Brian
J Paulson, PGA
A Winona, MN,
native,
Brian played high school golf for Winona High
School from 8th Grade
through his senior year, playing on the
Varsity Golf Team from 9th
grade on through his senior year in 1989.
Brian then attended Winona State
University and played his college golf
for WSU from 1989 through 1994. While
at
Winona State, Brian won numerous college
tournaments, including the University
of Northern Iowa tournament 
(a
Division I Tournament); which Winona State
University played during Brian’s first couple
of years. While
playing for Winona State University,
Brian played in 6 (six) National College
Championships, two NCAA Division II
National Championships and four NAIA National
Championships.
(At
the
time, WSU was transitioning from NAIA to
NCAA Division II and Winona State
University was actually eligible for both
NAIA and NCAA Division II.) Brian’s
best Individual finishes in those National
Championships were 3rd for NCAA
Division II in 1993 at Turlock
Country Club in Turlock, CA, and Runner Up for
NAIA in 1994, at Tulsa Country
Club in Tulsa, OK.) For
his success
playing for Winona State University, Brian was
elected to both the Winona State
University Athletic Hall of Fame, as well as
the NSIC (Northern Sun Athletic
Conference) Hall of Fame.
After college,
Brian turned
professional, and played for a few years
seeing how far his golf game would go,
with the goal of hopefully getting on the
PGA Tour.
Brian played on both the CVGA and
TRGA (Three
Rivers Golf Association, based out of La
Crosse, WI) in the 1990’s and early
2000’s, winning two CVGA Tournament of
Champion titles, his first one in 1995
and his second in2002, when they were still
playing 36 holes for the Tournament
of Champions.
Brian also won numerous
other events on the CVGA throughout those
years, starting first as an Amateur
during his collegiate days, and then as a
professional after college.
Brian also
played on
Regional Mini-Tours (Dakotas and Prairie Golf
Tour, in the 1990’s) as well as
numerous State Opens in Minnesota, North
Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa. Brian
also qualified and played in two
Chicago Opens in the early 2000’s, which
eventually turned into a Nationwide
Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour) event in later
years.
Brian also
placed 3rd in
the Minnesota State Open back in 2001,
shooting a total score of -10 for the
Tournament.
Brian also took three shots
at PGA Tour Qualifying School in the late
1990’s and early 2000s, unfortunately
not getting through the qualifying. In
recent
years, Brian has played his tournament golf in
the Minnesota Section PGA
events.
After trying to
play a bit
for a living, Brian became the Assistant Golf
Professional at The Bridges
(Formerly Winona Country Club). There,
Brian
received his PGA Education, graduating in 2010
with his Class – A Membership
into the PGA of America. As a
PGA Golf Professional,
Brian has given numerous lessons to numerous
golfers of all ability levels, men
and women, and juniors. From
2013
through 2015 Brian was also hired as the Head
Men’s Golf Coach for Winona State
University.
Since 2015, He has been the
Head Golf Professional at Westfield GC, in
Winona, MN, a 9-Hole public golf
course within the city of Winona, where he
currently works today.
Brian
married an Eau
Claire, WI girl, Kathryn Wahl,
in 2015. Brian and Kathryn live in Winona, MN
with their two dogs, Milo and Lola.