—Submitted Photo Elias johnson the director of the Middleton Classic golf tournament stands with Mason Anderson and Elliot Zagers of Manson Northwest Webster who earned the 2026 Joe L. Middleton Memorial Scholarships.

MANSON — The 17th annual Middleton Classic will again be a headline event at this weekend’s Manson Greater Crater Days.

Over 170 players are slated for action in the two-day, 36-hole competition, which is at the Manson Golf and Country Club. Each day will crown a winner, with the championship nine on Sunday evening.

Elias Johnson is the host and creator of the event, which is held each year in honor of former Manson Northwest Webster High School teacher and coach Joe Middleton. Middleton passed away in 2007.

Last year’s winners were Fort Dodge Senior High graduate Ryan Kinseth and Southeast Webster grad Cory Cummins, who took both the 18-hole Sunday title and the overall crown with a win in the championship nine. Kinseth and Cummins topped three-time defending champs Blaine Buhr and Eddie Doyle in a playoff to prevail.

Justin Kean and Justin Yetmar took the Saturday trophy in a playoff over Sean Hood and Grantt Miller. Ron Cummins and Dennis Pals were the senior division winners.

Recent Manson Northwest Webster graduates Mason Anderson and Elliot Zagers are the 2026 recipients of the Joe L. Middleton Scholarships. They will both be introduced at the tournament.

The event tees off with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.