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Garrett Schultz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Jason Shwartz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz, Cameron Huss
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz, Cameron Huss
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Vijay Kumar
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Elliot Skinner
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Will Harned
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Lee Reinke, Logan Suter
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Easton Haworth
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Cameron Huss, Spencer Turtz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Jacob Beckman
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Charlie Erlandson
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Ross Thomson
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Ryan Banas
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Mason Schmidtke
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Charlie Erlandson
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Ricky Kuiper
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Russell Dettmering
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Griffin Pohl
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Cody Guetzke
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Sam Enea
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | William Schlitz
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Griffin Pohl
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Mason Schmidtke
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Garrett Jones
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz
Turtz shot a 2-over-par 73 and finished the 72-hole tournament at 3-over 287, three shots clear of Racine’s Kuiper and late-charging Cody Guetzke of Hartland, a rising freshman at Wisconsin whose 1-under 70 was the only sub-par score in the final round and one of just seven in the championship.
“This is No. 1, for sure,” Turtz said when asked where the victory ranked among his accomplishments. “Super exciting. I really had a great day. Ricky and I were back and forth kind of the whole day. It was a grind. He was putting a lot of pressure on me and I was like, I’ve got to have my best stuff to win this thing.”
With the victory, Turtz earns an exemption into the U.S. Amateur, scheduled for Aug. 10-16 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. He has planned a trip to Scotland, however, and must decide whether to cancel his travel plans or keep them and skip the U.S. Am.
“That’s obviously the pinnacle of amateur golf,” he said. “To be competing and thinking about trying to win a golf tournament but also thinking about another tournament, it was definitely an interesting dynamic out there. … I do have a trip planned to Scotland, so I’ve got to make a decision.”
Kuiper, 29, closed with a 74 and tied Guetzke at 6-over 290. A three-time winner of both the Racine County Open and the Racine Amateur Championship, Kuiper’s best finish in 11 previous State Amateur appearances was T-10 at Sand Valley in 2022.
“This is my first time ever being in contention to win the tournament,” he said. “It was an absolute blast. Spencer was amazing to play with. Just a super nice guy. Super happy for him. He played really well, especially down the stretch. He deserved it.”
Guetzke, who eagled the par-5 third hole, pulled to within one stroke of the lead late in the day. A three-putt bogey on the final hole made for a disappointing finish, but it turned out to be inconsequential, other than preventing him from breaking 70.
“I just didn’t want to leave it short,” he said of his birdie attempt. “I got a little aggressive with the first putt and then missed a six-footer for par, but it didn’t matter at the end of the day.”
Three players tied for fourth place at 7-over 291: first- and second-round co-leader Brandon Cloete of Madison (75); West Bend native Preston Dembowiak of Kernersville, N.C. (71) and Danny Behm of Hubertus (72).
Defending champion Vince Sigl of Seymour, who was trying to become only the second golfer in 55 years to successfully defend a State Amateur title and the first since Ryan Quinn in 2001, closed with a 76 and finished T-8. The 18-year-old Sigl begins his freshman year at UW-Green Bay in a few weeks.
Kuiper got off to a roaring start when his cross-country birdie putt on No. 1 rattled the flagstick and dropped into the hole for a stunning birdie. Turtz missed the green and made a bogey, and just like that, they were tied.
“The first putt, the start of the day … I thought I hit it pretty good and then it just gained speed going down the hill,” Kuiper said. “Then it hit the hole and went in. It very easily could have gone off the front of the green. I was just trying to get it within 10 feet.”
Mason Schmidtke, a Marquette University golfer from Sheboygan, also started the final round two strokes behind Turtz, but Schmidtke followed his birdie on No. 1 with a quadruple-bogey 8 on the par-4 second hole and was never a factor after that. He shot an 83 and dropped all the way into a tie for 18th.
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Ricky Kuiper
Wisconsin.Golf photo / ROB HERNANDEZ
Kuiper rolled in birdie putts on Nos. 6 and 7 and was in cruise control. Then came disaster on the par-4 ninth. His approach hit the green but rolled just off the back. His ensuing chip raced past the cup, down the embankment and into a bunker. Double-bogey.
On the short par-4 10th, Kuiper hooked his drive, hit his second shot into a greenside bunker, blasted weakly and made a bogey. Just like that, he’d dropped three shots in two holes and his lead had shrunk to one.
“The ninth and 10th holes are what set me back,” Kuiper said. “I was still in the tournament, but they were tough pills to swallow. I really had an easy chip on the ninth hole and just got too aggressive. I hit it too hard and you just can’t do that.
“On 10, I had a chance to get up and down from that bunker. It really wasn’t a hard shot. I didn’t commit to the bunker shot; I just kind of (decelerated) and it came up short of the green. You go into that hole — especially it was downwind today — and you’re thinking here’s a good opportunity to make a birdie. To bogey it, you feel like you’re losing at least a shot and a half to the field.”
2026 Wisconsin State Amateur | Spencer Turtz
Wisconsin.Golf photo / ROB HERNANDEZ
Turtz, meanwhile, steadied himself with a string of pars on the back nine. His birdie on No. 15 gave him the lead and Kuiper’s double-bogey on 17 — he again chipped through the green and then missed a 6-foot bogey putt — made it all but academic.
After Turtz rolled in a par putt on No. 18, he was mobbed by his former UW teammates. One of them, Cameron Huss, had a front-row seat as Turtz’s caddie the last two days.
“Obviously, I’m glad he got it done,” Huss said. “It was awesome to be on the bag. He’s one of my best friends and he played great. He’s a great ball-striker and he’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’s got a lot of game.”
As for Kuiper, he chalked up his close call to a learning experience.
“It was the most fun I’ve ever had at the State Am, for sure,” he said. “I think I finished top-10 at Sand Valley a few years back but I never had a chance to win the tournament. That was fun but this was just different. It was a ton of fun. And I proved to myself that I can compete with these guys.
“I’ll be back next year, and you never know.”
There were plenty of reasons to smile. Kuiper and his wife, Alondra, welcomed daughter Mia to the world two months ago and both were in attendance Thursday.
“Life is pretty good,” he said. “I can’t complain.”
WSGA: 2026 Wisconsin State Amateur Championship | FINAL results (West Bend CC)
Pos.
Player, city
Total
Thru
Today
R1
R2
R3
R4
Score
1
Spencer Turtz Charlotte, NC
3
F
2
72
71
71
73
287
T2
Cody Guetzke Hartland, WI
6
F
-1
74
74
72
70
290
T2
Ricky Kuiper Racine, WI
6
F
3
74
74
68
74
290
T4
Danny Behm Hubertus, Wisconsin
7
F
1
73
73
73
72
291
T4
Preston Dembowiak Kernersville, NC
7
F
E
77
73
70
71
291
T4
Brandon Cloete Madison, WI
7
F
4
71
71
74
75
291
7
Garrett Schultz Oconomowoc, WI
8
F
4
71
71
75
75
292
T8
Russell Dettmering Merrill, WI
10
F
3
72
74
74
74
294
T8
Vincent Sigl Seymour, WI
10
F
5
74
70
74
76
294
T10
Ryan Banas Winnetka, IL
11
F
2
75
76
71
73
295
T10
Garrett Jones Madison
11
F
3
73
76
72
74
295
T10
Charlie Erlandson Madison, WI
11
F
5
76
74
69
76
295
T13
Vijay Kumar Windermere, FL
12
F
5
73
75
72
76
296
T13
Griffin Pohl Sturgeon Bay, WI
12
F
9
71
74
71
80
296
T15
Jason Shwartz Madison, WI
13
F
1
76
76
73
72
297
T15
Will Harned Nashotah, WI
13
F
4
74
74
74
75
297
17
William Schlitz Eau Claire, WI
14
F
2
72
73
80
73
298
T18
Elliot Skinner Altoona, WI
15
F
3
73
76
76
74
299
T18
K.C. Nickel Waunakee, WI
15
F
7
73
76
72
78
299
T18
Easton Haworth Janesville, WI
15
F
7
75
71
75
78
299
T18
Drew Sacia Milton, GA
15
F
7
75
76
70
78
299
T18
Ross Thomson Oconomowoc, WI
15
F
9
72
74
73
80
299
T18
Mason Schmidtke Sheboygan, WI
15
F
12
73
73
70
83
299
24
Robert Gregorski Menasha, Wi
17
F
3
73
79
75
74
301
T25
Alistair Demko Kingsland, GA
18
F *
1
73
81
76
72
302
T25
Sam Enea Cedarburg, WI
18
F
5
74
78
74
76
302
T25
Jacob Beckman Middleton, WI
18
F
8
78
70
75
79
302
Top 25 plus ties
earn 2027 exemption
28
Zachary SlaytonSheboygan, WI
19
F
6
82
73
71
77
303
T29
Nathan ThomsonIron River, MI
20
F
6
78
78
71
77
304
T29
Joe DuChateauFond Du Lac, WI
20
F *
4
79
78
72
75
304
T29
David BrockMequon, Wisconsin
20
F
8
76
72
77
79
304
T29
Caleb KernEdgerton, WI
20
F
11
76
73
73
82
304
T33
Mason HauptDe Pere, WI
21
F
8
77
79
70
79
305
T33
Ben SkogenLa Crosse, WI
21
F
11
73
75
75
82
305
T35
Jonah CurtisGreen Lake, WI
22
F
7
72
81
75
78
306
T35
Jackson PiacsekPewaukee, WI
22
F
8
79
77
71
79
306
T35
Brett WielandMilton, WI
22
F *
5
77
80
73
76
306
T35
Ryan GloverMadison, WI
22
F
9
76
74
76
80
306
T35
Thomas WettsteinMuskego, WI
22
F *
5
80
77
73
76
306
T40
Max BrudStoughton, WI
23
F
9
77
76
74
80
307
T40
Nishant DattaVerona, WI
23
F
10
74
76
76
81
307
T40
Shaun BorreLa Crosse, WI
23
F
11
77
74
74
82
307
T40
Parker EtzelEau Claire, Wisconsin
23
F *
3
77
77
79
74
307
T44
Daniel RomanoCottage Grove, WI
24
F
8
73
78
78
79
308
T44
Jakob GarsteckiGermantown, WI
24
F *
8
78
74
77
79
308
T44
Ryonen FarisFond Du Lac, WI
24
F *
7
74
77
79
78
308
T44
Adam GarskiWauwatosa, WI
24
F *
5
71
81
80
76
308
T48
Justin KaczynskiOak Creek, WI
25
F *
8
73
80
77
79
309
T48
Aiden CudneyAppleton, WI
25
F *
7
77
75
79
78
309
T50
Tyler WengronowitzNecedah, WI
26
F *
9
78
76
76
80
310
T50
Dustin SchwabWaunakee, WI
26
F *
8
79
76
76
79
310
T52
Matthew HandalMequon, WI
27
F *
11
75
78
76
82
311
T52
Gene Kiela IIIPlymouth, Wisconsin
27
F
14
77
74
75
85
311
T52
Collin SchroederAppleton, WI
27
F *
9
78
79
74
80
311
T52
Finley GastrauWauwatosa, WI
27
F *
8
77
80
75
79
311
T56
Michael AddieSussex, WI
28
F *
9
75
76
81
80
312
T56
Luke TaebelHolmen, WI
28
F *
9
78
77
77
80
312
T56
Spencer LynchNeenah, WI
28
F *
3
78
79
81
74
312
T59
Aleck SimmsKingston, ON
29
F *
10
73
77
82
81
313
T59
Tyler ShortLake Geneva, WI
29
F *
9
77
76
80
80
313
T59
Hayes PackeeDelafield, WI
29
F *
9
80
76
77
80
313
T59
Mike McDonald Slinger, WI
29
F *
9
78
79
76
80
313
T59
Tucker JohnsonNeillsville, WI
29
F *
7
74
79
82
78
313
T64
Connor SchaeferGreenville, WI
30
F *
12
76
81
74
83
314
T64
Gabriel DecasasDe Pere, WI
30
F *
8
78
77
80
79
314
T66
Garrett PohlSturgeon Bay, WI
31
F
19
74
78
73
90
315
T66
Yinta YangConway, AR
31
F *
8
81
76
79
79
315
T68
Austin ResopFitchburg, WI
32
F *
14
75
77
79
85
316
T68
Thomas HallaColgate, WI
32
F *
7
79
76
83
78
316
T70
Austin EricksonSparta, WI
34
F *
14
72
83
78
85
318
T70
Logan SuterHartland, WI
34
F *
13
78
76
80
84
318
T70
Luke PruntyMequon, WI
34
F *
5
79
76
87
76
318
T73
Pete RombcaNorth Prairie, WI
35
F *
15
79
77
77
86
319
T73
Tony RomoDallas, TX
35
F *
11
79
78
80
82
319
T73
Mitchell HolmesNekoosa, WI
35
F *
10
81
76
81
81
319
T73
Cory SlotterbackWhitefish Bay, WI
35
F *
9
77
80
82
80
319
77
Joey PlochOconomowoc, WI
36
F *
12
77
80
80
83
320
78
Thomas BreitWest Salem, WI
40
F *
21
80
75
77
92
324
T79
Jack AndersonBrookfield, WI
43
F *
21
77
76
82
92
327
T79
Kevin BelzaWisconsin Rapids, WI
43
F *
11
81
76
88
82
327
81
Lucas PiacsekPewaukee, WI
48
F *
27
79
78
77
98
332
82
Chris KostrewaWales, WI
49
F *
22
79
75
86
93
333
MISSED CUT
MC
Kole HallmarkAltoona, WI
16
75
83
158
MC
Joe WeberWest Salem, WI
16
82
76
158
MC
Daniel OzgaEdgerton
16
81
77
158
MC
Wyatt ChapmanGilbert, AZ
16
76
82
158
MC
Samuel NielsenFond Du Lac, WI
16
81
77
158
MC
Joey DarrowRiver Hills, WI
16
80
78
158
MC
Matthew DornMadison, WI
16
79
79
158
MC
Jeff CressmanMiddleton, WI
16
81
77
158
MC
Colin ComeauOnalaska, WI
17
81
78
159
MC
Sam CianciolaNekoosa
17
81
78
159
MC
Nick Nelson Mequon, WI
17
77
82
159
MC
Drew SeversonEleva, WI
17
81
78
159
MC
Mason SavageFranklin, WI
17
77
82
159
MC
Charlie LarsonGermantown, WI
17
80
79
159
MC
Tyler DeBruyckereEleva, WI
17
80
79
159
MC
Ethan GrahamCedarburg, WI
18
77
83
160
MC
Ryan Quinn Bloomington, IL
18
82
78
160
MC
Ryan HuebschWest Salem, WI
18
80
80
160
MC
Richie BurkeWauwatosa, WI
18
79
81
160
MC
Landen SavageFranklin, WI
18
80
80
160
MC
Thomas HavertyMilwaukee, WI
18
78
82
160
MC
Andrew LadwigGreen Lake, WI
18
83
77
160
MC
Kian Bystol-FloresCambridge, WI
18
79
81
160
MC
Dylan KarvalaNew Berlin, WI
19
86
75
161
MC
Riley TanziWest Bend, WI
19
78
83
161
MC
Gabe DahlGreen Bay, WI
19
85
76
161
MC
Nate BoltzDelavan
19
82
79
161
MC
Max NeumannHartland, WI
19
81
80
161
MC
Travis Meyer River Falls, WI
19
78
83
161
MC
Ben JonesWausau, WI
19
86
75
161
MC
Jim DoingVerona, WI
19
77
84
161
MC
Jared RomanoDarien, WI
19
82
79
161
MC
Bradley HillMenomonee Falls, WI
19
81
80
161
MC
Thomas BeganWhitefish Bay, WI
20
80
82
162
MC
Nick BuckmanCambridge, WI
20
81
81
162
MC
AJ AndersonWaukesha, WI
20
85
77
162
MC
Hudson MastersOmro, WI
21
83
80
163
MC
Tommy MohsMadison, WI
21
85
78
163
MC
Sam ShrockRhinelander, WI
21
82
81
163
MC
Brett CraryReedsburg, WI
21
83
80
163
MC
Regan KonenSugar Grove, IL
21
80
83
163
MC
Sam Van GalderJanesville, WI
21
76
87
163
MC
Thomas BirrittieriFredonia, WI
21
79
84
163
MC
Owen SmithMadison, WI
22
83
81
164
MC
Tyler JohnsonBerlin, WI
22
78
86
164
MC
John PercyLa Crosse, WI
23
84
81
165
MC
Waylan HangMenomonee Falls, WI
24
88
78
166
MC
Craig TautgesShorewood, WI
24
82
84
166
MC
Adam MillerNekoosa, WI
25
79
88
167
MC
Jonathan FallCedarburg, WI
25
86
81
167
MC
Michael BroekerMequon, WI
25
77
90
167
MC
Adam SchmuckerHoulton, WI
25
80
87
167
MC
Chase MclaughlinNekoosa, WI
25
80
87
167
MC
Noah HarmatysWaunakee, WI
26
84
84
168
MC
Matthew HaggartMinocqua, WI
26
92
76
168
MC
Cory AuneLake Geneva, WI
26
83
85
168
MC
Rohan VasudevaMilwaukee, WI
26
82
86
168
MC
Dylan KazynskiHolmen, WI
27
86
83
169
MC
Luke WeissMiddleton, WI
28
87
83
170
MC
Shaun CunninghamCambridge, WI
29
83
88
171
MC
Pat Boyle Greendale, WI
29
84
87
171
MC
Austin CorraoMuskego, WI
30
86
86
172
MC
Alex WellerWauwatosa, WI
30
90
82
172
MC
Griffin OliverGreen Bay, WI
30
87
85
172
MC
Will BergmannMadison, WI
31
85
88
173
MC
Joseph ImmekusGreendale, WI
32
86
88
174
MC
Bruce HenningBrookfield, Wi
32
87
87
174
MC
Brendan FredricksonGermantown, WI
33
92
83
175
MC
Jeff GarsteckiGermantown, WI
34
88
88
176
MC
Aaron RickFond Du Lac, WI
34
84
92
176
WD
Travis PronschinskeOconomowoc, WI
10
81
81
WD
Trevor DurfeeSuperior, WI
11
75
78
153
WD
Cole RopickyWales, WI
11
62
62
WD
Ryan HughesGrafton, WI
17
88
88
WD
Jack Schultz Whitefish Bay, WI
* denotes a 10th hole start