56th Leo Spooner Invitational
September 10th - 13th, 2026
Northland Country Club
Duluth, Minnesota
About Leo Spooner
Born in 1927, Leo Spooner is a Duluth golf icon. He spent nearly his entire life in Duluth, playing Enger Park Golf Course in his early years until he became a member of Northland Country Club in 1956.
Leo had a long and decorated amateur golf career on both a local and national scale. He holds the record for most wins at the Northland Invitational with 10, spanning from 1956 to 1984. On a national level, he qualified for 17 USGA Championships. Leo played in 6 U.S. Amateur Championships, reaching the round of 16 twice. He competed in 3 U.S. Senior Amateur Championships, including a semifinal appearance in 1983 and a run to the quarterfinals in 1986. Along with his 9 Amateur tournament appearances, he qualified to play in the U.S. Open 8 times.
In 1990, Leo was inducted into the Minnesota Golf Association Hall of Fame. After listing his numerous achievements, his plaque says the following: “In addition to winning many titles throughout Minnesota, Spooner is respected for his sportsmanship and willingness to share with others his knowledge of the game. He is one of the most popular amateurs in our area.”
He became known as Leo the Legend, a truly fitting nickname.
Invitation
On behalf of the Tournament Committee at Northland Country Club, you are cordially invited to play in the 56th Leo Spooner Invitational, to be held from September 10th - 13th, 2026 in Duluth, Minnesota.
Inside this booklet you will find pertinent information about the tournament and registration process.
Back in 1970, Leo wanted to host a tournament that attracted all of the top players in the area. From that idea, the Leo Spooner Invitational was created; we look forward to renewing this annual tradition in September. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our Northland Professional Staff with any comments, questions, or concerns.
Sam DuPont, PGA Gregg McCall
Head Golf Professional Tournament Chairperson
Northland Country Club
Defending Champions
Championship Division:
Ben Greve & Ross Hamann
Senior Division:
Frank Mertz & Lance Butner
Thank you to our Sponsor
Registration
Registration Process
Interested teams, whether Northland Members or Non-Members, can register beginning on March 5th and continuing through the end of March.
To register, please use this link: https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/12216755069307097890
After registration has closed, the Tournament Committee will select the field from all registered teams based on their recent Leo Spooner Invitational performance, playing ability, past participation in the event, and membership status at Northland.
Ultimately, to honor Leo’s vision for the event, the most competitive field possible will be selected. The Championship Division will be comprised of 48 teams, and the Senior Division will have 28 teams.
The Field List & Waitlist will be sent by April 8th. At this time, NCC Members in the field will have the entry fee billed to their account (the fee will be split in half for teams comprised of 2 members). Non-Member teams will be sent an invoice, which must be paid by April 15th. Any team not paying by this date will forfeit their spot in the field.
Waitlist
The Waitlist sent on April 8th will be separated by division and listed in order of priority. As teams in the field withdraw, our Golf Professional Staff will inform teams on the waitlist of their opportunity to join the event. Teams who have been notified of their spot will have 48 hours to accept or decline.
Member waitlist teams who accept their invitation will have the tournament entry fee billed to their account (this fee will be split in half for teams comprised of two NCC members). Teams without a Member will be sent an invoice via email and will have another 48 hours to pay it. If it is not paid at this time, the invitation will be rescinded and sent to the next team on the waitlist.
Withdrawal Deadline
The last day to withdraw from the event without penalty is Thursday, August 7th. Teams withdrawing after this date are subject to forfeiture of their entry fee.
Entry Fee
The entry fee is $650 + tax per team
This includes golf, food, cart fees, and prizes
Tournament Format
Format
Championship Division: 36 Holes of Gross Four-ball from the Blue Tees
Senior Division: 36 Holes of Gross Four-ball from the White Tees
Both players must be aged 55 or older to be eligible for the Senior Division
Optional Events
The optional Practice Round will have a $100 per team four-ball available
The Practice Round and both Tournament Rounds will have $20 per player Gross Skins games available
The Tournament Rounds will have a $200 per team Players Pool available
All games are separated by division
Teams who wish to enter every optional event can pay $420 prior to the Practice Round. This will cover all 3 days of Skins for both players, the Practice Round four-ball, and the Tournament Players Pool.
Discussion of Championship Division Teams
We will host a Discussion of Championship Division Teams promptly at 8:15 PM on Friday in the JR Link Grill Teams will be divided into Pods of 3 for the Discussion
Tournament Schedule
Thursday, September 10th
Senior Practice Round Tee Times available from 11:00 AM to 12:50 PM and 1:40 to 2:30 PM
Friday, September 11th
Breakfast is available beginning at 6:30 AM
The Senior Championship will begin with an 8:00 am Shotgun Start
Lunch is available beginning at 12:00 PM
The Championship Practice Round is a 1:30 PM Shotgun Start
Social Hour in the Ballroom begins at 6:30 PM
The Leo Spooner Steak Dinner begins at 7:00 PM in the Ballroom
All participants are invited to attend with a plus one. RSVP is required. Dressy Casual Attire (Sport Coats are required)
The Discussion of Teams begins promptly at 8:15 PM in the JR Link Grill
Saturday, September 12th
Championship First Round Tee Times from 7:30 to 9:30 AM*
Senior Final Round Tee Times from 12:30 to 1:30 PM*
Breakfast is available beginning at 6:30 AM
Lunch is available from 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM on the 1st and 10th Tees
Sunday, September 13th
Championship Final Round Tee Times from 8:00 to 10:00 AM*
Breakfast is available beginning at 7:00 AM
Lunch Buffet available from 1:00 to 3:00 PM
*Indicates a two-tee start
Past Champions
John
Gary
Harry Newby Jr.
David Vosika
Robert Magie III
Past Champions
2007
David Haselrud
Matt Yeager
2008
Brent Jacobson
Troy Johnson 2009
Erik Ecker
Chris Daniels 2010
Erik Ecker
Chris Daniels
2011
Reed Kolquist
Tom Waitrovich 2012
Brent Jacobson
Troy Johnson
2013
JB Lloyd
Pete Honsa Jr.
2014
Jon Montei
Paul Kelley 2015
Jordan Hawkinson
Will Hickey 2016
Taylor Sundbom
Kyle Ernst 2017
Phil Ebner
Jack Ebner 2018
Tim Herron
Carson Herron 2019
Tim Herron
Carson Herron 2020
Ryan Conn
Josh Persons 2021
Joel B. Johnson
Trent Peterson 2022
Taylor Sundbom
Matt Mellin 2023
Joel B. Johnson
Trent Peterson 2024
Ryan Conn
Josh Persons
2025
Ben Greve
Ross Hamann
