Eastview's Tylke, Christian Set For College Golf Careers

It hasn’t sunk in just yet.

Through this week’s state tournament, Eastview seniors Max Tylke and Sam Christian will be teammates, just like they’ve been for the past four years. But once that final event is over, the two will go their separate ways—only to see each other again in different uniforms.

Tylke plans to golf next year for St. John’s University, while Christian is set to attend Concordia College in Moorhead. The longtime friends could cross paths at Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference events as early as this fall.

“It will be kind of weird to see him on a different team since we’ve been on the same team for four years,” Christian said. “And we’ve known each other for a long time. We’ve played a lot of golf together.”

The duo has played a lot of high-stakes golf together at Eastview. Both were sophomores on the last Lightning team to go to state in 2009, both went to state as individuals in 2010 and both helped lead the Lightning back to state this season. Eastview will compete Tuesday and Wednesday at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids.

Both teammates have molded their golf game through the years thanks to playing under pressure. 

Tylke finished 10th at state last year and spent much of his senior year as a top-5 golfer. Still, he won the Section 3AAA title, the South Suburban Conference title and masterfully finished five rounds under par this season.

Next year, he’s joining a Johnnies program that tied for third place at the NCAA Division III Championships this spring.

“It’s huge for him,” Eastview coach Mark Wanous said. “To know that he can compete with the best in the state this year and then go on to St. John’s, he’ll be ready to go. And he’s just going to get better and better and better.”

Christian said he learned the importance of calming his nerves during his past two trips to state. As a junior, he competed in a playoff hole against two others at sections to earn a state trip.

“That kind of helped with my nerves, too,” Christian said. “Everyone was watching.”

The duo hopes those lessons from the past will help deliver a state title, or at least a top-three finish, this year. Tylke hopes to deliver an individual state title, too.

Then, he’d like to use that momentum to earn a contributing spot on the Johnnies’ roster as a freshman.

“I’m hoping that if I can keep playing good that I can earn my way up to some spots and hopefully be competing with them all year,” Tylke said. “Hopefully I’ll be helping them, too.”

Christian said he’s excited to join the Concordia team, but he knows that first tournament will test his nerves.

“I will be a little nervous because it’s college golf, and it’s in one of the best D-III conferences in the country,” Christian said. “I think it will help a lot that I’ve played in the state tournament, and I’ve played outside of school in some big tournaments.”