b'GOLF IDAHORueck wins Idaho Mens AmateurCole Rueck and Josh Gliege see each other a handful of times each year on the road with their respective college golf teams. But this summer at Jug Mountain Ranchin the 97th playing of the Idaho Mens Amateur Championship presented by St. Lukes Healththe Mountain West conference rivals saw their names appear on the same leaderboard for the very first time.These days, Glieges life as a player has largely morphed into that of a coach; and he spends much of his time recruiting players like Rueck to play for San Diego State University, where he serves as assistant coach. So, when he stepped onto the first tee for the final round, two shots clear of the Boise State standout (and seven-shots clear of Dylan Rodgers who joined the final pairing in a tie for third), Gliege knew exactly what kind of player he had standing between him and a second Mens Amateur title. These guys are good, Gliege said with a chuckle after his second-round, course-record-tying 66, alluding to Ruecks runner-up finish at the Sunnehanna Amateur earlier. Rueck followed his performance at the Sunnehanna with a third-place finish at the Oregon Amateur and birdied six of his final 10 holes to pull within two shots of Gliege. After the first nine in the final round, Rueck had flippedJosh Gliege won the 2021 Idaho Mens Amateur. the script and was leading Gliege by two shots. The final stretch at Jug Mountain Ranch is notorious and inexplicably nameless. Its a gauntlet of holes that, like a kiln, forges champions and eviscerates pretenders.On any one of those last holes you can make birdie, or you can make a big number, Gliege said. Rueck said the intimidation of the fairway or bust tee shots set a razors edge between birdie and a billion.Holding the honor, Rueck stepped up to the 16th tee and sent a high cut soaring over the corner of the trees to find the fairway. Gliege, knowing he needed to make up ground, played even more aggressively, taking on as much of the corner as anyone would ever dare. But after a long search on both sides of the fairway, he returned to the tee and found the penalty area again. Rueck laid up and took a two-putt par as Gliege made eight, falling five shots behind with two to play. He went on to win by four.4 GOLF IDAHO|SEPT2025'