WPGA CLASSIC #3
EVENT PARTNERS
Fresh off his six-year run on the men’s golf team at the University of South Dakota, Max Schmidtke has kicked off his professional career with a bang. The newly registered PGA Associate made headlines on Monday at the third 18-hole WPGA Classic of the season.
After making a run at the title at the Hornung’s Classic just a few weeks ago, the Sheboygan native would get the job done with a flurry of birdies on the closing stretch at Janesville CC.
Going out early and setting the pace, Mick Smith posted a 4-under-par 68 in the hot and windy conditions.
The mark held up until Schmidtke made his move in the final group of the day. The 2025 Summit League first team selection played a steady bogey-free front nine at 2-under-par. He then parred his first five holes on the back-nine. At that point Smith seemed to be in the driver’s seat with the wind picking up and temperatures rising.
However, Schmidtke was not going to let Smith get the best of him like he did at the Hornung’s Classic. Sitting two shots back, he finished his round by knocking it tight on the par-5 15th for birdie, dropping a long-range bending birdie putt on no. 17, and hitting a great pitch on no. 18 to four-feet for one final birdie. The onslaught helped him pass Smith by one shot.
His bogey-free 5-under-par 67 in difficult conditions earned him the $1,500 first place prize.
Although Schmidtke grabbed top billing, Brett Weber also made the news by carding his first-ever hole-in-one on the par-3 3rd. Weber knocked in a pitching wedge from 145 yards. The hole-in-one helped Weber take home some skin money and $500 from Hole-In-One USA.
The WPGA would like to thank TaylorMade Golf, Under Armour Golf, Hole-In-One USA, and the PGA Tour for helping to enhance and support Monday’s event.
We’d also like to express our gratitude to the staff and membership at Janesville CC. The club provided all the support that was needed to help administer event and the course was in great shape.