CHAD KRUEGER (left) created a golf tournament to honor his late friend, Dusty Knaus. – Submitted photo

Dusty Knaus carried thousands of golf bags as a caddie over the years.

Knaus’ long-time friend says it’s our turn to carry his.

To honor Knaus, a 1990 graduate of Sheboygan South who drowned in Elkhart Lake in 2017, Chad Krueger created a memorial golf tournament that will be held in two months.

“I’m excited but it’s going to be very emotional,” Krueger said. “Even when I come back, I don’t see all these people. His parents or brothers or sisters, I haven’t seen them since the funeral.”

The four-person scramble tournament will be held Sept. 14 at Riverdale Country Club in Sheboygan.

There will also be prizes and raffles, with the proceeds eventually going to a local Sheboygan high school golfer in Knaus’ name.

Krueger, who graduated from North in ’91, became friends with Knaus in high school.

They eventually became best friends and Knaus was Krueger’s best-man at his wedding.

Krueger moved to Texas in 1998 but heard of Knaus’ death while he was at his daughter’s soccer tournament in North Carolina two years ago.

“It’s hard to absorb because it’s one of those things I didn’t believe at first and didn’t make any sense to me, until I had multiple people, including his parents, confirming he truly did drown,” Krueger said. “I was pretty shell-shocked, more than anything.

“He had everything going for him. It was a sad day, for sure.”

Krueger had been thinking of honoring his friend somehow and got the ball rolling when a Facebook memory of the two popped up a few months ago.

“It just triggered something like I need to do something, and I need to do it now,” Krueger said. “I just went full board, started making phone calls to Dusty’s family and friends up north. From there on, it took off.”

However, it is not as easy to organize such an event from the Lone Star State.

“It has its roadblocks but I’ve already got some great people up there that volunteered,” Krueger said.

Krueger plans on shipping items he’s collected for the tournament and will arrive Sept. 13.

He also wants to keep the event going as long as possible.

“In 15 years, I hope this is still going,” Krueger said. “I think it will be.”

For more information, visit dustyknausmemorialgolf.com or contact Krueger by phone (214) 727-1757 or email chad.krueger@cgi.com.