Dave Christensen of Elk River, Troy Johnson of Maple Grove, and Daryl Schomer of St. Cloud have made names for themselves at the Resorters Tournament in recent years in the Men’s Executive division.
Christensen is the reigning champion of the division, while Schomer is a four-time division champion and Johnson won five-straight division titles from 2018-23. Together, these three have won the last 10 out of 12 Men’s Executive division titles
This year, Christensen is the No. 2 seed, Schomer is the No. 4 seed, and
Johnson is the No. 6 seed. These four, along with medalist and No. 1 seed Bryant Black, make up the Men’s Executive division semifinals, which will be played Saturday morning.
The Men’s Executive division finals are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Let’s take a look at how Black, Schomer, Christensen, and Johnson got to Saturday’s semifinals.
Black def. D. Johnson, 20 holes
Dan Johnson jumped out to a three-hole lead with a birdie on the third hole, par on the fifth hole, and a birdie on the sixth hole.
BACK IN THE HUNT
tied the match once again with a birdie on the 15th hole.
Black, who plays out of the Alexandria Golf Club, had a thrilling quarterfinal match against the No. 8 seed Dan Johnson on Friday afternoon that needed two extra holes to decide a winner.
Black turned things around with a birdie on the seventh hole, then eagled the 12th hole to cut his deficit to one.
Black tied the match with a par on the 13th hole, then took the lead with a birdie on the 14th hole. Dan Johnson then
Black took the lead with a par on the 16th hole, but Johnson once again tied the match with a birdie on the 17th hole.
Black went on to win in 20 holes over Dan Johnson.
Because of schedule changes caused by Wednesday’s inclement weather, some golfers weren’t able to finish their Thursday match play rounds and had to resume play on Friday morning. Black had no match to finish on Friday morning, but Dan Johnson did.
Dan Johnson was deadlocked with the No. 9 seed, Todd Gease, but took the lead with a win on hole No. 14. Dan Johnson won hole No. 16 to go 2-up, but Gease won hole Three former champs, 2024
Men's e xecutive on J26
Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press
Troy Johnson watches his shot during the Men’s Executive quarterfinal round at the 103rd Resorters Tournament at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Black Schomer
Christensen Johnson
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WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Contenders don’t go down without a fight
Larson takes down defending division champion
BY JAKE SUTHERLIN
Alexandria Echo Press
Two out of the four Women’s Championship quarterfinal matches required extra holes to determine a winner as Cora Larson and Samantha Sommers outlasted their opponents to earn their spots in Saturday’s semifinals.
Hannah Boraas backed up her No. 1 seed
ranking with the biggest win of the quarterfinals (3-2), and Madison Herzog triumphed in a backand-forth match to earn a spot in the final four.
The championship match is scheduled for Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
Boraas def. Sullivan, 3-2
Top-seeded Hannah Boraas dug herself an early 2-hole deficit in her quarterfinal match against No. 8 seed McKenzee Sullivan when she carded a pair of double bogeys on holes 1 and 4.
Boraas bounced back shortly thereafter with a win by birdie on hole 5 and wins by par on holes 7 and 8 to take a 1-hole lead. She stretched her lead to three holes with a win by birdie on hole 12 and a win by par on hole 15 and tied the next hole to clinch a spot in the semis.
Herzog def. Roberts, 2-up
Only four holes weren’t won by someone in a fiercely contested quarterfinal between No. 5 seed
Madison Herzog and No. 4 seed Norah Roberts.
After the pair tied the first hole, Roberts won the next three (par, birdie, par), but Herzog responded by winning the next four (par, birdie, birdie, par), and they tied hole 9.
Roberts then took the lead back with wins by par on holes 10 and 11, but Herzog tied the match with a birdie on hole 12.
The golfers tied the next two holes, but then Herzog went up two with wins by par on holes 15 and 16. Roberts pulled a win back with a par on hole 17, but Herzog sealed the deal with another win by par on hole 18.
Larson def. Hicks, 21 holes
No. 7 seed Cora Larson opened up her
quarterfinal match play against No. 2 seed Madi Hicks with a win by par.
The golfers then split wins by birdie on holes 2 and 3 and tied the next three holes.
Larson picked up a win by birdie on hole 7 but bogeyed the next hole to negate the win. She picked up back-to-back wins by par on holes 10 and 11 to earn a 3-hole lead, but Hicks fired back with a win by birdie on hole 12, followed by wins by par on holes 14 and 17 to tie the match.
The match went to extra holes, and Larson booked her spot in the semis with a win after 21 holes.
Sommers def. Lysne, 20 holes
No. 6 seed Samantha
Sommers and No. 14 seed Anaka Lysne matched each other during the pairing’s first three holes of quarterfinal match play, but Lysne pulled ahead with a win by par on hole 4 and extended the lead to two with another win by par on hole 9.
Sommers leveled the tie with back-to-back birdies on holes 13 and 14, and then the pair split the next two holes and remained tied through hole 18. Sommers capitalized on her late momentum and picked up the win in 20 holes.
Boraas vs Madison Herzog; Cora Larson vs Samantha Sommers
Jake Sutherlin Alexandria Echo Press
Cora Larson (left) waits alongside her brother Carver Larson (right) to tee off in a Women’s Championship quarterfinal match on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, at the 103rd Resorters Tournament at the Alexandria Golf Club. Larson golfs in a college for North Dakota State. On Friday, she defeated her college teammate, Madi Hicks, who was the reigning champion in the division.
Boraas Herzog
Jake Sutherlin Alexandria Echo Press
Samantha Sommers (blue) watches her shot during a Women’s Championship quarterfinal match at the 103rd Resorters Tournament at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024. Sommers defeated Anaka Lysne in 20 holes on Friday.
Men’s Division champion (2014 and 2023) Jaques Wilson won’t get a third title this summer. Nate Deziel, the 10th seed, squeaked past him, 1-up. A lot of good golfers still remain in contention, however – the eighth seed Thomas Gutzmer, No. 5 seed Mack Farley, and 14th seed Sean Lehman.
The Final Four will tee it up Saturday morning at 6:50 a.m. from the No. 1 tee. The winners will advance to the final starting at about 1 p.m. from No. 1.
Here’s a look back at the last two rounds of match-play:
Gutzmer def. Jarrett, 1-up
Thomas Gutzmer, the No. 8 seed, edged Nick Jarett, the 16th seed, in a tightly played match that went all 18 holes.
They came out swinging – both of them with a birdie on No. 1, followed by two pars. Jarrett took the first lead with a par win on No. 4, which was quickly erased by Gutzmer’s birdie on No. 5. Gutzmer caught fire, winning the next four holes – all birdies – that put him 3-up. Both golfers parred No. 9.
The two had a solid back nine. They both birdied No. 10 and parred No. 11, which kept Gutzmer’s lead at three. Jarett chipped away at it
Nate Deziel follows through on a tee shot during the Men’s championship quarterfinal round at the 103rd Resorters Tournament at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
with an eagle on No. 12, followed by a par win on the next hole to close the gap to one.
Gutzmer, who hadn’t won a hole since No. 8, broke out of his slump with a birdie win on No. 14 to go back to 2-up. After tying with pars on No. 15, Jarrett stayed in the match with a birdie on No. 16 to draw within one. They both made par on the final two holes, giving Gutzmer a 1-up victory.
Jarrett came into Friday’s quarterfinal after having defeated the No. 1 seed, Noah Holtzman. Jarrett led 2-up over Holtzman after 10 holes on Thursday night, and when play resumed on
Friday morning, Jarrett maintained that lead for the most par.
Holtzman birdied the 15th hole, but Jarrett birdied the 16th hole to win 2-1.
Gutzmer began Friday up three holes over the No. 9 seed Zach Rouleau. Rouleau birdied holes No. 11 and 15, but wins on holes 13 and 14, made the difference for Gutzmer in his 3-2 win over Rouleau.
Farley def. W. Harris, 2-up
Mack Farley, the fifth seed, took the first lead in dramatic fashion – an eagle on No. 6. Will
Harris, the No. 20 seed, made par on No. 7 to win the hole and tie the match. After halving No. 8 with pars, Harris tacked on another win with a par on No. 9. Farley tied the match with a birdie on No. 10. They swapped pars on No. 11 and Farley took his second lead with another eagle, this time on No. 12 and padded his lead with a par win on No. 13. Both golfers parred No. 14. Trailing by two with four left to play, Harris mounted a comeback. He won Nos. 15 and 16 with pars to tie the match.
Farley, however, wasn’t going to let this one slip past him. He birdied Nos. 17 and 18 to secure a 2-up win.
Harris entered Friday afternoon’s tilt against Farley after finishing a 1-up win over the No. 4 seed Lunden Esterline. Harris led 2-up to start Friday morning but Esterline birdies on holes 10 and 13 tied the match. Harris won hole 14 with a birdie but Esterline’s par on hole 15 tied the match again. Ultimately, a par on
Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press
Gutzmer Farley
Deziel Lehman
MEN’S SENIOR
Men’s Senior Division is down to Berg, Schultz
They both survived down-to-the-wire matches
BY AL EDENLOFF Alexandria Echo Press
The quest for a trophy in the 2024 Resorters
Men’s Senior Division is down to two competitors – Steve Berg, the 19th seed, or Cory Schultz, the No. 5 seed.
They both advanced into the finals with gutcheck matches that lasted 17 holes.
Neither has won the division before.
They will tee it up on No. 1 at 12:45 p.m. Saturday.
Here’s a look back at Friday’s semifinal matches:
Schultz def. Heimsness, 2-1
Schultz got through the quarterfinals with a 1-up win over Daniel Ystebo, the No. 4 seed, and his next opponent, Eric Heimsness, proved to be a tough challenge as well. Heimsness won the first hole with a birdie but he bogeyed the next five holes. Schultz took advantage of three of
them, winning Nos. 2 and 4 with pars and No. 5 with a nifty birdie to go 2-up.
Heimsness’ birdie on
Men's sr. on J9
Berg
Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press Cory Schultz chips during the Men’s Senior semifinals at the 103rd Resorters Tournament at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2.
Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press Steve Berg waits to take a tee shot during the Men’s Senior semifinals on Aug. 2.
Schultz
Two Osakis Silverstreaks to go head-to-head for Men’s Regular title
Will it be Drew Imdieke or Chase Triebenbach?
BY AL EDENLOFF Alexandria Echo Press
The champion in the 2024 Resorters Men’s Regular division will be from Osakis.
That’s because both finalists, Chase Triebenbach and Drew Imdieke, are Osakis High School Silverstreaks teammates. They were both underdogs in the bracket, with Triebenbach seeded 15th and Imdieke 13th. But now they find themselves in the final after breezing through Friday’s semifinals with wins of 4-3 and 6-5.
They’ll square off at No. 10 at 11:30 a.m. Saturday for all the marbles.
Here’s a wrap-up of Friday’s matches.
Imdieke def. Gugisberg, 6-5
Imdieke reeled off three straight wins to explode out of the gates against Zachary Gugisberg of Minnewaska, the 16th seed. He did it with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2, and a par on No. 3 to go 3-up.
They tied the next hole with bogeys before Gugisberg struck back with a par on No. 5 to cut Imdieke’s lead to two. They both parred the long 6th hole.
Imdieke won the Minnesota Green No. 7 with par, matched Gugisberg’s par on No. 8, and then finished the front with a par on No. 9 to go
Imdieke Triebenbach
4-up.
Gugisberg couldn’t get rolling in the back nine. He lost the 11th and 12th holes to Imdieke’s birdies and fell behind by six. Imdieke matched Gugisberg’s par on No. 13 to put a quick end to the match, 6-5.
Triebenbach def. Keimig, 4-3
The duel between Triebenbach and Chase Keimig, the 6th seed, was an even battle through the first five holes. They halved Nos. 1, 2 and 3 with pars, swapped a bogey on No. 4 and tied with pars again on No. 5.
Triebenbach ended the stalemate with a birdie on No. 6 to take the match’s first lead.
He then parred Nos. 7 and 8 while Keimig bogeyed both holes, giving Triebenbach a three-hole lead. They halved No. 9 with bogeys.
Keimig made a minicomeback with a par win on No. 10 and a birdie win on No. 11 to get back within one. Triebenbach stopped the bleeding with a birdie win on No. 12 and followed it up with a par win on the 13th hole to go 3-up.
They both halved No. 14 with pars, and Triebenbach put the match away with a par win on No. 15 to claim a 4-3 victory.
Photos by Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
Chase Triebenbach (left) talks with Drew Imdieke (right) during the Men’s Regular 1st Flight semifinals on Aug. 2, 2024, at the 103rd Resorters Tournament. These two won their semifinal matches on Friday and play each other in Saturday morning’s championship match.
Drew Imdieke hits a tee shot at the 10th tee at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Like father, like son
Peter Davidson aces hole 13 nearly two months after his father’s ace on 17
BY SAM STUVE Alexandria Echo Press
Heading into his match on Friday at the Alexandria Golf Club, Peter Davidson had never scored a hole-in-one.
He had some tee shots lane close to the pin, but none that ever went in the cup.
That changed on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024.
In his Men’s Regular 5th Flight semifinal match against Joe Simpson, Davidson aced the par 3 7th hole from the blue tee (170 yards) with a 7-iron.
“I’m so over the moon about it,” Davidson said about his first-ever hole-in-one.
Because of the frontright hole location, Davidson didn’t see that the ball landed on the green and rolled into the cup until he and the other three players in his foursome rolled up to the green.
“[Before it landed] I said, ‘Be the one,’ Davidson said. “I knew the shot was pretty good right away. All of them were asking how good it was. Then we went up to the green, and everyone agreed it was a crazy shot.”
This hole-in-one was a part of a solid round for Davidson as he won his match 4-3 and now plays Brett Amundson in the Men’s Regular 5th Flight Championship at 8:20 a.m. on Saturday. Davidson isn’t the only member of his family to have a hole-inone at AGC this summer. His father, fellow AGC member Rob Davidson, scored a holein-one at hole 17 (par 3, 160 yards) with a 6-iron on June 14, 2024. Email sports and outdoors editor Sam Stuve at sstuve@echopress.com
after
Tournament at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024. He scored a hole-in-one on hole 13 (par 3) in his round. This hole-in-one came nearly two months after his dad, Rob, scored a hole-in-one on the 17th hole (par 3).
/ Alexandria
Rob Davidson holds up his ball after scoring a hole-in-one on the 17th hole (a par 3) at the Alexandria Golf Club on June 14, 2024. Nearly two months later, his son Peter scored a hole-inone on the 13th hole (par 3) at the 103rd Resorters Tournament. Contributed photo
Above: Peter Davidson stands at the scores tent
his round at the 103rd Resorters
Sam Stuve
Echo Press
Left:
Aldrich to face Huser in quest for eighth title
Huser aims to win
Resorters
BY SAM STUVE Alexandria Echo Press
A year removed from suffering an extra-holes defeat in the Women’s Executive final, Betsy Aldrich is ready to reclaim her crown.
Aldrich is a 7-time Resorters champion who last won in 2022. She defeated 2023 champion Krista Bull 2-1 in this year’s semifinal but will have to defeat Geri Huser in the final to win her eighth Resorters title.
Huser is a first-time Resorters participant coming off a resilient 19-hole victory over Amanda O’Donnell in which she trailed three different times in the first seven holes but continued to fight back to earn a spot in the championship.
Huser def. O’Donnell, 19 holes
For just about the first half of No. 5 seed Geri Huser’s semifinal match against No. 8 seed Amanda O’Donnell, Huser threw some stellar counterpunches.
Starting at hole 1, O’Donnell would win a hole and then Huser would win the one right after. This happened four times in the pair’s opening 11 holes - with the one exception being
on holes 8 and 9 where Huser won back-to-back holes to establish a 1-hole lead. During that stretch, Huser also carded two birdies.
Huser picked up a 2-hole lead with a par on hole 14, but O’Donnell tied the match with a par on hole 16 and a birdie on hole 18. Huser prevailed in the tiebreaking 19th hole to book her spot in the final.
Aldrich def. Bull, 2-1
Returning champion and No. 2 seed Krista Bull opened her semifinal match against No. 3 seed Betsy Aldrich with a birdie on hole 1 to take an early lead, but Aldrich responded with back-to-back wins by par on holes 3 and 4 to take her own lead.
Bull leveled the match with a par on the next hole, but Aldrich pulled ahead again with two wins in the next three holes. Then Bull carded a birdie on hole 11 to cut the lead to one.
The pair matched each other for the next five holes until Aldrich finished the match with a birdie on hole 17.
Huser Aldrich
Above: Betsy Aldrich hits a shot out of the bunker during the Women’s Executive semifinals at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2.
Left: Geri Huser putts during the Women’s Executive semifinals at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2.
Photos by Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press
the No. 7 Minnesota Green pulled him to within one, but Schultz’s par on No. 9 gave him a two-hole lead at the turn.
Heimsness started the back nine just like he started the front – with a birdie. It cut Schultz’s lead to one, but Schultz didn’t get rattled. He took No. 11 with a par to go 2-up again.
After tying the par-5 No. 12 with birdies, Schultz rolled in a par on No. 13 to go 3-up. But, just as he’d been doing the whole match, Heimsness kept within striking distance by matching Schultz’s par on No. 14, and his par on No. 15 cut the margin to two. They tied on the next two holes with pars, giving Schultz a 2-1 victory. Berg def. Larson, 2-1 In the quarterfinals, Berg had to get past Jim Lehman, but he rose to the challenge and won 2-1. His
next opponent, Mike Larson, put him through the same 17-hole ordeal.
After halving the first hole with par, Berg’s par on No. 2 was good enough to give him the first lead. They both parred No. 3 and matched bogeys on No. 4. Berg struck for another win, a birdie on No. 5, that put him 2-up.
The golfers matched pars on the next two holes before Berg’s par won No. 8 and put him up by three. Larson won the 9th hole to bring the lead back to two.
After going through the tunnel, they matched pars on No. 10 and 11. Larson crept to within one with a birdie on the par-5 No. 12. They both parred Nos. 13 and 14, and it was still anybody’s match. Berg made a crucial birdie on No. 15 that put him 2-up.
Nothing but pars on the next two holes ended the match in Berg’s favor, 2-1.
Champion ShineChampion like
Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press
Anaka Lysne (left) waits to hit a shot in a Women’s Championship division quarterfinal match on Aug. 2, 2024.
Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press Will Hacker watches his shot during a match at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
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Big things happening on No. 11
It’s part of a large-scale amphitheater project at the AGC
BY AL EDENLOFF AND SAM STUVE Alexandria Echo Press
Resorters competitors are probably wondering what is happening on the 11th hole at the Alexandria Golf Club.
The answer: plenty.
The hole is getting a makeover and an upgrade that will be part of a new look for the back nine.
While the hole is being worked on – instead of being a par-4, 320-yard hole – it was shortened to a par-3 with the tee box being in the middle
of the fairway.
“It is still a great surface, and there’s not going to be too many implications of play,” said Kyle Lee, the AGC pro.
Dannach O’Connor is the course’s superintendent, and his assistant is Jake Fennow. They have been leading the efforts with the work that is being done on hole 11.
A golfer tees off at the par 3 11th at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 3, 2024.
The 11th hole has been played as a par 3 of about 150 yards this summer. It is being designed by Jack Dredla, who has worked on many Tom Lehman-designed courses.
This has made the pace of play on the back nine quicker.
“That’s going to be an interesting thing with
now
interested in seeing it. It’s gorgeous. Dredla did a great job this year.”
the Resorters in terms of staggering the players accordingly,” Kyle Lee said. “It’s going to be a great hole. I think, overall, people will be
This renovation is a part of a long term plan to make a sort of amphitheater on the back nine.
“It’s not going to be fully there this year, but in the backstage of the
project, we’re plotting an amphitheater so you can see holes 11, 12, and 17,” Kyle Lee said. “It’s going to be exciting to show that starting this year.”
Email sports and outdoors editor Sam Stuve at sstuve@echopress.com
Al Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press Golfers wait to tee at the 11th at Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 1, 2024. This hole has been a 320 yard par 4 in years past but is
a 145 yard par 3.
Al Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press
Resorters royalty versus a Resorters rookie
Empanger searches for another title, Ancona hunts for his first
BY JAKE SUTHERLIN
Alexandria Echo Press
After some 45 years of competing at the Resorters with at least 10 titles under his belt, Jon Empanger has done more than enough to prove he’s one of the kings of the tournament - but he just keeps coming back, and he just keeps winning. Empanger’s 5-3 win over Larry Novotny in the semifinals has served him up a chance to defend his 2023 Men’s
Ancona Empanger
Masters title.
Empanger will square off against first-time Resorters participant
Peter Ancona. Ancona is a former PGA member (Class A Professional) who competed in the 1979 U.S. Open and hails from California. The Fresno State alumnus defeated Mike Herzog 2-1 in his semifinal match to book his spot in the final and earn a chance to take down a member of the Resorters royalty.
Ancona def. Herzog, 2-1
No. 12 seed Peter Ancona started off on the
wrong foot in his match against No. 9 seed Mike Herzog as he tallied three bogeys on the first four holes. Fortunately for Ancona, he was only down one hole after the rough start, and he summarily tied the match
with a birdie on hole 5. He continued to steady his play and picked up a 2-hole lead with wins by par on holes 8 and 10, but Herzog pulled one back with a par on hole 11.
Masters on J19
Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press
Jon Empanger watches his shot during a round at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press
Peter Ancona hits out of the bunker during the Men’s Masters semifinals at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Macoy Denny follows through on a shot during a match at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Photos by Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press
Luke Herker watches a shot during a match at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Will Hacker watches a shot during a match at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
1 co-medalist defeated, other medalist rolls on
BY AL EDENLOFF Alexandria Echo Press
The Resorters Junior 10-12 division flipped the script when they finally got to play their quarterfinal round on Friday after three days off because of rescheduling.
Three of the four matches were upsets –including No. 8 seed Henry Whiting’s 1-up victory over the No. 1 seed, co-medalist Brady Boe.
The four semifinalists will tee off from No. 10 at 9:10 a.m. Saturday, and the two winners will advance to the final, starting at
12:15 p.m. Saturday.
Here’s a look back at Friday’s matches:
Whiting def. Boe, 1-up
Starting from No. 10, Whiting jumped out to an early lead with a par. Whiting added a birdie win on No. 11 to go 2-up and his 8 on the par-5 12th hole was good enough to put him 3-up.
holes left to play.
Both golfers parred No. 17, and Whiting matched Boe’s double-bogey on No. 18 to win it, 1-up.
Martinson def. Winkels 2-up
Brody Martinson, the No. 5 seed, got into bogey trouble on the first hole, No. 10, in his match against the No. 4 seed, Cole Winkels. Winkels took advantage and won the hole with a bogey.
They both halved the next two holes, going par, bogey, which kept Winkels’ slim lead intact.
through with a clutch par win on No. 18 to advance into the semifinals, 2-up. Sherlin def. Buttweiler, 4-2
Whiting widened his lead to four with a par on No. 13. That’s when Boe mounted a comeback. Boe
won No. 14 with a 7 , No. 15 with a bogey, and 16 with a bogey to cut Whiting’s lead to one with two
Martinson tied the match on No. 13 with a par and took the lead with a par win on the next hole. They both tied the next two holes with pars, and they settled for bogeys on the par-3 17th, preserving Whiting’s one-hole lead.
Martinson came
Odin Sherlin, the No. 2 seed and co-medalist with a round of 40 in qualifying, capitalized on George Buttweiler’s bogey problems early. Sherlin parred No. 10 while Buttweiler, the No. 7 seed, doublebogeyed. Sherlin also won No. 11 with a par and kept his hot streak going with two more big wins – No. 12 with a bogey and No. 13 with a par to take command, 4-up.
Buttweiler won his first hole, a bogey on No. 14, but he could only match Sherlin’s bogey on the 15th hole. The match ended on No. 16 when Sherlin took the hole
Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
Henry Whiting watches his tee shot at the 13th hole in Friday’s Junior 10-12 quarterfinal at the 103rd Resorters Tournament at the Alexandria Golf Club.
Junior on J19
Whiting Martinson
Sherlin Berg
with a par.
Berg def. Zauhar, 2-1
Another upset happened in the match between Graham Berg and Mac Zauhar. Berg, the No. 6 seed, edged Zauhar, the No. 3 seed, 2-up.
Berg never trailed in the match. Starting from the 10th tee, Berg won the hole with a par. They both birdied No. 11, and Berg added a bogey win on No. 12 to go 2-up.
After swapping pars on No. 13, Berg kept the pressure on, winning No. 14 with a bogey to go 3-up. Zauhar staged a comeback, taking No. 15 with a par and No. 16 with a par, which cut Berg’s lead to one.
The match ended on the No. 17 green when Berg made par, and Zauhar bogeyed. JUNIOR
Hannah Boraas hits a pitch shot in a Women’s Championship division quarterfinal match on Aug. 2, 2024.
MASTERS
CONTINUED from J12
Ancona reestablished a 2-hole lead with a par on hole 13, and the pair matched each other
stroke for stroke down the stretch (birdie, par, birdie, par) until Ancona couldn’t be caught.
Empanger def. Novotny, 5-3
Returning champion (No. 2 seed) Jon
Macoy Denny putts the ball during a match at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Empanger and No. 3 seed Larry Novotny both opened their match with a birdie on hole 1. They then split holes 4 and 5 with a pair of pars.
Novotny took a 1-hole lead with a birdie on hole
6, but Empanger won the next two holes by par and took a 2-hole lead with a par on hole 10.
Then Empanger really started to roll as he carded five straight birdies. Novotny matched him with birdies on holes 13 and 14 but ultimately succumbed to the returning champion’s outstanding play.
Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press
Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press
Herker storms back to set up match with Esterline
Top seed Bronx Esterline facesNo. 2 seed Luke Herker on Saturday afternoon
BY JAKE SUTHERLIN Alexandria Echo Press
ALEXANDRIA — No. 2
seed Luke Herker trailed by four holes in his Resorters Junior 13-15 division semifinal match on Friday but won five out of nine holes on the
back nine to advance to the finals, where he will square off against No. 1 seed Bronx Esterline.
Esterline had a topsyturvy semifinal round and lost three straight holes on the back nine to fall behind by one hole but turned it around in
time to secure a 2-1 victory over Will Hacker to book his spot in Saturday’s final.
Esterline def. Hacker, 2-1
Top-seeded Bronx
Esterline opened up his semifinal match against
No. 5 seed Will Hacker with a pair of wins by par on holes 1 and 2.
The golfers then split holes 3 and 4, and Hacker pulled a win back with a par on hole 5.
Both golfers birdied hole 6, and then they split holes 8 and 9.
Esterline reestablished a 2-hole lead with a birdie on hole 10, but then Hacker won three holes in a row (par, eagle, par) to take a 1-hole lead.
Esterline tied the match with a birdie on
hole 14 and then took the lead with a par on hole 16 and won the match with a par on hole 17.
Herker def. Denny, 1-up
No. 14 seed Macoy
Denny never trailed in his semifinal victory over No. 2 seed Luke Herker.
Denny drew first blood with a win by par on hole 2 but lost the lead with a double bogey on hole 3.
He quickly regained the lead with back-to-back wins by par on holes 4 and 5.
Both golfers birdied hole 6, and then Denny won the next two holes by par to take a 4-hole lead.
Herker responded by winning three of the next four holes (bogey, par, birdie) to cut the lead to one and tied the match with a par on hole 17, then won with a bogey on 18.
Esterline Herker
Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press
Right: Bronx Esterline hits a tee shot during
hole 17 gave Harris the 1-up win over Esterline.
Farley defeated the No. 21 seed Logan Hamak, 5-3, Friday morning to get to the quarterfinals.
Deziel def. Wilson, 1-up
It was an evenly played match filled with highs and lows for each golfer. Both Nate Deziel and Jaques Wilson played their hearts out.
Deziel grabbed the first
lead with a birdie on No.
2. Wilson stormed back with a par win on No. 4 and a birdie on No. 5 to steal the lead. Deziel won the next hole with an eagle to tie it and slipped back into the lead with a par win on No. 9. They halved the next two holes with par. Deziel broke through the tension with a birdie on the par-5 12th. After matching pars on No. 13, Wilson nailed a birdie on the 14th hole to pull within one.
They both shot pars on
No. 15 and Wilson tied the match with a birdie on No. 16. Deziel won the par-3 17th with a par to go back into the lead and he secured his spot in the semifinals by matching Wilson’s birdie on No. 18.
Wilson entered the afternoon’s quarterfinals after finishing off a 3-2 win over the No. 18 Lance Hamak in the morning. Wilson started the day 3-up through nine holes, and his lead stood at three holes as he won 3-2.
Deziel won a battle of the Nate’s in the morning
as he beat the No. 7 seed Nate Adams, 2-up Friday morning.
Lehman def. L. Johnson, 1-up
The No. 14 seed, Sean Lehman, earned a pair of close wins on Friday. He capped off the night with a 1-up win over the No. 19 seed Lincoln Johnson.
Lehman defeated Lincoln Johnson’s brother, Davis, on Friday morning. Lehman entered the day with a 2-up lead through eight holes over the No. 3 seed. Lehman won hole nine to go up
three holes heading to the back nine.
Davis Johnson birdied the 10th hole, but Lehman responded with a birdie to win hole No. 12. Davis Johnson chipped away at Lehman’s lead with birdies on holes 13 and 15, but Lehman held on for the 1-up win.
Lehman had to hold off a comeback to win Friday morning, but Lincoln Johnson had to make a comeback to win his match.
The No. 6 seed Ty Adkins led 3-up through
eight holes to begin the day, but a furious charge on the back nine gave Lincoln Johnson the win. Lincoln Johnson won holes 11 through 14 to get the 1-up win. Lincoln Johnson birdied the 12th and 14th hole.
Riesberg and Harris to battle for Grand Masters trophy
They both bring decades of experience in the tourney
BY AL EDENLOFF
Alexandria Echo Press
So, who will be the 2024 Resorters Grand Masters champion – Kenneth Riesberg or Dave Harris?
Neither of them has won the Grand Masters title but they carry a lot of clout in Resorters history.
Harris of Alexandria was the 2022 runner-up in the Grand Masters in 2022. He’s also won the Men’s Senior Division twice (1998, 2006) and the Men’s Masters (2014). Harris, a retired science teacher, is playing in his 53rd
Resorters.
Riesberg has been playing in Resorters tournaments for decades and is always a tough competitor. He turned in the fifth best qualifying round in this year’s Grand Masters Division with a 167.
Here’s a look at how Riesberg and Harris rose to the top in Friday’s semifinals: Riesberg def. Ekdahl, 2-1
After defeating the division’s medalist, Robert Chesley, in a grueling 19-hole match on Thursday, Kenneth Riesberg, the No. 5 seed, won another close battle Friday against Gary
Ekdahl, the No. 8 seed, 2-1.
Ekdahl grabbed the early lead with a birdie on the first hole. He lost the next hole to Riesberg’s par. They both tied Nos. 3 and 4 with double-bogeys before Riesberg’s bogey on No. 5 put him in the lead. Ekdahl came right back, winning No. 6 with par, No. 7 with birdie and No. 8 with bogey to take a two-hole lead. Riesberg’s par on No. 9 cut the margin to one.
Ekdahl won No. 10 with par but dropped the next hole to Riesberg’s birdie, shrinking Ekdahl’s lead to one. Riesberg won the 12th hole with a birdie to tie the match, but Ekdahl answered with a bogey win on No. 13 to regain the lead.
Riesberg won No. 14 with a par to pull even, matched Ekdahl’s par on No. 15, and then won No. 16 and 17 to clinch a 2-1
victory.
Harris def. Schoenrock, 5-3
After defeating Chris Christensen 4-3 on Thursday, Harris, the No. 2 seed, kept his hot streak going with a 5-3 win over Tom Schoenrock, the 6th seed in Friday’s semifinals.
Harris didn’t waste time in jumping out to a two-hole lead with a birdie win on No. 1, followed
by a par win on No. 2. Schoenrock won the third hole with a bogey and matched Harris’ bogey on No. 4 before Harris won the next two holes with pars to go 3-up. Both golfers parred the Minnesota Green No. 7 but had to settle for bogeys on the next hole. Harris wrapped up the front nine with a par win to go 4-up at the turn. Harris didn’t slow
down on the back nine. He won No. 10 with a bogey, dropped the next hole to Christensen’s par, and won No. 13 with a par to go 5-up. Schoenrock tried to get back in it with a birdie on No. 14, but it was too little too late. Harris won the 15th hole with a par to close out the match, 5-3.
Grand Master Championship (1st Tee)
a.m. - Kenneth Riesberg vs. Dave Harris
Dave Harris putts at the fourth hole at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Riesberg Harris
Photos by Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
Kenneth Riesberg chips at the fourth hole at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Cole Winkels lines up a putt at the 13th hole at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Brody Martinson at the 13th hole at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
George Buttweiler putts at the 13th hole at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Henry Whiting putts at the 13th hole at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Mac Zauhar and Carver Larson talk about Zauhar’s putt at the 13th hole at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
Photos by Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
Brady Boe hits out of the bunker at the 13th hole at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
Saturday tee times at the 103rd Resorters Tournament
ECHO PRESS STAFF REPORT
Here is the latest schedule of tee times for Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, at the 103rd Resorters Tournament at the Alexandria Golf Club.
Saturday, August 3, 2024, Tee Time Schedule at the Alexandria Golf Club (subject to change) -
1ST TEE -
6:50 a.m. - Men’s Championship
7 a.m. - Men’s Executive Championship
7:10 a.m. - Women’s Championship
7:20 a.m. - Women’s
Championship 1st Flight
7:30 a.m. - Men’s Senior 2nd Flight and Consolation
7:40 a.m. - Men’s Senior 1st Flight and Consolation
7:50 a.m. - Men’s Senior Consolation and Masters Consolation
8 a.m. - Men’s Masters 1st Flight and Consolation
8:10 a.m. - Men’s Championship 1st Flight and Consolation
8:20 a.m. - Men’s Regular 4th Flight and Consolation
8:30 a.m. - Men’s Regular 3rd Flight and Consolation
8:40 a.m. - Men’s Regular 2nd Flight and Consolation
8:50 a.m. - Women’s Executive 1st Flight and Consolation
CROSSOVER
11:30 a.m. - Men’s Grand Masters Championship and Grand Masters Consolation
11:45 a.m. - Men’s Executive 1st Flight and Consolation
Noon - Men’s Championship Consolation and Executive Consolation
12:15 p.m. - Junior 13-15 Championship and Consolation
12:30 p.m. - Women’s
Championship and Women’s Executive Championship
12:45 p.m. - Men’s Senior Championship and Masters Championship
1 p.m. - Men’s Championship and Men’s Executive Championship 10TH TEE -
11:30 a.m. - Men’s Regular 1st Flight and Consolation
11:45 a.m. - Women’s Championship and Women’s Executive Championship Consolation
Noon - Women’s Championship 1st Flight and Consolation (9 holes)
12:15 p.m. - Junior 10-12 Championship and Consolation (9 holes)
Norah Roberts hits a shot in a Women’s Championship division quarterfinal match on Aug. 2, 2024.
Photos by Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press Above: Madi Hicks putts in a Women’s Championship division quarterfinal match on Aug. 2, 2024.
Left: Madison Herzog lines up a putt in a Women’s Championship division quarterfinal match on Aug. 2, 2024.
McKenzee Sullivan (left) gets a club out of her bag during a Women’s Championship division quarterfinal match on Aug. 2, 2024.
CONTINUED from J1
No. 17 to give himself to tie the match and force a playoff. Both golfers scored par on hole No. 18, giving Dan Johnson the 1-up win.
Schomer def. Conder, 5-4
Starting with a par on the first hole, Schomer earned a wire-to-wire win in Friday’s quarterfinals against the No. 4 seed Shay Conder.
Schomer won the fifth hole with a par to go 2-up, but Conder eagled the sixth hole (par 5), cutting Schomer’s lead back down to one.
Schomer ended the front nine by winning holes seven through nine with pars to go 3-up as he made the turn to the back nine.
Schomer iced the match with a birdie on the 14th hole, sealing a 5-4 win.
Schomer is the head coach of the College of St. Benedict’s women’s team and has finished runner-up in the Men’s Executive division at the Resorters a couple of times, including last year to Christensen Before facing Schomer on Friday, Conder led 3-up through 13 holes over the No. 13 seed Kerry O’Donnell but saw that lead shrink to one hole as O’Donnell won hole No. 14 with a birdie and hole No. 16 with a par. A par on the 17th hole gave Conder a 2-1 win over O’Donnell on Friday morning.
Schomer earned his spot in the quarterfinals by finishing 1-up over the No. 12 seed Alex Woodhull. Schomer led 1-up through nine holes when play resumed at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, but birdies on holes 10 and 12 gave Woodhull a 1-up lead. Schomer won holes 13 and 15 with pars to finish 1-up.
Christensen def. Hoops, 2-1
10th-seeded Bryan Hoops was a tough out for the reigning Men’s Executive champion.
After Christensen took a two-hole lead with a par on the third hole and a birdie on the sixth hole, Hoops birdied holes seven through nine to take a 1-up lead heading to the back nine.
Christensen tied the match with a birdie on the 11th hole. Christensen took the lead with a birdie on the 14th hole and put the match away with a birdie on the 16th hole.
Christensen began Friday morning with a 3-up lead through 11 holes over the No. 15 seed David Kvasager. Christensen birdied holes 12 and 13, and while Kvasager won hole 14, Christensen won 4-3.
Hoops started Friday with a 3-up lead over the No. 7 seed Joe Sauer through 11 holes. Hoops won hole 13 with a par, and while Sauer won hole
15 with a birdie, Hoops went on to win 3-2.
T. Johnson def. Olson, 2-1
Troy Johnson had a hard-fought battle in the Men’s Executive
quarterfinals on Friday against the No. 14 seed Andrew Olson. Olson took an early lead with a birdie on the second hole and held that lead through five holes.
But Troy Johnson tied the match with a birdie on the sixth hole. Troy Johnson then took the lead with a birdie on the Minnesota hole (the 7th hole).
Olson tied the match with a birdie on the 11th hole.
Troy Johnson took the lead with a par on the 12th hole and then added to that lead by winning the 13th hole with another par. He held this lead for the remainder of the match.
Olson had a large lead over the No. 30 seed Jack Chapin to begin play on Friday. He led 6-up over Chapin through 11 holes. Olson sealed his win over Chapin with a birdie on the 12th hole, winning 7-6.
Troy Johnson led 2-up over the No. 14 seed Pat Beste to start the day, then would go on to win 4-3 after he birdied the 13th and 14th hole.
MEN’S EXECUTIVE SATURDAY SEMIFINAL 1ST TEE
7 a.m. - Bryant
Black vs. Daryl Schomer; Dave Christensen vs. Troy Johnson
Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press
Dave Christensen carries a flag at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 2, 2024.
