Submitted photo: 2024 Middleton Classic champions Kenny Willers and Jake Murrow hold the trophy in Manson.

MANSON — Live scoring is available throughout the annual Middleton Classic tournament at the Manson Golf and Country Club.

Jake Murrow didn’t want any part of it.

“I don’t want to know. I don’t even know where my phone is and I don’t care,” Murrow said halfway through the round.

Conditions were perfect on Sunday for the final round of the popular two-person best shot event. Murrow, of Runnells, and Kenny Willers of Worthington, Minn. focused on going as low as possible.

“The course was in excellent shape,” Willers said. “It’s been dry the past few years but it was great.

The former teammates at Iowa Lakes Community College finished Sunday with a 12-under 60 and overall lead heading into the final nine holes. They made it last, as the pair won the title for the second time since 2017.

Murrow and Willers fired a final championship-nine round of 5-under to close at 17-under par 91.

“I live over two hours away up north and people ask me why I go to Iowa for this golf event,” Willers said. “It’s the greatest two-person golf tournament I’ve ever been in. There’s so much put into it and there’s some really great golfers out here.”

For Murrow, etching his name on the trophy a second time is a little more personal.

“Joe was an inspiration to me. He’s the reason I went to college, he’s the reason I have the job I do now,” Murrow said, pausing to collect his thoughts. “There’s no greater feeling.”

Joe Middleton, the tournament’s namesake, coached and taught Murrow in high school at Manson Northwest Webster.

“Congratulations to Jake and Kenny…always good to have these guys back each year,” said tournament director Elias Johnson, also a MNW graduate who wrestled at Iowa Central Community College as well. “This weekend is all about seeing friends that we may only get to see like this once a year, so everyone makes the most of it.

“I really want to thank over a dozen people who came out and jumped in getting this tournament staged and ready.”

Ten teams from Saturday made the cut at four-under led by Jordan Sogard and Devin Gallentine who fired a nine-under 63.

Jim Dalton and Todd Essing, both from Manson, secured the Senior Division title with a five-under 67 and were the lone team to represent the division in the championship.

Twenty tandems competed in the final championship nine holes.

Defending champions Eddie Doyle and Blaine Buhr carded a seven-under 29 and cruised to win the calcutta shootout, but finished one shot behind Murrow and Willers overall.

A total of $104,500 in scholarship money for MNW seniors has been raised since the Middleton Classic’s inception in 2009. This year’s recipients were Rachel Moody and Caydin Anderson, who each received $6,000.

Both Moody and Anderson present and spoke at the Champions Dinner Saturday evening, as well as at the tournament prior to tee-off on Sunday.

Middleton was a longtime teacher and coach at MNW. He passed away in 2007 from a brain tumor.

2024 MIDDLETON CLASSIC

Championship Top-10 Standings

1. Jake Murrow and Kenny Willers: 91 (-17)

2. Eddie Doyle and Blaine Buhr: 92 (-16)

3. Cody Jaeschke and Nico Booyens: 93 (-15)

4. Ryan Thompson and Justin Smith: 95 (-13)

5. Austin Vanderhoff and Tom Johnson: 95 (-13)

6. Ryan Reeder and Mike Arndorfer: 96 (-12)

7. Devin Gallentine and Jordan Sogard: 96 (-12)

8. Sam Wiss and Steve Cabrera: 97 (-11)

9. James Tiedeman and Matt Stauter: 97 (-11)

10. Grantt Miller and Sean Hood: 97 (-11)