Resorters - Wed, Aug 4, 2021

Lehman, Gogel share their experience

By Eric Morken Alexandria Echo Press

Tom Lehman had an opportunity to play a tournament in Europe during the first week of August, but it was not that tough of a decision to turn that opportunity down.

The Resorters match-play tournament on his home course at the Alexandria Golf Club has held special meaning to Lehman since he was a young kid. The longtime PGA Tour and Champions Tour contender has made it a point to be in Alexandria for the Resorters as his sons, Thomas and Sean, have played over the last decade.

Being around the club and seeing familiar faces makes this week special for the Lehman family. It was an opportunity he couldn’t miss as the Resorters celebrates the 100th playing of this event from Aug. 1-7.

“It’s a big week. The 100th anniversary is a big deal,” Lehman said. “It’s been 100 straight years on the same course. That’s a remarkable feat. It’s a big deal to our club, and it’s a big deal to me and our family. Just to be here and be a part of it is way more important to me than playing in some tournament in Europe.”

Lehman, a former Player of the Year on all three tours under the PGA, helped kick off that centennial celebration on Saturday as he joined fellow PGA veteran and current Champions Tour player Matt Gogel in hosting a clinic for members on the AGC driving range.

Gogel’s ties to the area and membership at AGC stem from his wife, Blair, and her family connections to Alexandria. The couple lives much of the year in Kansas City, but has a

summer home on Lake Miltona.

“My wife has been coming here for 51 years,” Gogel said.

“Her parents and grandparents have been coming up since the 20s, so 100 years. (Friday) night at dinner, we found out that her grandmother has been coming to Lake Geneva. We love it up here...the lakes, the people, everyone is so nice.”

“Find what you do well and perfect it”

Those who come to a golf clinic with two players who have competed at the highest level might have expected a complex dive into the mechanics of the game. Maybe answers to what makes for the perfect swing.

But analyzing down to the tiniest details is not what has led Gogel and Lehman to success in their careers, so that wasn’t their message. Both led off the clinic with a similar point – don’t try to be someone else, and keep the game simple.

“My drills were just trying to keep the club face square at impact,” Gogel said. “Tom was talking about just five clubs you need to worry about. Driving the ball, chipping, putting and wedges. I just try to keep it simple so more people can keep playing this great game.”

Lehman’s philosophy has long been to find what you do well as a golfer and try to perfect that. No two people have the exact same swing. He spends most of his practice time now chipping and putting, and his message to young players at the clinic included the importance of trying to master the driver, the wedges on shots 100 yards and in and putting.

With technology in equipment and the club speed players generate in today’s

game to get distance off the tee, those three parts of the game are as vital as ever.

Lehman called up his oldest son, Thomas (a young pro himself), to demonstrate as Thomas drove the ball well over 300 yards. That’s a wedge or an easy iron shot into the green then on a lot of holes.

“I just try to tell people what I know,” Lehman said. “What I know is what I share and that’s you do want to keep it simple. There are other approaches. Some people are way more analytical, way more complex than me, but for me that would be a big mistake. I’m more of a feel guy and keep it simple is always the best. The biggest thing is find what you do well and perfect it. That’s really my ultimate mantra. Whatever it is you do well, find what that is and perfect it.”

EXPERIENCE: Page 5

Your

Tom Lehman, right, and Matt Gogel talk to the crowd on the Alexandria Golf Club’s driving range during a 1-hour clinic the two PGA Champions Tour contenders hosted to kick off the week of the 100th Resorters Tournament on July 31, 2021.

“Find what you do well and perfect it”

Photos by Eric Morken / Echo Press

Alexandria native Tom Lehman demonstrates a shot in front of the crowd that came to listen to him and fellow PGA Champions Tour player Matt Gogel during a 1-hour long golf clinic on July 31 at the Alexandria Golf Club. Both Lehman and Gogel also played in the Pro-Am at AGC to help kick off the week of the 100th Resorters Tournament.

Alexandria Golf Club

Home of the Resorters

Resorters Nightly Clubhouse Food, Beverage and Entertainment Schedule

Sponsored by:

DATE EVENT VENUE TIME

Saturday, July 31 Resorters Pro-Am Dinner Resorters Pavilion 7PM

Fish Fry – Fat Daddy’s

Fried Walleye Fillet served w/ potato, sides and salad

$20 Adults, $10 Children 12 & under (PRO-AM Participants Only)

Sunday, Aug. 1 Big Boy’s BBQ Ribs Resorters Pavilion 6-9PM

½ Rack Ribs served w/ potato, sides and salad

$20 Adults, $10 Children 12 & under

Entertainment – Jim Falbo

Jim Falbo is an accomplished and eclectic solo guitarist, instructor, composer, and music arranger from St. Paul who has played for 25 years and entertained many different audiences in various events including concert halls, weddings, corporate events, mansions, restaurants, wine tastings, among many others. He has released four albums with his latest “Guitar Reveries” which combines a unique blend of classical, Latin, Spanish, and contemporary acoustic favorites on guitar. Jim plays a wide selection of music, specializing in Classical/Romantic European, Spanish, Latin, Gypsy Jazz, fingerstyle, pop classics, and contemporary favorites.

Monday, Aug. 2 Champion’s Dinner Centennial Plaza 7PM

Special Invitation Only

Video Presentation: Guest Speaker – Tom Lehman

Tuesday, Aug 3 Calcutta Appetizers Centennial Plaza 8PM hosted by AGC

Wednesday, Aug. 4 Big Boy’s BBQ Street Tacos Resorters Pavilion 6-9PM

3 Street Tacos served w/ rice, chips & queso

$15 Adults, $8 children 12 & under

Entertainment – Chris Koza

Chris Koza is a songwriter/musician living and working in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the diverse climate, the mighty Mississippi River and the balance of both city and rural communities offer continued inspiration. As a solo performer and with his band Rogue Valley, Koza has toured the US, and has also performed in Germany, Iceland and the UK. He has supported nationally renowned artists such as Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Michaelson, The Jayhawks, Stephen Kellogg, Tift Merritt, Martha Wainwright, and Dan Wilson.

Thursday, Aug. 5 Steak Fry Centennial Plaza 6-9PM

½ pound Flat Iron steak served w/ baked potato and salad

$18 Adults

Entertainment – Jonny Mogambo

Solo Acoustic Rock Show

Jon Lindner aka Jonny Mogambo – guitars, vocals and entertainer of the year. Most recently Jonny was voted entertainer of the year in the Vail Daily readers poll and that’s just his solo act. He is the front man guitarist vocalist and entertainer extraordinaire for the Jonny Mogambo band based out of Vail and Denver Colorado.

Fall AGC Membership Special

v $700 Individual/$1,000 Family (+ tax)

v Unlimited golf beginning August 11th for the remainder of the 2021 season

v Entire membership amount can be applied towards a 2022 Full Access Membership if signed by October 31, 2021

View

schedules, brackets and photos online at: www.alexandriagolfclub. com/resorters.

PURCHASE

PRO

Constable hits the ground running

Former champ and 7-year pro returns to Resorters at a different place in life

By Eric Morken Alexandria Echo Press

Minnetonka’s Donald Constable has fond memories of his run to the Men’s Division championship at the Resorters Tournament in 2010 during the middle of his college career.

That was a much different time in Constable’s life. Today, he and his wife, Melissa, have a 16-month old son with them in Alexandria. Their son is the fifth Donald in the Constable family.

“Maybe one day he’ll be playing in this thing,” Constable said on Tuesday.

Young Donald’s dad looks like he’s on pace to have another memorable run this week.

Constable was the low qualifier out of the 79 players in the Men’s Championship field. He followed up a 67 on Sunday with a 66 on Tuesday for an 11-under par 133 that left him one shot better than Alexandria native and current South Dakota State University golfer Noah Boraas.

“I didn’t hit the tee ball great (Sunday) on the front nine, but hit it a lot better on the back,” Constable said. “I drove it well, and it’s just a course I love. It’s a fun track. You hit the tee ball well, you’re going to have a lot of wedges and short irons in, so just hammer a bunch of greens, give yourself a lot of looks and hopefully fill it up with the putter.”

Constable played collegiately at both the University of Texas and the University of Minnesota before a 7-year run as a professional. He turned pro in the fall of 2012 and spent a year on the PGA Tour in 2013 before bouncing around on some of the mini tours. He was back on the PGA’s Web.com Tour in 2018, and regained his amateur status in May of this year.

“I was all over the place,” Constable said. “Played for seven years and got to a point where I wasn’t enjoying the lifestyle of it anymore and being on the road 30 weeks a year. Missing anniversaries and birthdays and all that stuff that comes with it.

“I moved every six months for seven years, and the first month I was home after stopping from playing full time, it was the first year I was home for my wife’s birthday in four years. First anniversary in four

years. You miss a lot, and it’s something people don’t really see. You just see the guys on TV playing and think it’s the greatest job. It was a true blessing to do it as a living, but it’s a grind. It’s a hard lifestyle.”

Constable has taken a considerable step back in terms of the time he spends on a golf course. He was playing once or twice every couple of weeks this summer before practicing a little more leading up to Resorters week.

Constable has played

Eric Morken / Alexandria Echo Press Minnetonka’s Donald Constable watches his tee shot off of the No. 1 box during his second qualifying round on Aug. 3, 2021 in the Resorters Men’s Championship Division. Constable shot an 11-under par 133 through his two rounds to go into the match-play portion of the tournament as the top seed.

said. “I have so many good memories here of playing well and throwing some low numbers up. It’s a course where if you drive it well you’re going to have so many chances. I’m a very good driver of the golf ball, so if I drive it well I like my chances.”

Constable knows it won’t come easy. Fifteen different players finished qualifying under par, and that doesn’t include defending champion Austin Vukovits from Mississippi State University. Vukovits took Sunday off and played a practice round during qualifying on Tuesday knowing that he had the division’s second seed locked up.

youngster in this field along for the ride. The soon-to-be junior at South Dakota State University looks like one of the top contenders.

“I’m not going to start talking about Saturday before Wednesday rolls around,” Boraas said of a potential run in match play. “But if I keep having a few days like the past couple rounds and a few good breaks, a few good putts roll in, I wouldn’t rule it out.”

on Tuesday. He knows it will take a good round from anyone to beat the former champion.

“No bad mistakes. Solid tee to green. He’s a great player,” Boraas said of Constable. “It looked effortless today, so we gotta take it day by day and see what happens.”

the Alexandria Golf Club casually in recent years, but it had been about a decade since he spent the whole week at the Resorters. He didn’t skip a beat in his return to the championship field as he carded just one bogey through his two rounds.

Constable eagled the par-5 12th hole on Tuesday around birdies on Nos. 5, 7, 11 and 16. His Sunday round included birdies on holes 1, 6, 7, 10, 12 and 15.

“It’s just such a fun golf course,” Constable

“There’s a lot of great players who play this thing,” Constable said. “It’s a golf course where you can bomb driver or you can also hit iron everywhere. There’s guys who have a lot of success hitting iron, and you still have a lot of wedges in...There’s a lot of different ways you can play it, so any year you can win it is special. But obviously this year being the 100th year and it being my first year back and having my boy up here, it would be pretty cool.”

Boraas ready for a run?

Alexandria’s Noah Boraas led Constable by one stroke after shooting a 66 during his first round of qualifying on Sunday.

That lead did not quite hold up, but Boraas proved over the course of shooting 10-under par through 36 holes that he’s no longer a

Boraas shot a 4-under par 68 on Tuesday with birdies on Nos. 1, 2, 10, 12, 13 and 14. His only blemish on Sunday came with a double bogey on the par-4 fourth hole. He shot 6-under par on holes 5 through 18, while also birdying Nos. 1 and 2.

“My short game was really hot the last couple days,” Boraas said. “Made a lot of 10-15 foot putts for birdie that normally you don’t make all of them. That saved me quite a bit. It felt more lucky than skill, but it’s fun to have a couple days like that too.”

Boraas said everything resets when match play starts on Wednesday afternoon. He will open up against Lukas Justesen, who qualified as the 30th seed with a 3-over par 147 (74, 73). Alex Woodhull was the final entry into the championship flight as he won a playoff with Jeremy Decko and Logan Hamak after all three shot 148s.

Boraas feels good about his game and the steady improvements he has seen this summer. It showed during qualifying, but he got a chance to play with Constable

There’s a lot of matches to play, but a deep run and a potential championship for the Alexandria native who grew up around this tournament would make for quite a week.

“If I had to choose one word it would be ‘special,’ Boraas said of the prospect of winning the Men’s championship. “I don’t think it matters if it’s the 100th, 102nd, 103rd (Resorters). It’s a great tournament every year. A lot of good players, great competition. I’ve got a lot of work to do, but it would be special.”

vs. Lukas Justesen; Davis Johnson vs. Kelly Brown

2:30 - Jon Sauer vs. Tristan Nelko; Jerry Rose vs. Jacques Wilson emorken@echopress.com

Constable Woodhull Galvin Vanyo Jones Heinen Choe L. Johnson Meyer Brandabur

J. Bigger Black Klein Holm Sladek Wills

Vukovits Pexa

L. Bigger Adams Jarrett Walcher Cox Strauman

Boraas Justesen

D. Johnson Brown

Sauer Nelko Rose Wilson

A young golfer in the crowd raised his hand during the clinic and asked Lehman how often he played golf as a kid. His answer – all the time. Lehman’s childhood consisted of breakfast in the morning before hitchhiking to the course. It was golf in the morning, afternoon and again after supper almost every day in the summer.

That was another part of the message Lehman wanted to get across to the young players in attendance. Determination, commitment and confidence can overcome anything, he said.

“You have to love the game,” Lehman said of competing at a high level. “If you don’t love it, you’re never going to be able to work hard enough to beat the guys who do love it. The foundation of anything is you have to love what you do and then you have to work really hard. But you can’t work really hard if you don’t love it.”

Analyzing their own game

Lehman and Gogel both followed up the clinic by playing in the Resorters ProAm on Saturday afternoon.

Gogel tied Brady Swedberg, Casey Vangsness, Don Berry and Jack Himenez among the pros who shot even par 72s. Lehman and Thomas Campbell tied for the win among pros after shooting 2-under par 70s.

Gogel is working to get

back into competitive golf again as he looks to become a fixture on the PGA’s Senior Tour. He just turned 50 in February, the minimum age requirement to compete on the Champions Tour.

Gogel became a golf commentator after his career on the PGA Tour. He has played in eight Champions Tour tournaments in 2021, with his best finish coming in late July when he tied for 18th at the Senior British Open.

“The thing that has come back the slowest is competitive play,” Gogel said. “I was really out of the game competitively for 14 years, so I’m just now turning the corner. British Senior was a

good start. I’ve had some good moments, and I’m enjoying the heck out of it. I just haven’t put together good scores where I feel like now I know I’m on the right track to competing.

“I want to win out there. Everybody does. That’s what keeps that tour alive is there’s a new crop of 50-year olds coming up all the time, but these guys can play. Tom Lehman is 62. He can absolutely compete out there and win. You know you have a window between 50-60 and maybe a couple years after that. I’m looking forward to the next several years being very competitive out there.”

Lehman feels like his

game is on the upswing after struggling through much of this season. He has played in 22 events on the Champions Tour and has three top-10 finishes. He tied for 11th with rounds of 68, 71, 68 and 70 (277) at the Senior British Open.

“It’s been a difficult year,” Lehman said. “I haven’t played well, but I kind of have stumbled upon doing what I have normally done. For whatever the reason, I’m just starting to feel like I’m swinging my more natural swing. It’s starting to click a little bit.”

Lehman feels a lot of those struggles stem from simply not always feeling great

physically at this point in his career. He has dealt with more lower body pain in his knees and feet.

“You don’t feel like you do when you’re 30. I’ve found that my knees are sore, my feet hurt more and if my legs don’t work right, my swing doesn’t work right,” Lehman said. “I’ve always been a really strong lower body supported player. So if my lower body hurts or is aching or lacking in flexibility, my swing suffers. More than anything, that’s it.”

Lehman still has the same enjoyment for golf that he had as a young kid spending all day at the Alexandria Golf Club, but the lifestyle required as a professional wears on him at times now.

“I love to compete and I love to prepare,” he said. “I don’t love traveling like I used to. I think the thing that will drive me to retire is going to be I’m sick and tired of traveling. It’s nice to be here rather than England. Being at home with your family and friends, it just feels better.”

Lehman and his family spend a lot of their summer at their home on Lake Darling. There is no place he would rather be this week as he helps celebrate a special Resorters.

RESORTERS PRO-AM SCORES

TOP-10 PRO SCORES - Tom Lehman - 70; Thomas Campbell - 70; Aaron Jacobson - 71; Brady Swedberg - 72; Casey Vangsness - 72; Don Berry - 72; Jack Himenez - 72;

Photos by Eric Morken / Echo Press

Left: Alexandria native Casey Vangsness watches his putt on the fifth hole during the Resorters ProAm on July 31, 2021. Right: Alexandria’s Tom Lehman watches his putt on the third green during the Resorters Pro-Am played on July 31, 2021 at the Alexandria Golf Club. Lehman shot a 2-under par 70 during the pro-am to tie Thomas Campbell for the win among professionals in the field.

Division powers back on top of Women’s Execs

By Eric Morken

Alexandria Echo Press

The Women’s Executive Division has featured close battles between Betsy Aldrich and Jodi Sullivan in the finals three times since the division was reintroduced in 2017. The field is set up to potentially see a similar result after qualifying.

Aldrich, the 2003 and 2008 Women’s Division champ and 2007, 2017, 2019 and 2020 Executive champion, qualified with the low round Monday as she shot a 3-over par 76. Sullivan was close behind with a 79 that will send her into the match-play portion

of the tournament as the second seed on Wednesday afternoon.

Aldrich had birdies on Nos. 1 and 11 to highlight her round. Sullivan, a two-time Wom-

en’s Division champion in 1985 and 1987 and the 2018 Women’s Executive winner, birdied Nos. 5 and 7 during her qualifying round.

Molly Baker is the

third seed in the championship flight after she shot an 82 on Monday. Her round included birdies on holes 1 and 11.

Andrea Allyn and Karna Peters both shot 85s to

first try at taking down the defending champion when Aldrich and Lambros join Tiffany Johnson and Liz Dowd as the first of four groups off in this division’s opening round of match play on Wednesday at 12:42 p.m. from the first tee.

finish off the top-five seeds in the division.

The cut for the final spot in the 16-player championship flight was a 93 shot by Rose Lambros. She will get the

Sommers earns top seed in first Resorters appearance

Former Gopher finds her love for golf again

By Jared Rubado

Alexandria Echo Press

Samantha Sommers took a few years off from golf after her final days at the University of Minnesota almost 10 years ago, but she always wanted to try her luck at the Resorters.

Sommers, a St. Cloud-native, shot a 1-over-par 73 in the Women’s Division qualifying round to earn the top seed in match play on Monday afternoon. She beat out Alexandria’s Hannah Boraas by one stroke, which stunned her more than anyone else. Her round included birdies on holes 6, 15 and 18.

“There’s no chance I expected this to happen,” Sommers said.

“These girls are awesome, and I just wanted to come out here and compete. I went in hoping for the best, but it was kind of one of those rounds where it was just exhausting. Nothing seemed to come together. I wanted to give myself chances and limit three-putts. There were definitely some three-putts.”

In high school, Sommers led the St. Cloud Apollo Eagles in many Central Lakes Conference events for six years– including events at the Alexandria Golf Club. Her talents took her to the University of Minnesota before graduating in 2011. After her time with the Gophers, she fell out of love with golf.

“I just got sick of it,” Sommers said. “I needed a break. I didn’t do much at all in golf for two or three years after

college. I ended up taking a coaching job at Apollo and thought it would probably be smart to pick up a club again.”

Sommers also said she was inspired by her husband, who also loves to golf.

“It was easy to get back into the game when you have someone like him that’s pretty motivating,” Sommers said. “I needed something to make me fall back in love with golf again. Coaching and my husband did that.”

Despite playing at AGC in high school, Sommers never made it to Alexandria for the week-long extravaganza in August. Being that this year is the 100th

Resorters tournament, she thought now was as good of a time as there would be.

“I just never had the time to do this until recently,” Sommers said. “Tournaments are a lot of fun, and I wanted to get back into playing competitively.

ACG is one of my favorite courses in the state, actually. It’s just one of those places where you can golf it every day and not get sick of it. So, because it’s the 100th Resorters, I thought now would be the best time to try it.”

On Wednesday, Sommers heads into her first Resorters match play event with a target on her back. Her approach

will be the same as it’s been: have fun and make the most of this opportunity.

“There’s always some anxiety when you’re competing for something,” Sommers said. “If you’re not nervous, what’s the point? I’m just going to stick to the game plan. I’ve had a lot of fun so far. Resorters is something you can’t really describe to people that haven’t experienced it. It’s good golf but an even better community atmosphere. I’ve never been to a tournament like this.”

Best of the rest

Ale Heinen is back to defend her crown as she will be the No. 2 seed in

the match-play bracket. Behind her is Alexandria’s Hannah Boraas, who was two-overpar on Monday. Boraas birdied Nos. 3, 12, and 16 in her qualifying round.

Lauren Contreras, Lauren Stockmoe and Alayna Eldred all shot 76. Contreras birdied Nos. 1, 11 and 18 while Eldred and Stockmoe birdied No. 10. Eldred also birdied Nos. 3 and 5. Her double bogey on No. 8 cost her a spot in the top five.

Amanda Bigger and Madison Herzog rounded out the top eight by shooting a four-overpar 77. Bigger recorded birdies on Nos. 5 and 14, while Herzog birdied Nos. 3 and 18.

Leah Skaar (79), Avery O’Donnell (80), Emily Monroe (81), Elise Stockmoe (81) and Jenna

Westerham (81) all put up qualifying scores.

Ciara O’Connor, Aisling O’Connor and Cora Larson were all teammates at one point at Alexandria Area High School. All three of them shot nine over-par to take the final three spots in the field. The next best scores were Kalley Wagner and Amanda Woodhull at 84.

WOMEN’S DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT QUALIFIERS — Samantha Sommers 74, Ale Heinen Defending Champion, Hannah Boraas 75, Lauren Contreras 76, Lauren Stockmoe 76, Alayna Eldred 76, Amanda Bigger 77, Madison Herzog 77, Leah Skaar 79, Avery O’Donnell 80, Emily Monroe 81,

Morken / Alexandria Echo Press

Skaar tees off at the Alexandria Golf Club in the 2020 Resorters tournament. Skaar qualified for the Women’s Championship flight with a qualifying-round score of 79 on Monday afternoon.

Lambros Allyn Frie Sullivan Lambkin

Peters Boerboom

Sholts

High seeds shake up Junior 10-12 opening round

By Jared Rubado

Alexandria Echo Press

Anything can happen in nine holes of golf, and the high seeds proved that on Monday afternoon in the Junior 10-12 Division.

The opening round of match play saw the field of 16 dwindle down to eight, with three double-digit seeds moving on. Ellie Sticha, Jack Harris and Tyler Cullen pulled off seeding upsets to earn a spot in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday afternoon. Here’s how all eight matchups played out on Monday on the back nine.

W. Hacker def. Srock, 3-2

Four consecutive pars to start the round for top-seeded Will Hacker was enough of a cushion to beat 16th-seed Gavin Srock.

Hacker won the first four holes before backto-back bogeys won the round 3-2. Srock made bogey on Nos. 10, 13, and 14 in his knockout round. Hacker secured the top seed with a qualifying score of 38 on Sunday afternoon.

Esterline def.

Geris, 1-up

It went down to the final hole in the 8-9 matchup between Bronx Esterline and Jameson Geris.

Through eight holes, Esterline and Geris were all squared. On the par-4 18th hole, Esterline’s bogey was good enough to complete the come-

back and send him to the quarterfinal round.

Geris led by one through three holes with a par on No. 12. But Esterline’s bogey on No. 14 squared the match.

Esterline took a onehole lead with a par on No. 15 before Geris made par on No. 17 to square the match again. Esterline bogeyed seven holes to advance.

Buttweiler def. Paulsen, 4-3

Fourth-seeded Henry Buttweiler didn’t lose a hole in his opening round of match play

against Bennett Paulsen. Pars on Nos. 10, 14 and 15, were enough to beat Paulsen 4-3. Paulsen ended his day with a par on No. 14, but he needed

to win the hole to keep his championship hopes alive. Buttweiler will look to take down Ellie Sticha, who upset Braum Peterson, on Wednesday.

Sticha def. Peterson, 4-2

Ellie Sticha knocked off the fifth-seeded Braum Paterson by a score of 4-2.

Sticha, the 12th-seed, made par on six of the eight holes she played to advance to the quarterfinals. Sticha was even through the first four holes and up three over Peterson.

After dropping No. 14, she came back with two more hole wins on Nos. 15 and 16. A bogey on No. 16 clinched the win.

J. Hacker def. G. Johnson, 2-1

Second-seeded Jaxn Hacker took care of business over 15th-seeded Garrison Johnson with a 2-1 win.

Hacker made par on Nos. 10, 13, 15 and 16 to take a one-hole advantage to the par-3 No. 17. Hacker’s bogey sealed a spot in the quarterfinal round. Johnson made par on Nos. 13 and 15, and won No. 4 with a bogey.

Harris def. L. Johnson, 2-1

Jack Harris will look to knock off second-seeded Jaxn Hacker after beating seventh-seeded Layne Johnson 2-1.

Harris shot sevenover-par through eight holes to pick up the win. He picked up a onehole lead with a par on No. 11 before Johnson squared the match with a bogey on No. 13. Harris regained the lead with a bogey on No. 14 and doubled it with a

par on No. 15. Johnson got a hole back with his second par of the day on No. 16, but a double bogey on No. 17 ended his run.

Cullen def. Kuhn, 3-2

Tyler Cullen wasn’t intimidated by third-seeded Lewis Kuhn in his 3-2 opening-round win.

The 14th-seed in the 10-12 Division is moving on after a 6-overpar round in seven holes. Cullen took a three-hole lead with two bogeys and a par in the first three holes before Kuhn’s only par of the day got one back on No. 13. Cullen made bogey on No. 14 before his second par of the round won the match on No. 16.

Odland def. Bell, 1-up

Sixth-seeded Graham Odland came out on top of a back-andforth contest against 11th-seeded Josh Bell. Odland won the first two holes with a double bogey and a par to take an early lead. Bell got one back with a par on No. 14 before Odland’s bogey regained the two-hole advantage on No. 15.

Needing to make some magic, Bell made par on Nos. 16 and 17 to pull within one heading to 18. But a double bogey wasn’t enough to pull off the upset.

Hackers take first and second in qualifiers in Junior 10-12s

By Jared Rubado Alexandria

Will and Jaxn Hacker paced the pack of Junior 10-12 golfers during Sunday’s qualifying round.

On the back nine at the Alexandria Golf Club, Will finished two over par with a 38.

Jaxn was one shot behind him at three-over. Will made par on seven of nine holes to record the top qualifying score. Jaxn’s bogey on No. 18 dropped him to second place.

Four golfers tied for third at eight-over par. Lewis Kuhn, Henry Buttweiler, Braum Peterson and Graham Odland

each shot 44 to move on to the championship match play flight. Odland birdied No. 13 to highlight his round.

Layne Johnson finished nine over with pars on four holes. Bronx Esterline, Jameson Geris and Jack Harris each shot 10-over par. Esterline birdied No.

DOWNTOWN & PLAZA LIQUOR

16 to pull himself into the top eight.

Josh Bell (47), Ellie Sticha (47), Bennett Paulsen (48), Tyler Cullen (49), Garrison Johnson (51) and Gavin Srock (51) cut the field of 24 to 16 for the championship flight. Srock made birdie on No. 16 to steal the final spot

in that field.

The Junior 10-12 Division kicked off match play on Monday afternoon.

W. Hacker

J. Hacker

Buttweiler Cullen

Esterline Harris

Sticha

Odland

Photos by Jared Rubado / Alexandria Echo Press Tyler Cullen (right) and his caddy read the 11th green in the opening round of the Junior 10-12 match play on Aug. 2. Cullen beat third-seeded Lewis Kuhn 3-2.

Ellie Sticha chips from behind the 11th green in her upset victory over fifth-seeded Braum Peterson in the opening round of the Junior 10-12 Division on Aug. 2.

Echo Press

A look back at the history of the Resorters

Part 1: How it all began

Editors note: This is the first of a four-part series about the history behind the 100th Resorters Golf Tournament. It’s written by Ron Way, who graduated from Alexandria High School where he met and later married Faye Brede of Garfield; they’ve mostly lived in the Twin Cities and spent 10 years in Washington D.C. In 1970, Ron started an annual “golf reunion” at AGC, and for 30-plus years the four-day event annually brought classmates back to the course where they learned the game. Way is a former reporter for the Minneapolis Tribune, and writes occasional opinion columns for the, now, StarTribune. Special thanks to the Douglas County Historical Society for this series.

Enterprising Alexandria boosters sought to spark attention to our remote vacationland in 1921 by catching a wave of swelling golf interest by launching the aptly-named Resorters Golf Tournament, now celebrating its centennial.

Back then, Alex lakes already were a draw for outdoor escapes and fisherfolk, while railroads brought the wealthy whose upscale destinations were the Geneva Beach Hotel (trains stopped there), The Blake Hotel on Lake Carlos, and privates like the Minnesouri Club on Lake Miltona (1890 and counting). These socialites brought giant suitcases for fine dining attire

and summer wear, and soon were bringing something else – golf clubs, to play the genteel game that had rooted in the Twin Cities and was spreading westward.

Hotelier John Blake was among the visionaries who formed the Alexandria Golf Club in 1915 and built a 9-holer (present-day back nine). By 1922 The Resorters was played on the full 18, with the new nine’s original routing little changed into today.

Later, post-war prosperity brought swelling interest in lake vacations, and resorts popped up like rose buds in May. The Resorters adopted a Saturday-to-Saturday schedule to sync with week-long stays at resorts, which quickly sold out for tourney.

The Resorters caught on quickly, and by 1936 the

Minneapolis Journal dubbed it “America’s Largest Golf Tournament.” With few golf contests back then, The Resorters attracted the nation’s top amateurs seeking high-level competition.

From its high-energy beginning, the Resorters’ reflected a robust enthusiasm for golf in Minnesota, propelled by the advent of municipal golf by visionary parks advocates in the Twin Cities. From 1916 to 1934, a game of wealthy whites and gated country clubs went through a “democratization” with public golf courses springing up in the Twin Cities more so than other parts of the U.S. The game of white collars and lace welcomed blue collars and beer, and something more: The coun-

Blacks, who now found comfort at the municipal courses and helped drive golf fervor.

Minnesotans packed courses in dizzying numbers, an interest that made the state the national leader in rounds played per capita, despite its short season. The distinction continues into today, and helps explain the extraordinarily high number of public courses throughout the state.

The Resorters reflected that enthusiasm for more than 30 years before sliding into a period of heavy betting as top players were attracted to percentage payouts from “syndicates” who bet wisely in calcuttas. But the betting became so large that the state warned AGC about its illegality, and that really changed things. For the last third of its history, the Resorters has become a quieter but still highly-popular and fun family affair.

Its storied past includes brothers facing off for the championship, a long win streak by a local women’s favorite, a 14-year old champ, and an unlikely upset of a PGA-destined player by a teenager who fought through trash-talk to win the event’s most notorious match.

Among its champions are Alexandria’s own Tom Lehman, a former World No. 1 and easily Minnesota’s best golfer ever, and Lisa Grimes, a former LPGA player of the fabled Kluver family of gifted golfers. Lehman and

Golf Hall of Fame.

And a very special story for AGC’s special year:

Honorary Resorters Starter will be a lifelong golf devotee who’s been around as long as the event itself. Gordy Anderson celebrated his 100th birthday this year, and he’s regularly at AGC to “work on my game.” Gordy credits longevity to his (still) daily practices “my faith, golf, and strengthening workouts, in that order,’” he said.

The first Alexandrian to win a Resorters’ championship was Edith Kierland, daughter of a local physician and who cruised through nearly every match she played, winning eight times from 1932 to 1949. Had she not taken time off to start a family, she doubtless would have collected still more trophies.

The winningest Resorters’ player is Betsy Seitz of Edina, with eight trophies in the Women’s Division between 1968 and 1979. Pat Sawyer of Minneapolis has the most Men’s Division titles at seven, spanning 1930 to 1954 when he turned pro.

It wasn’t until 1976 that an Alexandrian won the men’s championship. Rick Gorham, the son of a popular sports announcer on KCMT-TV, relied on deft chipping to win in a tumultuous year when a top ranked and PGA-destined amateur from California lost to a teenager from Bloomington in perhaps the biggest

Contributed photo, provided by Debra Powell

This undated photo included this information: The Resorters Golf Tournament started in 1921 with its first 18-hole championship played the following year.

By Eric Morken

Alexandria Echo Press

The Men’s Masters Division had an 8-time Resorters champion finish atop the field during qualifying on Monday as Jon Empanger positioned himself well to make a run this week.

Empanger, who has won five Executive championships and three Senior titles during his Resorters career, is going for his first title in the Masters Division.

He shot a 1-over par 73 in qualifying to take the top seed into the match-play portion of the tournament on Wednesday. Dan Elton, the 2016, 2017 and 2020 winner in this division, is the second seed after winning the championship a year ago.

Empanger was steady throughout his round like he often is. He parred 13 holes and birdied the par-4 11th and par-5 14th holes.

Alexandria’s Norty Blanchard, twice a runner-up in this division over the last four years, is the third seed heading into match play after he shot a 3-over par 75 on Monday. His round was highlighted

by a birdie on the par-3 7th hole.

An 87 was the cut for the 16th and final spot in the championship flight. Joe LaFave and Darryl Johnson both

shot that, but it was LaFave who grabbed the 16th seed in the field as he gets the first shot at top-seeded Empanger. The Masters Division is filled with familiar

faces in the championship flight. Tom Ryan, who was last year’s runner-up to Elton, is the fourth seed. Jim Arnold, Gene Seashore, Steve Tessmer, Ray Sauer, Jim Angermeyr, Randy Johnson, Roger Ledebuhr, Joe Klick, Mark Bongard, Thomas

Vipond and Rob Davidson will round out the flight when the Masters tee off for their opening round of match play on Wednesday morning at 8:12 from the first tee box.

MASTERS DIVISION CHAMPION-

SHIP FLIGHT QUALIFIERS — Jon Empanger,

George Cliff hits a fairway shot on the front nine at the Alexandria Golf Club in the championship round of the Grand Master Division on Aug. 8, 2020.

Cliff qualified for the championship round again this year with a score of 86 at Geneva Golf Club.

Gruidl paces the Grand Masters qualifying round

By Jared Rubado Alexandria Echo Press

There will be a new champion for the second time in the history of the Grand Masters Division.

Created in 2019, the Grand Master Division has seen only one champion. Tom Eidsvold took home the trophy each of the last two summers, but he’s not in the field this year. He withdrew from the field before the tournament started.

The first two years saw only a handful of players compete for the prize, but now the field has more than doubled in year three. Jerry Gruidl led the pack with his six-over-par qualifying round on Monday at Geneva Golf Club. Gruidl’s round was highlighted by a pair of eagles on Nos. 6 and 11. Gruidl also birdied Nos. 8 and 12.

Terry Martell finished in second with a bird-

ie on No. 13 at nineover-par. Behind him was Clayton Pike – a regular in the Grand Master Division. Pike shot 12-over-par with birdies on Nos. 8 and 11.

John Zoutendek, George Cliff and Mike Golden all recorded an 86. Zoutendek birdied No. 3 with pars on Nos. 12, 13, 16 and 17. Cliff, the runner up in last year’s Grand Master final, eagled No. 12 and birdied No. 18.

Tom Schoenrock (87) and Ron Way (88) claimed the final two spots in the championship bracket. The other seven golfers will compete in a consolation flight.

Gruidl Way

Zoutendek Cliff Pike Golden

Martell Schoenrock

Jared Rubado / Alexandria Echo Press

Top 16 set in Men’s Regular 1st flight

By Eric Morken

Alexandria Echo Press

Tyler Wanous paced the Men’s Regular Division during qualifying on Sunday as the soonto-be junior at Eastview shot a 4-under par 68 to take the top seed among the 16 who qualified for the division’s 1st flight.

Wanous had just one slip up all round when he bogeyed the par-4 ninth hole. He was dialed in around that with birdies on Nos. 1, 4, 5, 12 and 13.

His bogey-free back nine helped him hold off Zach Bloedorn, who finished second during qualifying at 2-under par. Bloedorn’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole. The cut for the 1st flight was a 77.

Ian Kinney, Brian Salzer and last year’s division-champion Nicholas Adams all shot that to round out the field. Adams is the second seed in the first flight by virtue of winning last year’s championship.

Mac Cranmer was the third and final player to finish under par as he shot a 71 to take the fourth seed into the match-play portion of the tournament. Cranmer had birdies on Nos. 6, 7, 12 and 15.

Kyle Story, Cameron Meyer and Riley Larson were all close behind after shooting a 1-over par 73. Story had a three-hole flurry on the back with birdies on 11, 12 and 13. He parred out from there on the back.

Meyer had birdies on holes 3, 6, 14 and 15, while Larson had birdies on Nos. 4 and 16. Larson was steady throughout his round with pars on 14 holes.

Jake Erickson (75), Daniel Schilling (75), Stephen Davidson (76), Drew Swedberg (76), Mason Kulics (76), Michael Herzog (76) and Brandon Bistodeau (76) all shot well enough to qualify for the 1st flight, as well.

This whole group will now look ahead to match play Wednesday afternoon when they tee off from the 10th box starting at 12:42.

Brandon

- 76; Ian Kinney - 77; Brian Salzer - 77; Nicholas Adams -

Photos by Eric Morken / Echo Press Cameron Meyer watches his tee shot off of the first box at the Alexandria Golf Club during his Men’s Regular Division qualifying round on Aug. 1, 2021. Meyer shot a 73 to tie for fourth in the division as he joins the rest of the 1st flight qualifiers in match play now on Wednesday afternoon.

Stephen Davidson gets a good look at the fairway as he prepares to tee off during his Men’s Regular Division qualifying round on Aug. 1, 2021. Davidson shot a 76 to qualify for the 1st flight as the 10th seed in the division.

Men’s Execs will try to derail Johnson’s run

By Eric Morken

Alexandria Echo Press

Maple Grove’s Troy Johnson had his spot secured as the No. 2 seed in the Men’s Executive Division after winning the 2020 tournament. Now the rest of the field knows what the path looks like to try to knock off the threetime defending division champion.

There are multiple good players in this division again as Bryan Hoops, Joeseph Sauer and Dan Johnson all shot 1-under par 71s on Monday morning. Hoops, who lives in Tempe, Arizona and plays amateur tournaments nationally and internationally, got the No. 1 seed and will take on 32nd-seeded Matt Fischer in his opening match on Wednesday afternoon. Fischer was the final qualifier for the championship flight after shooting an 85 on Monday.

Hoops’ round was highlighted by a sharp back nine where he shot 3-under. He birdied Nos. 10, 12 and 14 to help alleviate the damage of a couple bogeys on the front.

“I didn’t play that great,” Hoops said. “I have some short game and some chipping things to iron out around the greens. The grass is a little different than what I’ve been playing through the last few tournaments, so I

just have to get used to it and spend a little time on it. Other than that, it should get better.”

Hoops grew up in Long Prairie, but has lived in Arizona since 1989. This is just his second time playing in the Resorters. He qualified for the championship flight a year ago in the Men’s Division, but fell short of his ultimate goal of winning a title.

Hoops has never played Troy Johnson before. He’s confident

though that his game will be at the right place to compete for a championship in the Executive Division as the week goes on.

“I don’t come here for the fun of it. I do come here to hang out with family and see friends from back in the area, but I do come up to win,” Hoops said. “I intend to win. I played last weekend in a mid-amateur team championship out in Kansas City, Missouri. I played well there. Won

the individual title. Our team was second, so it’s been decent. I’ve been playing pretty well right now, so I’ll iron out a few things in the morning. I’m pretty sure I should hopefully play well to at least get deep into the rounds.”

The best of the rest Sauer, the third seed who will face Troy Flannery in match play, had a similar scorecard to Hoops as he bogeyed Nos. 3 and 16 around

birdies at 6, 12 and 15. Dan Johnson had five birdies on the day at 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12 during his 1-under round.

Patrick Sieve is the fifth seed in the championship flight after getting off to a fast start to his qualifying round. Sieve shot 2-under on the front with birdies on Nos. 4 and 9. He had three bogeys on the back, but a birdie on the par-3 17th helped him finish his day at even par.

Chad Bisson, Mike Williams and Andrew Petersen all shot 74s to position themselves among the top 10 seeds. Bisson had birdies on holes 1 and 12. Williams birdied Nos. 6, 14, 16 and 17, and Petersen’s round was highlighted by birdies at 3, 6, 8 and 12.

Four-time Men’s Executive champion Daryl Schomer of St. Cloud was one of four guys to shoot a 4-over par 76. Nick Paulsen, Chad Johnson and Jeffry Cota matched that to secure their spot in the championship flight.

The top 32 players in the division had a day to relax before starting the match-play portion of the tournament on Wednesday at 1:20 p.m. from the 10th tee.

MEN’S EXECUTIVE CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT QUALIFIERS — Bryan Hoops71;

Johnson -

champion, second

Joeseph R.

- 71; Dan Johnson - 71; Patrick Sieve - 72; Chad Bisson - 74; Mike Williams - 74; Andrew Petersen - 74; Nick Paulsen - 76; Chad Johnson - 76; Jeffry Cota - 76; Daryl Schomer - 76; Eric Heimsness - 77; Craig Crosby - 77; Chad Marlow - 78; Herbie Champlin - 78; Troy Nygaard - 78; Jon Cullen - 78; Tom Heimerman - 79; Joel Harris - 80; Aaron Buchholz - 80; Jim Kuhn - 81; Breton Stout - 82; Pete Bright - 82; Chris Cattoor - 83; Dave Fingalsen - 83; Cory Larsen - 83; Anthony Petersen - 84; Matt Stennes - 84; Taylor Flannery - 84; Aaron VanderPlaats - 85; Matt Fischer - 85 WEDNESDAY MEN’S EXECUTIVE PAIRINGS — 10TH TEE

1:20 p.m. - Bryan Hoops vs. Matt Fischer; Herbie Champlin vs. Troy Nygaard

1:30 - Andrew Petersen vs. Chris Cattoor; Nick Paulsen vs. Pete Bright

1:40 - Dan Johnson vs. Matt Stennes; Eric Heimsness vs. Joel Harris

1:50 - Patrick Sieve vs. Anthony Petersen; Daryl Schomer vs. Aaron Buchholz

2:00 - Troy Johnson vs. Aaron VanderPlaats; Chad Marlow vs. Jon Cullen

2:10 - Mike Williams vs. Dave Fingalsen; Chad Johnson vs. Breton Stout

2:20 - Joeseph Sauer vs. Taylor Flannery; Craig Crosby vs. Tom Heimerman

2:30 - Chad Bisson vs. Cory Larsen; Jeffry Cota vs. Jim Kuhn emorken@echopress.com

Photos by Eric Morken / Alexandria Echo Press

Left: Alexandria’s Patrick Sieve watches his first tee shot during the Men’s Executive Division qualifying round on Aug. 2, 2021. Sieve shot an even-par 72 on Monday to secure his spot in the championship flight as the fifth seed. Right: Matt Fischer hits off of the first tee during his qualifying round in the Men’s Executive Division on Aug. 2, 2021. Fischer was the last player to make the championship flight out of the division and will try to knock off medalist Bryan Hoops when they start match play on Wednesday at 1:20 p.m. off of the 10th tee box.

Troy

Defending

seed;

Sauer

Hoops Fischer D. Johnson Stennes

T. Johnson VanderPlaats

Sauer Flannery

Champlin Nygaard Heimsness Harris Marlow Cullen

Crosby Heimerman

And. Petersen Cattoor Sieve Ant. Petersen Williams Fingalsen Bisson Larsen

Paulsen Bright Schomer Buchholz

C. Johnson Stout

Cota Kuhn

JT Johnson goes low in Senior qualifier

By Eric Morken

Alexandria Echo Press

JT Johnson is still searching for his first Resorters championship after finishing as the Men’s Executive runner-up in 2015 and 2016. He positioned himself well to make a run during the qualifying round of the Senior Division on Monday.

Johnson shot a 3-under par 69 to take the top seed into the Senior Division’s match-play portion of the tournament that opened up on Tuesday. He had just two bogeys on his card, but made up for those with five birdies on Nos. 2, 10, 12, 14 and 15.

Rick Vanyo, the 2020 champion in the division, chose to take the second seed in the

field rather than qualify and risk the chance of missing the championship flight.

Steve Tax, another Resorters regular, also shot under par as he finished with a 71. Tax carded birdies on holes 5, 6, 15, 16, 17 and 18.

Alexandria’s Larry Novotny joined Bob Roach, Richard Frieburg and Mark Lindberg in shooting a 1-over par 73

during qualifying. The cut to make the championship flight in the Senior Division was an 80 carded by seven different players.

Six-time Resorters champion Steve Herzog and 2016 Senior Division winner Greg Mattson just missed qualifying for the championship flight this year. They joined Brant McLeod and Jim Lesnar

in

Defending champion survives a scare

Medalist, former champs still in the hunt

By Al Edenloff

Alexandria Echo Press

First round action in the Resorters Senior Men’s Division had a little bit of everything — upsets, comebacks, blowouts and nail-biters.

When the dust settled, medalist JT Johnson survived, along with defending champion Rick Vanyo; Mark Lindberg, who is a two-time champ in the Men’s Division; Chris Haugen, a two-time Senior Men’s titlist; and some familiar long-time Resorters competitors, including Rick Frieburg, Mike Herzog and Larry Montplaisir.

The championship field will be trimmed to eight after today’s matches. The action starts at 8:48 a.m. from the No. 1 tee.

JT Johnson def.

AJ Kluver, 2-1

JT Johnson knocked off the 2015 Resorters Senior Men’s Division champion, AJ Kluver.

But it wasn’t a walk in the park by any means. It took one heckuva comeback.

At the beginning of the match, it appeared as if Kluver was shot out of a cannon. He claimed the first three holes with pars before Johnson stopped the onslaught with a par win on No. 4.

Kluver, however, regained his 3-up advantage with a birdie on No. 6. After both competitors halved the next two holes, Kluver birdied No. 9 to go 4-up at the turn.

That’s when Johnson caught fire, winning six straight holes, starting with three birdies and following it up with two pars and yet another birdie, this one on No. 15, to go 2-up.

Kluver tried to get back into it but he could only match Johnson’s

pars on Nos. 16 and 17, which handed Johnson a miraculous 2-up turnaround.

Abrahamson def. Redman, 3-1

Tom Abrahamson had to fend off a hardcharging Marc Redman to survive the first round.

After both golfers hit nothing but par 4s on the first three holes, Abrahamson broke through with back-toback par wins on Nos. 4 and 5. His 2-up lead quickly vanished when Redman won the next three holes, thanks to a par and two birdies, to steal the lead.

No. 9 when Haugen’s par took the hole and gave him a 1-up lead at the turn.

Haugen’s birdie on No. 10 put him 2-up. Both golfers parred the next hole, birdied the par-5 No. 12 and settled for par on No. 13 before Haugen put the pressure on with a birdie on No. 14 to go 3-up. Both golfers shot nothing but pars on the next two holes, which preserved Haugen’s 3-2 win.

Gardiner def.

Berg, 2-up

In a ping-pong like match, John Gardiner outlasted Chris Berg through 17 holes for a 2-up victory.

After both men parred the 9th hole, Abrahamson flipped the match around with back-toback par wins on Nos. 10 and 11. Undaunted, Redman won the 12th hole with birdie to square the match again.

The momentum then swung to Abrahamson, who won Nos. 13 and 14 with birdie, par to go 2-up. The lead held through the next two holes and Abrahamson iced the win with a par on No. 17 for a 3-1 victory.

Haugen def.

Freeman, 3-2

How close and wellplayed was the Jon Freeman-Chris Haugen match? If it had been stroke play, Freeman would have been 1-overpar and Haugen would have been 2-under for the day.

It was a tight match from the get-go. Freeman took the first lead with a birdie on No. 3 but Haugen, a two-time champ in the division, erased it with a par win on the next hole. The match stayed tied until

On the front nine, Berg won two holes, Nos. 2 and 5 with par, birdie but Gardiner grew a 3-up lead with wins on Nos. 3 (bogey), 4 (par), 6 (birdie), 8 (par) and 9 (par). After that, the match settled down when the golfers halved four of the next five holes. Gardiner got the only win, a nice birdie on No. 12 to go 4-up. Berg wasn’t done, however. He stormed back with three straight wins, on two pars and a birdie, to slice the lead to one. Both men parred No. 16 before Gardiner put the match away with a par win on No. 17.

White def.

Novotny, 2-1

Michael White saved his best golf for last, winning two crucial holes late to stage a comeback against Larry Novotny. Both golfers won three holes on the front nine — Novotny with pars on Nos. 4, 5 and 8 and White with a par on No. 2 and eagle on No. 6 and a birdie on No. 7.

Novotny built a lead on the back nine, winning Nos. 10, 12 and 13. White managed to win just one hole, a par on No. 11 and trailed by two with just four holes to go. After swapping pars on No. 14, White made his move, winning No. 16 with birdie and No. 17 with par for a hardfought 2-1 victory.

SENIORS: Page 19

Mike Johnson - 77; Al Hagen - 77; Pete Passolt - 77; Richard Monks - 78; Scott Marriott - 78; Mark Pokorney - 78; John Gardiner - 79; Chris Haugen - 79; Justin Cattoor - 80; Tom Johnson - 80; David Dilley - 80; Michael White - 80; Larry Montplaisir - 80; Bill Freeman - 80; AJ Kluver - 80 emorken@echopress.com

JT Johnson Abrahamsom

Haugen Gardiner

White Herzog

Roach Knutson

Vanyo M. Johnson

Lindberg Pokorney

Montplaisir Frie

Wanous

Photos by Al Edenloff / Echo Press Resorters Senior Men’s Championship Division competitor Michael White gets out of the sand near the No. 5 green in his opening round match Tuesday. White was seeded 29th in the field, but he pulled off the upset of No. 4-seeded Larry Novotny in a 2-1 match on Tuesday.

Mark Lindberg, a two-time champion in the Resorters Men’s Division, tracks his putt on the No. 5 green during his opening round match in the Resorters Senior Men’s Championship Tuesday. Lindberg won 7-6 against Justin Cattoor to advance in the tournament.

on the course Tuesday against Justin Cattoor. It was all over after 12 holes.

M. Herzog def.

Passolt, 2-1

It was a steely-eyed battle between two longtime Resorters veterans and Mike Hezog found just enough magic to defeat last year’s runner-up, Pete Passolt through a grueling 17 holes.

Passolt surged ahead first, winning Nos. 4 and 7 with par, birdie to go 2-up. Herzog quickly bounced back with a par win on the 8th hole and matched Passolt’s par on No. 9 to stick within one at the turn.

Herzog deadlocked the match with a clutch par on No. 10 and then took his first lead of the day with a par on No. 13. He followed it up with a par win on No. 14 to go 2-up. Passolt battled back, taking the 15th hole with a birdie to draw within one.

Both golfers parred 16 and Herzog’s bogey was good enough to win No. 17 and the match.

Roach def.

Dilley, 4-3

Bob Roach amped up his game on the back nine, winning four of the first five holes to upend Dave Dilley, 4-3.

Dilley took No. 1 with a birdie but Roach drew even on No. 3 with a par.

Dilley regained the lead with a birdie on No. 6 only to drop the next hole when Roach birdied the par-3 Minnesota Green. Roach dropped in a par on the 9th hole to take his first lead at the turn.

The back nine belonged to Roach. He won Nos. 10, 11, 13 and 14, going birdie, par, par, birdie to close out the match.

Knutson def.

Monks, 6-5

A steamroller named Mark Knutson didn’t waste much time against Richard Monks.

Monks won the first hole with par but Knut-

son took the next five holes, highlighted by a birdie on No. 2 followed by two pars, a bogey and another birdie. Trailing by four, Monks tried to mount a comeback and won No. 7 with par, but Knutson was relentless, taking Nos. 8, 9 and 10 with a par and two more birdies to go 6-up.

Both golfers parred the next three holes, making Knutson a 6-5 winner.

Vanyo def.

B. Freeman, 1-up

Defending champion

Rick Vanyo overcame an early four-hole deficit against Bill Freeman to keep his chances of a repeat alive.

Things started very well for Freeman. After matching Vanyo’s pars on the first three holes, Freeman struck for four straight wins, with a bogey, two birdies and a par.

Vanyo won his first hole on No. 8 and tied Freeman’s par on the 9th hole, but trailed by three at the turn.

The lead didn’t change until No. 13 when Vanyo made par and drew to within two. He got even closer with a par win on No. 14. Freeman

matched Vanyo’s bogey on No. 15 and his par on the next hole to cling to a 1-up advantage.

Vanyo tied the match with a birdie on the par-3 17th and completed his comeback with a par win on the 18th hole for a 1-up victory.

M. Johnson def. Adams, 2-1 Mike Johnson held a 1-up lead at the turn and hung tough to pull out a 2-1 win against David Adams.

Adams won two of the first three holes, Nos. 1 and 3 with pars, while Johnson tallied his first win on No. 4 with par. Johnson tied the match with a birdie on No. 7 and took his first lead with a bogey on the 9th hole.

Johnson won No. 11 with birdie but Adams answered with a par win on the next hole.

After matching pars on Nos. 13, 14 and 15, Johnson maintained a slim 1-up lead and gutted it out for a 2-1 victory.

Lindberg def. Cattoor, 7-6 Mark Lindberg, a twotime champion in the Resorters Men’s Division, had a quick day

Montplaisir def.

Tax, 8-6

Lindberg won All but three holes on the front nine, highlighted by birdies on Nos. 1, 6 and 8. Cattoor won No. 5 with a birdie but it was not nearly enough. Lindberg kept the pressure on by taking Nos. 11 and 12 with two more birdies to coast to a 7-6 win.

On the day, Lindberg was 4-under par after 12 holes.

Pokorney def. Howard, 1-up

Mark Pokorney withstood a late rally by Curt Howard to win an 18-hole white-knuckler.

Pokorney won three holes on the front nine, Nos. 4, 6 and 8, going birdie, par, birdie while Howard won the first hole with a par.

Down by two at the turn, Howard turned his game around, nailing three consecutive birdies on Nos. 10, 11 and 12 to vault into the lead. Pokorney tied it with a par win on No. 14 but Howard fought back with a birdie on the next hole to regain the lead. Pokorney tied it again with a par win on No. 16. After both men swapped pars on No. 17, Pokorney finally put the match away with a par win on the final hole.

It just wasn’t Steve Tax’s day. Larry Montplaisir won six of the first nine holes, highlighted by a birdie on No. 8, while Tax didn’t win a hole until No. 12, a par. It was too little too late, however, as Montplaisir put the match away with a par win on the next hole.

Frie def.

Hagen, 2-up

Mark Frie, the division’s 2015 runner-up, won three holes on the front and two holes on the back and it was good enough for a hardfought 2-1 win over Al Hagen.

Frie’s wins came on Nos. 2, 3, 5, 12 and 18 while Hagen took Nos. 4, 6 and 16.

Frie had three birdies on the day and Hagen didn’t have any.

Frieburg def.

Johnson, 4-3

Rick Frieburg built a strong lead on the front nine and didn’t look back against Tom Johnson.

Freiburg’s wins in the early going all came on pars and happened on Nos. 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7. Trailing by five, Johnson notched his first win on No. 9, a par, and trailed by four at the turn.

Johnson mounted a mini-comeback, taking

Nos. 10 and 11 to draw within two, but Frieburg hung tough, winning No. 12 with a birdie to go 3-up. Johnson battled back with a par on the next hole, but Frieburg again answered with a birdie win on No. 14 to go up by three again. Frieburg ended up winning the match, 4-3.

Wanous def.

Marriott, 2-up

It took 18 holes for Mark Wanous to put away Scott Marriott.

Marriott struck first with a par win on No. 3 but Wanous stole the lead with wins on the next two holes, going birdie par. Both golfers halved the next four holes, leaving Wanous up by one at the turn.

Wanous won Nos. 10 and 11 with birdie, par to go 3-up. Marriott stormed back with a birdie on the next hole only to lose his momentum when Wanous took No. 13 with par. Marriott won the next hole with par and took No. 16 with par to slice the lead to one. Both golders parred No. 17 and Wanous sealed the victory with a par win on the final hole.

Al Edenloff / Echo Press Pete Passolt, a finalist in the Resorters Senior Men’s Division last year, rolled in this putt on the No. 5 green in the opening round Tuesday. Passolt locked up in a close match against Mike Herzog, but fell in a 2-1 final.

Low seeds take care of business in Junior 13-15 opening round

By Jared Rubado

Alexandria

Echo Press

Monday’s opening match-play round in the Junior 13-15 Division is setting up clashes between the low seeds left in the eight-player field on Wednesday morning.

Carson Boe, Bennett Olsen and Andrew Ballou advanced in quick fashion during their opening matches. Lunden Esterline, Charlie Moen, McKenzee Sullivan, Carver Larson and Chase Triebenbach also clinched spots in the quarterfinal round.

Here’s how the round of 16 played out on Monday afternoon.

Boe def.

Horstman, 5-4

Top-seeded Carson Boe of Cottonwood kept pace with his lowscore qualifying round with a 1-over-par, 5-4 win over 16-seed Sam Horstman.

Boe made birdies on Nos. 3 and 6 on the front nine to take a threehole advantage to the turn. His lone blunder on the front nine was a double bogey on No. 9. Horstman’s bogey pulled him back within three, but Boe made par on four of the last five holes to secure the win.

Esterline def.

Hanson, 2-up Lunden Esterline’s two-under-par back nine was enough to pull out a win over ninth-seeded Charlie Hanson.

After nine holes, eighth-seeded Elsterline trailed by one hole after three bogeys. Hanson birdied No. 6 before making par on No. 8 to

take a one-hole lead at the turn.

In most rounds, a 1-over-par back nine with a one-hole lead would be enough to beat your opponent in match play, but Esterline was near perfect. Back-toback birdies on Nos. 12 and 13, along with seven pars, completed the comeback to beat Hanson.

Hanson birdied No. 14 to square the match, but back-to-back bogeys on the last two holes sealed his fate.

Ballou def. Crosby, 8-6 Fourth-seeded Andrew Ballou didn’t birdie a hole in his opening round matchup against 13th-seeded Adam Crosby. But he didn’t need one. Ballou picked up an 8-6 win at four-overpar in 12 holes. He made par on nine of the holes he played while Crosby parred Nos. 1, 2, 9 and 10. Ballou will take on fifth-seeded Charlie Moen on Wednesday morning.

C. Moen def.

Thornburg, 4-3

Charlie Moen overcame a shaky start to knock off 12th-seeded Will Thornburg 4-3.

Back-to-back bogeys to start the round put Moen down by a hole. After a bogey to square the match on No. 4, Moen birdied No. 5 to take his first lead of the tournament.

Trailing by two at the turn, Thornburg made bogey on No. 10 to pull within one. But a par and a birdie from Moen

on the next two holes increased his lead to three. Moen would par the final three played holes to advance.

Larson def.

Scholl, 3-2

Second-seeded Carver Larson took care of business in his match against 15th-seeded Blake Scholl.

Larson went up by

three in the first three holes with a birdie on No. 12. But three consecutive birdies from Scholl erased Larson’s early lead. Larson would birdie No. 18 to take a one-hole lead to the turn.

Larson’s back-toback pars to start the front nine regained his

LOW SEEDS: Page 22

Boe shoots even par in Junior 13-15 qualifiers

By Jared Rubado

Carson Boe shot the lowest score in the Junior 13-15 qualifying round for the second straight year. This time, he was four strokes better.

After shooting a 76 and tying for first with Carver Larson during the 2020 Resorters Tournament, Boe, from Cottonwood, shot an evenpar 72 to earn the top seed in the division on Sunday. He birdied Nos. 8, 11, 12 and 16 to beat Alexandria teammates in Larson and Bennett Olsen by two strokes. Larson and Olsen each

shot 74, with Andrew Ballou a stroke behind at 75.

Larson made birdie on Nos. 1, 8, 11, 16 and 18.

Olsen’s birdies came on Nos. 6, 8 and 15. Ballou bogeyed four holes on the back nine to drop him down to fourth. He made birdies on Nos. 2 and 12 while making par on 11 holes.

Charlie Moen (76) and Chase Triebenbach (78) were the final two golfers to shoot under 80. Moen birdied No. 17, while Osakis’ Triebenbach birdied Nos. 8 and 18.

Connor O’Hara, Charlie Hanson and Lunden

Esterline each shot 80 on Sunday afternoon. O’Hara and Esterline each birdied two holes. Behind them were McKenzee Sullivan (81) and Ashton Sladek (82). Sladek made birdies on Nos. 1 and 12, while Sullivan birdied the parfive sixth hole.

Other low scores included Will Thornburg (88), Adam Crosby (89), Henry Moen (90), Blake Scholl (91) and Sam Horstman (92). The 16 qualifiers for the championship flight opened up match play on Monday afternoon.

Boe Esterline Larson Sullivan

Ballou

C. Moen Olsen Triebenbach

Alexandria Echo Press

Eric Morken / Echo Press

Cottonwood’s Carson Boe watches his tee shot on the second hole during the opening round of match play in the Junior 13-15 Division on Aug. 2, 2021. Boe was the division’s medalist with an even-par 72 during qualifying before taking his opening match on Monday afternoon to advance to the quarterfinals on Wednesday morning.

Jared Rubado / Echo Press

Bennett Olsen watches his approach shot stick close to the pin on hole-10 in his Junior 13-15 opening-round win over Henry Moen on Aug. 2, 2021.

Eric Morken / Alexandria Echo Press Lunden Esterline watches his approach shot from the No. 1 fairway during his opening match in the Junior 13-15 Division’s championship flight on Aug. 2, 2021.

Last year’s runner-up puts himself in good position

three-hole lead. But a bogey on No. 3 and a double on No. 4 brought Scholl within one again. Larson ended the match with another string of back-to-back pars on Nos. 6 and 7.

Sullivan def.

O’Hara, 4-3

McKenzee Sullivan was lights out in her opening-round win over seventh-seeded Connor O’Hara on Monday.

Sullivan, the 10th-seed, shot 1-under-par with birdies on Nos. 10 and 18 to take a one-hole lead into the turn. O’Hara birdied No. 14 and parred seven holes on the back nine, yet still trailed by one.

Sullivan doubled her lead with a par on No. 1 before ending the match with a birdie on No. 6. It was her fourth birdie of the day. She will take on second-seeded Larson on Wednesday morning.

Olsen def.

H. Moen, 7-6

Third-seeded Bennett Olsen of Alexandria only needed 12 holes to advance to the quarterfinals in his 7-6 opening-round win over 14-seed Henry Moen.

Olsen led by six holes at the turn after a birdie on No. 10 and pars on

five other holes. Moen bogeyed 11 of the 12 played holes on Monday. Olsen finished threeover-par in the win.

Triebenbach def.

Sladek, 3-2

Sixth-seeded Chase Triebenbach’s two birdies on the front nine were enough to clinch a win over 11th-seeded

Ashton Sladek.

Sladek held a onehole advantage after a par on No. 10 for the first five holes of the round. Another par on

No. 15 doubled his lead before Triebenbach got a hole back on No. 18.

Trailing by one after the turn, Triebenbach birdied No. 1 to square the match before taking his first lead with a par on No. 3. Triebenbach’s par on No. 6 followed by a birdie on No. 7 clinched the final spot in the quarterfinals.

Eric Morken / Alexandria Echo Press Charlie Moen watches his approach shot on the third hole during the opening round of match play for the Junior 13-15 Division on Aug. 2, 2021. Moen won 4-3 over Will Thornburg to advance to the division’s quarterfinals.

Jared Rubado / Alexandria Echo Press

McKenzee Sullivan hits her first tee shot off the 10th tee box in the Junior 13-15 opening match play round on Aug. 2, 2021. Sullivan beat Connor O’Hara 4-3 to advance

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