FARGO — It wasn’t long after Mark Johnson accepted the head professional position at Fargo Country Club when board member Erik Johnson requested to talk about the Bobcat North Dakota Open.
That was 20 years ago.
“He said, ‘Hey, lets have a meeting, I’m going to hand over all the North Dakota Open information to you,’” Mark Johnson said.
Formerly at the Meadows in Moorhead, Mark Johnson had helped organize several tournaments, so this was right down his fairway.
“Mark has done a great job running it,” said Erik Johnson, the former longtime Fargo city attorney who played in the Bobcat several times as an amateur.
Last year, the Dakotas Tour tournament moved to Rose Creek Golf Course and the annual professional and amateur event returns this week with Thursday’s first round. The third and final round is Saturday, a change from the tournament’s typical Sunday finale.
In his 20 years as the tournament director, Mark Johnson said the move to Rose Creek after decades at Fargo Country Club is one of the biggest changes during his tenure. Johnson has been on the move too, most recently becoming the general manager at Oxbow Country Club south of Fargo.
“The history of the tournament had been at Fargo (CC), so that was the biggest thing,” Johnson said. “And thankfully, we’ve got a great sponsor in Bobcat, a great charity partner in the Village Family Service Center, so the event has carried on.”
The Dakotas Tour received a boost this year by joining with the Asher Tour, the longest-running professional mini-tour in the U.S.
Primarily administrative in nature, Johnson said the Asher Tour, established in 1982, is also helping boost prize purses on the Dakotas Tour.
Mark Johnson works with Heaven, age 9, during a golf clinic for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, at Suite Shots in south Fargo.
Anna Paige / The Forum
Last week at the Western North Dakota Pro-Am in Minot, first-place winner Mason Glinski won $30,000. The Bobcat will have a value of $20,000 for first place, Johnson said.
“That’s a good number for a weekend’s worth of work hitting a golf ball,” Johnson said.
The field this year will include Glinski, who scorched the Vardon Golf Club in Minot. The Oxnard, California, native finished 32-under par for the 72-hole event to win by four shots. Brady Calkins of Chehalis, Washington, third at 27-under, is also entered.
“You can’t stop them from playing well,” Johnson said. “You can tuck pins, but they’re going to find a way because they drive it so far.”
Last year’s
, a former North Dakota State player, will again be among the area professionals at Rose Creek. Zach Sklebar and Lucas Johnson (Mark’s son) of Fargo, along with Jackson Worner of West Fargo are also set to tee it up.
Nate Deziel, right, reads a putt with his caddie Tom Porten during the 2025 Bobcat North Dakota Open at Rose Creek in Fargo.
Rob Beer / The Forum
“We’re trying to embrace the local guys as well in this deal and, you know, if they’re in contention, they might bring some people out to watch them play,” Johnson said.
The North Dakota State men’s golf team is also using the Bobcat as a team qualifying event.
Rose Creek held up last season having the same score for the cut as the previous season at Fargo Country Club.
“(Rose Creek club pro) Matt Cook’s done a good job with Rose Creek,” Johnson said. “Some of the ideas are we’re going to move food and beverage outside this year. So maybe it’ll have more of a social aspect after you finish your round of golf.”
Mark Johnson speaks with Heaven, age 9, and Callie Feeney, Heaven’s “Big” through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program during a golf clinic for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, at Suite Shots in south Fargo.
Anna Paige / The Forum
More memories in Johnson’s 20 years
The Dakotas Tour has produced major championship winners and PGA Tour standouts in Tom Lehman, Zach Johnson and Rich Beem. Mark Johnson remembers Fargo’s Tom Hoge returning from the PGA Tour slate to play the Bobcat a few times and set a tourney-record during his 2017 victory.
“That was a highlight for a lot of Dakotas Tour players because they could see this guy is out on tour and he’s at that stature on tour,” Johnson said. “‘How’s my game? How do I match up against him and I think that was a positive for the Dakotas Tour guys to see what level they needed to get to the next level.”
Marcus Plunkett is also another Dakotas Tour alumni who has Moorhead ties, Johnson said. His grandfather Ken founded Plunkett’s Furniture in Moorhead and his father, Dan, is a Moorhead High graduate.
Plunkett played the Bobcat in 2022 and 2023, finishing 21st his second year. This year he made the cut and finished tied for 74th at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in the United Kingdom.
Tom Hoge watches his shot out of the sand trap on the 10th hole during the North Dakota Bobcat Open golf tournament Aug. 15, 2015, at the Fargo Country Club.
Forum file photo