Jon Trasmer, accompanied by his parents, signs with the University of Minnesota.

He still has a full season of his high school golf career in front of him, but when it is over, Blue Earth Area senior Jon Trasamar knows what will happen the following year.

He will be playing golf for the University of Minnesota.

On Friday, Nov. 14, Trasamar signed with the Golden Gophers at a ceremony in the BEA gym.

Flanked by his parents, Lonnie and Cindy Trasamar, he inked the proper papers, which included acceptance of the Tom Lehman Scholarship at the U.

The Buc star golfer says he is very excited to go to the University of Minnesota.

“I was contacted by Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Notre Dame and South Dakota State,” he says.

Trasamar narrowed it down to Minnesota and Wisconsin. He feels the ‘U’ gives him the best opportunity to become a better golfer.

“The ‘U’ has the best golf program in the region,” he says. “They were 40-22 in fall play this year.”

The Gophers won the National Championship in 2002 and the Big Ten Championship in 2003.

College golf is broken into two seasons – the fall schedule runs from August until Nov. 1. The spring meets start in January and go through the nationals held in May.

Minnesota is signing just two golfers this year; a student from China, and the Bucs’ Jon Trasamar. The two will room together next year, an experience Trasamar is looking forward to.

There are five golfers on the college varsity squad, with another six or seven who also travel to all the golf meets. Trasamar is expected to be one of the top five next year.

“There are four seniors graduating this coming spring, so Coach Brad James says I will be stepping right in,” Trasamar explains.

The Gophers actually recruited the Buccaneer in August of his junior year, and he verbally accepted last December.

Trasamar has led the Buccaneer team for several years. He has been the medalist in 43 of his high school golf meets.

As an eighth-grader Trasamar shot a 148 to place second in state. The following year, as a ninth-grader, he shot a 149 and tied for fifth in state.

Last year the Buc golfer again went to state, after missing the tourney in his sophomore year. He shot a 166 last spring and was in a tie for 40th place.

“I have one more shot at going to state and placing higher,” Trasamar says. “So yes, that is a goal.”

After that it is on to college, where he plans on majoring in business.

Jon’s father, Lonnie, Trasamar is a University of Minnesota alumni, so he was pleased his son is going there as well.

Although he didn’t golf at the ‘U’, Lonnie Trasamar was on the team at St. Cloud State.

After he transferred to the ‘U’ he roomed with the captain of the Gopher’s golf team.

Also while at the Twin Cities campus, the senior Trasamar met Tom Lehman several times, and once helped the pro golfer move to an apartment on campus.

“I haven’t talked to him in many years, but maybe I will have the chance now,” Lonnie Trasamar says.

The reunion is a distinct possibility, with son Jon getting the scholarship with Lehman’s name attached to it.

The younger Trasamar’s high school coach, Steve Fernholz, says the Gophers are not only getting a very good golfer, they are also getting a great person.

“Jon is a terrific kid, a real gentleman,” Fernholz said at the signing ceremony.

BEA High School Principal Jack Eustice agreed, calling Trasamar a leader, both in sports and in the hallways at the school.

Both said they were pleased that Trasamar will be a Gopher next year.