Resorters - Thurs, Aug 5, 2021

Centennial Celebration

UPSETS UP AND DOWN THE BRACKET

Top-four seeds advance in an otherwise wild day in Men’s Champs

By Eric Morken emorken@echopress.com

The Men’s Championship Division had a little bit of everything on Wednesday during the opening round of qualifying.

Top-seeded Donald Constable overcame an early one-hole deficit in his match to move to the sweet 16. But there were plenty of seeding upsets throughout the bracket as 28th-seeded Mitch Holm beat fifth-seeded Geoff Klein, 25th-seeded Alec Heinen beat 8th-seeded Zak Jones, 24th-seeded Lincoln Johnson beat 9th-seeded Brian Choe, 23rd-seeded Ben Strauman beat 10th-seeded Kyle Cox, and 22nd-seeded Jacques Wilson beat 11th-seeded Jerry Rose. Secondseeded and defending champion Austin Vukovits also survived a scare in a 2-1 final.

Here is a look at how all the matches went before these players vie for a spot in the quarterfinals with matches starting back up at 1:35 p.m. from the first tee on Thursday. Constable def. Woodhull, 5-4

Alex Woodhull got off to a good start with a birdie win at No. 2 that gave him the early advantage against the 2010 champion in Donald Constable. That just ignited Constable, though. He countered by getting birdie wins at 3, 4, 6 and 7. Both players were on their game as Constable shot a 31 on the front to lead by two at the turn after Woodhull made him work for it with a 33.

Once on the back, Constable pulled away with three straight wins on 12, 13 and 14. Two

Ben

of those came by birdies as Constable played a bogey-free round and shot 7-under through 14 holes.

Galvin def. Vanyo, 3-2

Josh Galvin will get the next shot at Constable as he beat

THE HATCHERY

Tony Vanyo in a 3-2 final. Vanyo opened the door by shooting a 43 on the front nine on Wednesday. Galvin capitalized on holes 1, 5 and 6 with wins that took him to the turn at

BRACKET: Page 4

Al Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press

Strauman rolls his putt toward the cup during his Men’s Championship Division match on Aug. 4, 2021. Strauman entered match play as the 23rd seed but put together a good day on Wednesday in beating 10thseeded Kyle Cox to advance.

Al Edenloff / Alexandria Echo Press Jon Sauer took down University of Nebraska golfer Tristan Nelko on Wednesday in the Men’s Championship Division as he won by a 3-2 final.

Eric Morken / Alexandria Echo Press Alex Woodhull chips from just off the green on No. 5 on Aug. 4, 2021. Woodhull got an early lead against top-seeded Donald Constable, but Constable was too much down the stretch in a 5-4 final.

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 DinnerResorters 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 DinnerCentennial Plaza 7PM

Special Invitation Only

Video Presentation: Guest Speaker – Tom Lehman

Tuesday, Aug 3 Calcutta AppetizersCentennial Plaza 8PM hosted by AGC

Wednesday, Aug. 4 Big Boy’s BBQ Street TacosResorters Pavilion6-9PM

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 Plaza6-9PM

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

BRACKET

From Page 1

3-up.

Vanyo got a birdie win at 11, but back-to-back pars for Galvin at 13 and 14 moved him to 4-up. Vanyo got a par win at 15, but it was too little, too late.

Heinen def. Jones, 2-1

Alec Heinen used birdie wins at 1 and 2 and a par win at 3 to build a quick advantage. He then held off a charge from Zak Jones to secure the 2-1 win.

Jones rebounded with a par and birdie win at holes 4 and 5. It was a 2-up advantage for Heinen at the turn after he birdied No. 7, but Jones pulled even with birdies on 10 and 11.

Heinen immediately responded with an eagle win at 12, and his birdie win at 14 was enough to end things after 17 when Jones and Heinen halved the final three holes.

Lincoln Johnson def. Choe, 3-2

Lincoln Johnson of Chaska came within one win of getting a Men’s Division championship in 2016 after falling to Nick Heinen in the finals.

Johnson has been working to get a second chance at a title ever since in this division, and he took down a former champion in the opening round on Wednesday. He beat 2018 winner Brian Choe by a 3-2 final.

It started on hole 6 for Johnson as he

grabbed a birdie win to move to 1-up. A birdie win at 7 and a par win at 8 moved him to 3-up as he shot a 2-under 34 on the front. Johnson wasn’t done as his par win at 10 and birdie win at 11 was plenty of cushion to secure the win down the stretch.

Meyer def. Tommy Brandabur, 4-3

Ian Meyer fell behind by two through the first three holes against Tommy Brandabur on Wednesday, but those were the only two holes he dropped all round.

Meyer won 4-3 as he took control after that early deficit. He tied things up with par wins at 4 and 5, and then added par wins at 9 and 14 around birdie wins at 10 and 12 to put the match away.

Joe Bigger def. Black, 2-1

A couple of Alexandria natives squared off in Joe Bigger and Bryant Black, and it was Bigger who held on for a 2-1 win.

Black led by two after par wins at 3 and 5, but Bigger controlled the back nine. He eagled the par-4 11th, and that ignited him to a birdie win at 13 that tied it. His pars at 15 and 16 gave him the 2-up lead he needed to end the match after 17.

Holm def.

Klein, 1-up

Geoff Klein positioned himself well as the fifth seed through qualifying after finishing as the runner-up in the Men’s Executive Division a year ago, but a late

surge against Mitch Holm was not quite enough to come back from a 3-hole deficit on Wednesday.

Holm won the match 1-up when both players parred 18. Klein had got it to within one with a par win at 13 and a birdie win at 16. Holm built a 3-up advantage with birdies at 6 and 8 and pars at 7 and 10. That was enough as he played steady down the stretch to hold off Klein despite Klein shooting 3-under over his final eight holes.

Sladek def. Wills, 5-3

Alexandria’s Braeden Sladek will be a junior for Alexandria Area High School this coming season, and he’s hoping to continue a strong summer golf season by getting deep into this tournament. He took a good first step.

Sladek beat Dawson Wills of Chaska in a 5-3 final after finishing with a flurry. Sladek shot a 1-under 35 on the front to take a 1-hole lead into the turn. He put the match away with four straight wins that came from pars on 13 and 14 and birdies on Nos. 12 and 15.

Vukovits def. Pexa, 2-1

The defending champ had to sweat out a close match against Jack Pexa, but Austin Vukovits got the job done in a 2-1 final with the help of a strong back nine.

Pexa led by two early and was one up at the turn. That’s when Vukovits came to life with a birdie win at 10 and a par win at 11 that

gave him his first lead. Pexa got a birdie win at the par-3 13th, but back-to-back birdies by Vukovits gave him 14 and 15 and ultimately the win after both players parred holes 16 and 17.

Adams def. Lukas Bigger, 6-5

Nate Adams of Maple Grove is another regular in this division looking for his first championship after plenty of junior success and a runner-up finish in Men’s in 2018.

Adams got off to a good start by beating Alexandria’s Lukas Bigger in a 6-5 final. Adams did not leave any doubt as he led by five at the turn with wins at 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8. Birdies at 10 and 12 were plenty to put things away around Bigger’s only win of the day with a birdie at 11.

Jarrett def. Walcher, 3-2

Conrad Walcher did everything right at the start with birdie wins on his first two holes, but it was the finish by Nick Jarrett that made the difference in a 3-2 win for Jarrett.

Jarrett shot a 34 on the front and birdie wins at 7 and 9 tied things up and gave him some momentum. He carried that into the back where a birdie win at 12 and par win at 13 gave him his first lead at 1-up. Both parred 14 before back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 for Jarrett put the match away.

Strauman def. Cox, 2-1 Ben Strauman found himself down two holes early on, but five wins over a seven-hole stretch from holes 11 through 15 helped him secure a 2-1 win over Kyle Cox.

Cox won 3 with a birdie and 6 with an eagle before a birdie win for Strauman on No. 7 started to swing the momentum. His par win at 9 took these two to the turn all square. A birdie win regained the lead for Cox, but

Strauman responded with three straight wins — an eagle on 12 and pars on 11 and 13. A birdie for Cox on the par-5 14th made it a 1-hole match again, but Strauman had an answer all day. His birdie win on 15 and back-to-back pars sealed the deal.

Boraas def.

Justesen, 2-1

The 30th seed pushed third-seeded Noah Boraas on Wednesday, but Boraas did what he had to do down the stretch to beat Lukas Justesen in a 2-1 match.

A birdie win for Boraas on 15 broke the tie, and a par on 16 moved him to 2-up. That was the difference after both parred the par-3 17th. It was a match that was never separated by more than one through the first 15 holes. Justesen led by one at the turn, but a couple of birdies at 11 and 12 helped Boraas get the wins he needed to hold on.

Brown def. Davis Johnson, 1-up

Kelly Brown build a 3-up advantage by shooting 35 on the front nine, and he held on to beat Davis Johnson in a 1-up final.

Johnson climbed all the way back with the help of birdies at Nos. 12 and 13, but Brown found a way to finish to secure his spot in the next round.

Sauer def. Nelko, 3-2

Jon Sauer beat Tristan Nelko out of the University of Nebraska by a 3-2 score.

Nelko led by one after nine holes when his back-to-back par wins at 8 and 9 erased a narrow deficit. Sauer turned the match around right away on the back when his par on 10 and birdies on 11 and 12 gave him all three holes to gain an advantage he never let go of.

Wilson def.

Rose, 3-2

A battle of two former Men’s Division champions went to Jacques Wilson as the 2014 winner beat threetime winner Jerry Rose by a 3-2 final.

Rose led by two early on as he shot 34 on the front nine. But Wilson was not far behind at 35 as his par wins at 8 and 9 started a stretch of four straight wins for him. Wilson’s wins at 10 and 11 came by birdie. Rose got one back with a birdie win at 14, but it wasn’t quite enough to climb over the top.

- Ian Meyer vs. Joe Bigger; Mitch Holm vs. Braeden Sladek

- Austin Vukovits vs. Nate Adams; Nick Jarrett vs. Ben Strauman

- Noah Boraas vs. Kelly Brown; Jon Sauer vs. Jacques Wilson

Meyer Bigger

Constable Galvin

Vukovits Adams Jarrett Strauman

Boraas Brown

Holm Sladek

Heinen Johnson Sauer Wilson

Photos by Eric Morken / Alexandria Echo Press Alec Heinen watches his putt during his Men’s Championship Division round against Zak Jones on Aug. 4, 2021. Heinen, the 25th seed in the field, took down the 8th-seeded Jones in a tight 2-1 match.

Lincoln Johnson lines up his putt during his match against former Men’s Division champion Brian Choe on Aug. 4, 2021. Johnson won the match by a 3-2 final.

A putting win at last

The last year’s Men’s Championship runner up wins annual putting contest

By Thalen Zimmerman Alexandria Echo Press

Josh Galvin of Maple Grove clinched a win in the annual putting contest during the Resorters Golf Tournament on Wednesday night, and it came just in the nick of time.

What started as a cloudy, cool evening, with an orange hue in the sky, led to a dark and damp night. The last battle for the annual Resorters Golf Tournament putting contest on Wednesday night began just after the sun tucked itself below the fairway and a slight drizzle set in. The dark and rain had little to no effect on Josh Galvin, an 18-year-old from Maple Grove who was the runner-up in the Men’s Championship Division to Austin Vukovits in 2020. Galvin was able to earn a win in a close head-to-

head final over Alexandria’s Sam Jenson.

“The dark didn’t bother us,” Galvin said.

“We both have been playing the green for a while today, so we knew the breaks pretty well.”

Sportsmanship was alive and well between the two as they each exchanged ‘good jobs,’ ‘congratulations’ and ‘good putt’ in-between

holes.

The top four competitors: Galvin, Jenson, Rylee Larson, and Luke Resler will receive gift certificates to the golf club’s pro-shop. The amount depends on their tournament ranking.

Galvin is definitely no stranger to golf, as he has been playing for the last 10 years and studies golf at North

Dakota State University. This is also his third year competing at the Resorters.

“Golf helps me relax. It’s an individ-

ual-based game which I like because the only person I have to rely on is myself,” Galvin said.

Galvin is thankful for the win and hopes to use his prize to get some Resorters gear.

“It feels good to win,” he said. “I am looking forward to seeing what the pro-shop

has to offer.”

Galvin is hopeful that the solid putting is a sign of things to come again on Thursday. He faces top-seeded Donald Constable in the round of 16 as he tries to pull off the upset and advance to the quarterfinals.

tzimmerman@echopress.com

Photos by Thalen Zimmerman / Alexandria Echo Press

Josh Galvin of Maple Grove (left) and Sam Jenson of Alexandria took first and second place, respectively, in the putting contest at the annual Resorters Golf Tournament in Alexandria on Wednesday night.

Josh Galvin (far right) eagerly watches his putt against Luke Resler (middle) during the putting contest at the annual Resorters Golf Tournament Wednesday night.

Larson takes down the top seed

Defending champion, Heinen, rolls

By Eric Morken emorken@echopress.com

There were many matches in the Women’s Division that ended early on Wednesday, but a battle between two Alexandria sisters certainly did not fit that description.

Lauren and Elise Stockmoe, recent members of the Bemidji State University golf team, locked up in a 20-hole match that Elise found a way to win. The next closest contests came by 3-2 finals as Cora Larson pulled off the 16-versus-1-seed upset against Samantha Sommers, and Madison Herzog won by that same 3-2 final.

Fourth-seeded Lauren Contreras, defending-champion Ale Heinen, 10th-seeded Avery O’Donnell, third-seeded Hannah Boraas and sixth-seeded Alayna Eldred also secured their spots in the quarterfinals as the final two foursomes get set to tee off from the first hole starting at 12:36 p.m. on Thursday.

Larson def. Sommers, 3-2

Alexandria’s Cora Larson, a senior in high school this coming fall, is no stranger to pressure situations after helping to lead Alexandria Area High School to a Class AAA Minnesota state championship this past spring.

On Wednesday, Larson shrugged aside any ideas of being an underdog as the 16th seed knocked off top-seeded Samantha Sommers. Sommers took the first lead with a birdie win at No. 3, but Larson methodically took control from there.

She evened the match with a par win at the 5th and took her first lead with another par on 8. Both players birdied the par-5 12th hole. Larson struck again with an important par win at 13 and then added to her lead with a par at 15. That was enough to secure the win after both players parred hole 16.

Herzog def.

Skaar, 3-2

Detroit Lakes native Madison Herzog was the runner-up in this division two years ago, and she’s trying to make another run this year after advancing with a 3-2 win over Leah Skaar.

Herzog grabbed control of this match from the get-go by shooting 3-under on the front nine. Her birdie wins at 1, 6, 7 and 8 gave her a lead that Skaar could never bounce back from despite her best efforts.

Skaar birdied holes 9 and 11, but Herzog was too good on Wednesday. She parred on 13 to regain a 3-hole advantage and shot 3-under on the day before the match ended after 16.

Contreras def.

Westerham, 6-5

Lauren Contreras from Maple Grove used four straight wins on the back nine to put away her 6-5 win over Jenna Westerham.

Contreras’ front nine was highlighted by a birdie win at 5 as she built a 4-up advantage at one point. Westerham responded and won 8 with birdie and 9 with par. That’s as close as she could get as Contreras won holes 10-13 with pars to secure her win.

Elise Stockmoe def. Lauren Stockmoe, 20 holes

The Stockmoe sisters from Alexandria went back and forth on Wednesday before Elise came away with the playoff win in two extra holes against Lauren. Neither player led by more than one hole all day as they exchanged blows throughout their round. Elise shot a 37 on the front nine and was one up after a birdie win on the eighth hole.

Lauren got a birdie win of her own at 10 and a par win at 11 moved her to 1-up.

It was Elise’s turn to counter as her par win at 14 and a bogey win at the par-3 17th gave her a 1-up advantage. Lauren did what she needed to do on 18 as her par forced a playoff, but Elise brushed aside that bogey on 18 to win in extras.

Heinen def. Aisling

O’Connor, 8-6

Defending champion Ale Heinen did not drop a hole on Wednesday in beating Alexandria’s Aisling O’Connor.

Heinen, from Wichita, Kansas, shot a 34 on the front nine. She finished at 5-under par as an eagle on the par-5 12th hole put the match away with six holes to spare.

O’Donnell def.

Bigger, 7-6

Avery O’Donnell won the first three holes against Alexandria native Amanda Bigger and never looked back in a

7-6 win.

O’Donnell shot a 1-under par 36 on the front nine and was 5-up at the turn. Her par win at 11 helped put the match away.

Boraas def. Ciara

O’Connor, 5-4

Hannah Boraas, last year’s Junior 13-15 Division champion, is tough to beat on her home course.

Boraas knocked off a former Alexandria teammate on Wednesday as her fast start helped her beat Ciara O’Connor in a

5-4 final.

Boraas shot a 2-under par 35 on the front nine. That helped her grab a 5-up lead before heading to the back. She added another hole with a par on 11.

O’Connor won her second and final hole with a par on the par-3 13th, but the match ended a hole later as the two players halved 14.

Eldred def.

Monroe, 4-3

Osakis native Alayna Eldred used a flurry near the end of her

front nine to grab a lead against Emily Monroe that she never let go of.

The match was all square heading to hole 7 when Eldred’s par win moved her to 1-up. She followed that with back-to-back birdie wins on 8 and 9.

Eldred added another birdie win at the par-5 14th that put the match away with three holes left.

Eldred

Larson Herzog

Contreras Stockmoe

Heinen O’Donnell

Boraas Eldred

Photos by Eric Morken / Alexandria Echo Press Alexandria’s Cora Larson and her caddie and brother, Carver Larson, watch her putt on the third hole during Cora’s Women’s Division match against top-seeded Samantha Sommers on Aug. 4, 2021. Larson beat Sommers in a 3-2 final to move on to the division’s quarterfinals.

Emily Monroe hits her approach shot during her Women’s Division match against Osakis’ Alayna Eldred on Aug. 4, 2021. Eldred had a little bit more in that match as she won 4-3 to advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Avery O’Donnell looks at her line on the fourth green with a little help from her caddie during her 7-6 win over Alexandria’s Amanda Bigger in the opening round of match play for the Women’s Division on Aug. 4, 2021.

Top four seeds to battle in Junior 13-15

Alexandria teammates in Larson, Olsen to square off

By Eric Morken emorken@echopress.com

The Junior 13-15 Division has gone exactly to script as the top four seeds in the division all advanced to Friday’s semifinals.

Top-seeded Carson Boe of Cottonwood withstood a challenge from last year’s Junior 10-12 Division champion, Lunden Esterline. Boe will match up with fourth-seeded Andrew Ballou in the semis, while Alexandria Cardinal teammates Carver Larson and Bennett Olsen will face each other in the other half of the bracket.

Here is a look at how all four got here before they tee off from the 1st hole at 2:10 p.m. on Friday.

Boe def. Esterline, 3-2 Boe trailed by one after eight holes, but a par win at the 18th sent him to the front all square and provided a little momentum in his 3-2 win over Lunden Esterline.

Boe followed that win on 18 with a par win on No. 1. He never gave that lead up as a par win on 3 and a birdie win on 6 helped him put the match away after both players parred No. 7. Ballou def.

Charlie Moen, 5-4

Andrew Ballou got off to a torrid start to his round on the back nine against Charlie Moen to win in a 5-4 final.

Ballou shot 1-under par through his first six holes to secure a 4-up advantage before Moen won his first of two holes with a par on No. 16. Ballou added a par win at 18 and again at No. 1 after making the turn. His birdie win on the par-4 fifth hole put the match away.

Larson def.

Sullivan, 2-1

It took everything Carver Larson had to knock off McKenzee Sullivan in a 2-1 final.

Larson shot 3-under par through his 17 holes, but he still couldn’t shake Sullivan. She countered by shooting even par as Sullivan held a 1-up lead through the first six holes. That’s when Larson got birdie wins on Nos. 16 and 17 to move to 1-up himself.

It was a lead he never let go of. Sullivan got a birdie win on No. 2 and a bogey win on 4, but Larson’s birdies on Nos. 1 and 7 around a par win on 3 allowed him to escape with the win.

Olsen def.

Triebenbach, 3-2

Bennett Olsen and Carver Larsen were both freshmen on Alexan-

DOWNTOWN & PLAZA LIQUOR

dria’s state tournament team this past spring season, and they will get the chance to face each other on Friday after Olsen joined Larson in the semifinals with a 3-2 win over Chase Triebenbach of Osakis.

It was a fast start that did it for Olsen as he shot 2-under on the back to build a 3-hole lead before moving to the front. Triebenbach got a win on No. 3 to cut his deficit to two, but a birdie win for Olsen on the par-4 fifth hole gave him plenty of cushion. Olsen put the match away two holes later after both players parred holes 6 and 7.

Ballou Boe

Larson Olsen

Photos by Jared Rubado / Alexandria Echo Press Andrew Ballou skies a shot onto the 11th green in his match against Charlie Moen on Aug. 4, 2021 in the Junior 13-15 quarterfinal round. Ballous won the match 5-4 to secure his spot in the semifinals.

McKenzee Sullivan hits an approach shot in front of the 11th green in her quarterfinal round match against Carver Larson in the Junior 13-15 Division on Aug. 4, 2021.

Carver Larson (left) and Bennett Olsen watch McKenzie Sullivan putt from in front of the 11th green in the quarterfinal round in the Junior 13-15 Division on Aug. 4, 2021. Larson survived a tough match against Sullivan in a 2-1 final, and Olsen won 3-2 against Osakis’ Chase Triebenbach. The two Alexandria teammates will now square off in the division’s semifinals on Friday afternoon.

Chase Triebenbach reads the 11th green in his match against Bennett Olsen in the Junior 13-15 Division on Aug. 4, 2021.

A look back at the history of the Resorters

Part 2: The legends

Editors note: This is the second of a four-part series about the history behind the 100th Resorters Golf Tournament. It’s written by Ron Way, 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.

The entry sign at the Alexandria Golf Club announces AGC as Home of the Resorters, and also home to Minnesota’s best golfer ever, Tom Lehman, and to Lisa Grimes, Alexandria’s best from a locally-famous golfing family.

Grimes won the Resorters in 1978 and ‘82. After an accomplished LPGA career she’s become a top golf teacher at AGC in summer and Arizona.

Lehman won the Resorters in 1980, and since turning pro has returned with wife Melissa to his lake home on Little Darling for August vacations and caddie for his sons – and to traverse familiar turf in his Ryder Cup cart (he was captain in 2006).

AGC has another PGA

player as member: Matt Gogel of Mission Hills, Kansas, won the 2002 AT&T at Pebble Beach.

Gogel vacations in the area with wife, Blair (Lauritzen), and their son Thomas (a top Kansas amateur); Matt caddies for Thomas at The Resorters.

Lehman and Gogel played in AGC’s proam on Saturday, July 31, while Grimes played in the U.S. Senior Open in Connecticut.

Grimes eagerly promotes junior golf in the mold of former head pro, John Basten, who mentored a legion of youngsters and made Alex a powerhouse: the Lehmans, Kluvers, Herzogs, Eltons, and Swedbergs, along with Rick Gorham, the first Alexandrian to win the men’s championship, in 1976. Another local, Rick Frieburg, caddied at AGC before winning in 1988, ’91, and ‘97.

AGC’s current head pro, Kyle Lee, was an AHS standout who in 2007 competed against his friend and eventual Resorters’ winner Bryce Hanstad, who that same year won the Minnesota Amateur at

Hazeltine. Lee married Ashley Kober, a Seattle nurse, and together the delightful pair run AGC’s pro shop and golf events.

Alex golf teams are regular high school contenders, and the girls’ 2021 team won the state championship while the boys took fifth.

The Resorters’ features qualifying rounds to seed into match-play eliminations, a format used by two other week-long tourneys inspired by The Resorters’ early success: “The Birchmont” in Bemidji (1926) and “Pine to Palm” in Detroit Lakes (1931). They run consecutive weeks as The Resort Circuit.

Edith Kierland, the first Alexandrian to win a championship, took eight trophies between 1932 and 1949. Her golf memorabilia is displayed at Westin Kierland, a Scottsdale Arizona resort complex built by her sister’s husband’s family, the Herbergers (their business career started in Douglas County, and they summered on Le Homme Dieu Bay).

The youngest Resorters’ winner in the Men’s or Women’s Division is Alayna Eldred in 2014, then a 14-year-old from Osakis. Alexandria’s Maggie Leland won her

first of three titles in 2007, at 15.

Lisa Grimes’ father, the late Arlo Kluver, was legendary at AGC as the smiling swashbuckler who’d hitch up his pants before careening a tee ball most anywhere but the fairway. Like all Kluvers, he relied on uncanny escapes and a deadly short game to out-play the best. Arlo never won the Resorters, but Lisa and son Dave each won twice while a brother, A.J., was a frequent championship contender.

Two other Lehmans, Jim and Mike, have competed, with Jim winning in 2009 over a much younger field – fittingly described as smitten by long drives more than short wedges. Barb Lehman once described her boys’ summers as daily playing 36 holes with the Kluver and Herzog kids before putting contests that’d finish in twilight. On rainy days they’d imagine it was the British Open, a world major that Tom would win in 1996.

Perhaps the best-ever amateur to compete was No. 1 ranked George Boutell of Phoenix. He took Resorters titles in 1962 and ’67, and went on to the PGA Tour. Other

future PGA players who played were Joel Goldstrand, Bill Israelson, Jack Rule, Chris Perry, Ed Fiori, and Mike Morley, while Jim Sorenson and John Harris played in the Walker Cup.

Some familiar names: Nancy McGibbon, Joan Garvin, Claudia Pilot, Beth Stone, Jodi Krafka, Hap Rose, Dick Blooston, Ted McFarlane, Bill Zieske, Jerry Gruidl, Brett Swedberg, and Neil Croonquist (he once readied to escape a 9th hole bunker in a close match when his wife yelled she needed the car keys; Croonquist calmly stepped out,

fetched the keys from his bag, and went back to blast a par-save).

Jerry Rose, AGC’s current President and Resorters’ Chair, won in 1979, 1983, and 2000.

Rose made the 2019 U.S. Senior Amateur quarterfinals, won the 2021 Minnesota Senior Championship, and is four-time MGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year.

Rose is rightfully credited with making today’s Resorters among the nation’s best-run events, capping the field to overcome the scourge of slow play and otherwise crafting an efficient and lively event.

Alexandria Echo Press file Back in 1978, Lisa and Dave Kluver embraced each other after Lisa won the Resorters Women’s Championship. A few hours later, Dave became the second Alexandrian to win the Men’s Championship.

Top seeds play to potential in Masters

By Eric Morken emorken@echopress.com

The quarterfinals in the Masters Division is set with seven of the top eight seeds left standing. Here is a look at how they all got here before teeing off from the first hole at noon on Thursday.

Empanger def.

LaFave, 8-7

The top seed in the Masters Division put on quite a show in his opening round of match play as Jon Empanger beat Joe LaFave 8-7 on Wednesday morning.

Empanger wasted no time setting the tone as he took the first six holes that was jumpstarted with a birdie win on No. 1. LaFave got his only hole with a par win at No. 7, but Empanger got a birdie win at 8 and par wins at 9 and 11 to secure the match. Empanger shot 1-under par through his 11 holes played.

Sauer def.

Angermeyr, 2-up

Ray Sauer locked up in a back-and-forth match with Jim Angermeyr that eventually went to Sauer in a 2-up final. Sauer had to take it

from Angermeyr with a birdie win on 16 and a par win on 18 securing the match. Angermeyr took five holes on the day, while Sauer won seven, including another with birdie on the second hole.

Ryan def. Bongard, 3-2

Last year’s runner-up in the division

Arnold def. Klick, 4-3

Resorters regular Jim Arnold rallied from a 3-hole deficit against Joe Klick to win 4-3. It was all Arnold after that slow start, as he shot 37 on the front to match Klick. Arnold then used par wins at 11, 12, 13 and 15 to wrap up the match. Elton def.

Davidson, 7-5

Defending champion Dan Elton controlled his match after a rough first two holes.

Rob Davidson won with bogeys on Nos. 1 and 2.

seed, took three of the first four holes before Tessmer’s birdie win on 6. Johnson followed that right up with a birdie win of his own on 7 and won four of the first five holes on the back nine to put the match away.

Blanchard def.

Vipond, 4-3

Thomas Vipond rallied a bit on the back nine against Alexandria’s Norty Blanchard, but the damage was already done after Blanchard took a 5-hole lead into the turn.

Empanger Sauer

is trying to get another crack at the title after winning a 3-2 match against Mark Bongard.

Ryan started strong with a 3-up lead through four before Bongard rallied to go 1-up in a run that culminated with a birdie win at 9. Ryan bounced back, winning four holes on the back with a birdie on 10 and pars on 12-14.

Anyone who has followed Elton over the years knows double bogeys are not typical on his scorecard. He righted the ship by shooting 2-under the rest of the way. That led to six wins on the front and three more on the back as he put the match away with five holes to spare.

Randy Johnson def. Tessmer, 5-4

Alexandria’s Randy Johnson, the 2018 Masters Division champion, put together a nice opening round as he won 5-4 over Steve Tessmer.

Johnson, the 10th

Blanchard withstood three straight par wins for Vipond on 11-13 and settled in after that. His par win on 14 and birdie win on 15 ended things with three holes to go.

Seashore def.

Ledebuhr, 6-5

Gene Seashore shot a 39 on the front in his match against Roger Ledebuhr, and it led to a 5-hole lead at the turn that Seashore never came close to relinquishing.

Ryan Arnold Elton Johnson Blanchard Seashore

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win on the par-3 13th that secured his spot in the quarterfinals. Resorters 2021 | Thursday, August 5, 2021 11 2100 Arrowwood Lane Alexandria, MN 320-762-1124 arrowwoodresort.com

Jared Rubado / Alexandria Echo Press Roger Ledebuhr chips his ball onto the first green to start his Men’s Masters quarterfinal round against Gene Seashore on Aug. 4, 2021. Seashore got off to a fast start in that match and secured a 6-5 win to advance to the division’s quarterfinals.

Grand Masters medalist keeps shining Gruidl, Cliff, Schoenrock, Golden advance

By Al Edenloff Alexandria Echo Press

The Resorters Grand Masters Division, which is in its third year, will have a new champion in 2021 because Tom Eidsvold, the winner in 2019 and 2020, withdrew from the field before the tournament started.

After Wednesday’s matches, the four who are left battling for the title are Jerry Gruidl, George Cliff, Tom Schoenrock and Mike Golden. But the drama will have to build a bit. The final four won’t tee off until Friday from the No. 1 tee at 8:50 a.m.

The winners will advance to the championship match, which is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. from No. 1 on Saturday.

Here’s a look at how the Grand Masters final four advanced in Wednesday’s windy weather.

Gruidl def. Way, 3-2

Jerry Gruidl, the division’s medalist, edged Ron Way in the opening round of the Resorters Grand Masters Division Wednesday afternoon, 3-2.

Details of the match aren’t available.

Cliff def. Zoutendek, 5-4

George Cliff, a two-time champ in Men’s Execs, four-time champion in the Resorters Senior Men’s Divi-

sion and a runner-up in the Resorters Masters Division and last year’s Grand Master runner-up, showed how he won all that hardware over the years, taking down John Zoutendek in 15 holes.

The match began on No. 10, with Zoutendek jumping ahead with a bogey. Cliff answered with a bogey win on No. 11 and then surged ahead by winning No. 13 with par and No. 14 with par.

Cliff pulled comfortably ahead with three straight wins, thanks to a bogey on No. 16, a par on No. 17 and a par on No. 18 to go 5-up.

After crossing the road to the front nine, Zoutendek stopped the bleeding by matching Cliff’s par on No. 1 and his double-bogey on No. 2. Zoutendek won his second hole of the afternoon with a par on No. 3 to draw within four, but it was too little, too late. They halved No. 4 with double-bogeys and Cliff put the match away with a par win on No. 5.

Schoenrock def.

Martell, 4-2

Tom Schoenrock was swinging a hot club against Terry Martell from the start, winning six of the first nine holes.

Starting from No. 10, Schoenrock leaped out front with a par but Martell quickly erased the lead with a par

win of his own on No. 11. That seemed to light a fire under Schoenrock. He won the next three holes with pars. Martell stopped the surge by matching Schoerock’s bogey on No. 15, but Schoenrock took Nos. 16 and 18 with pars to go 5-up at the turn.

Martell didn’t go down without a fight. He won No. 1 with a par, only to see Schoenrock take the next hole with par. Both golfers halved Nos. 3 and 4 before Martell edged to within four with a birdie on No. 5. Schoenrock wasn’t about to let this match slip away, however, as he nailed down a 4-2 win.

Golden def. Pike, 4-3

The match between Mike Golden and Clayton Pike –

who both qualified with a round of 86 – lasted 15 holes before Golden escaped with a 4-3 victory.

Details of the match

Al Edenloff / Echo Press

Jerry Gruidl rolls a putt toward the No. 12 cup in his Resorters Grand Masters match Wednesday. Gruidl defeated Ron Way, 3-2.

Gruidl Cliff

Schoenrock Golden

Top seed survives in Men’s Regular

By Eric Morken

Alexandria Echo Press

It took 21 holes, but top-seeded Tyler Wanous got the job done to advance to the quarterfinals of the Men’s Regular Division first flight.

Wanous beat Brian Salzer on Wednesday despite Salzer winning holes 4 and 6 later in the round after the division participants started on the back nine. It was close all day as the biggest lead came from Wanous at 2-up after a birdie win on No. 1.

Here is a look at how the other seven contenders left in this field joined Wanous before they tee off on Thursday morning starting at 8:12 a.m.

Erickson def.

Schilling, 20 holes

Jake Erickson also needed extra holes to take down Daniel Schilling.

Schilling got back-to-back wins on holes 8 and 9 after Erickson had led by as many as three after making the turn. Erickson brushed that all aside to put the match away in two extra holes.

Herzog def.

Cranmer, 1-up

Michael Herzog finished with a flurry against Mac Cranmer to secure a 1-up victory.

Herzog won four of the final five holes on the front to erase what had been a 3-hole deficit

on the back.

Cranmer won holes 11, 12 and 14, but Herzog responded to grab wins at 15, 16 and 17. Cranmer moved to 2-up after wins on 18 and 1, but Herzog finished strong to secure the win.

Kulics def.

Story, 4-2

Mason Kulics beat Kyle Story 4-2 as he took control early and never looked back.

Kulics won holes 14-17 and did so with a birdie and an eagle during that stretch.

Adams def.

Kinney, 4-3

Defending division champion Nicholas Adams won four of the first six holes and never looked back in the 4-3 win over Ian Kinney.

Adams shot a 35 on the back nine and put the match away with a birdie win on No. 6.

Larson def.

Davidson, 4-3

Riley Larson beat Stephen Davidson in a 4-3 final.

Larson won eight holes, including No. 12 with a birdie.

Bistodeau def.

Bloedorn, 5-4

Alexandria’s Brandon Bistodeau led by as many as four after his first nine holes against Zach Bloedorn, and he held that advantage throughout in a 5-4 win.

Drew Swedberg watches his tee shot on the 11th tee box during his Men’s Regular match against Cameron Meyer on Aug. 4, 2021. Swedberg won a close 2-1 final to secure his spot in the quarterfinals.

Bistodeau shot a 34 on the back nine on his way to winning holes 10, 11, 13, 15 and 16 He added another birdie win at hole 3 to help secure his spot in the quarterfinals.

Swedberg def.

Meyer, 2-1

Drew Swedberg, the 11th seed in the division, knocked off sixth-seeded Cameron Meyer by a 2-1 final.

Swedberg had three straight birdies on 18, 1 and 2 to erase a three-hole deficit that he faced on the back nine. Another birdie on 6 moved him to 1-up, and he followed it with a birdie win on No. 8

chael Herzog vs. Mason Kulics 8:21 - Nicholas Adams vs. Riley Larson; Brandon Bistodeau vs. Drew Swedberg emorken@echopress.com

Photos by Jared Rubado / Alexandria Echo Press Brandon Bistodeau tees off from the 11th tee box on Aug. 4, 2021 in the Men’s Regular opening round against Zach Bloedorn. Bistodeau won his match 5-4 to secure his spot in the quarterfinals.

A day for the giants in Men’s Executive Division

Few

underdogs were able to advance

By Al Edenloff and Jared Rubado

Alexandria Echo Press

Defending champion

Troy Johnson and medalist Bryan Hoops both survived opening round play in the Resorters Men’s Executive Championship Wednesday.

For the most part, it was not a day for the underdogs. The biggest upset of the round was 26th seeded Dave Fingalsen’s 1-up victory over the seventh-seed, Mike Williams.

Maybe today will be the day for the longshots? Thursday’s action starts at 12:55 p.m. from the No. 1 tee.

Here’s a recap of what went on during a very windy Wednesday. (All matches started from the No. 10 tee.)

Hoops def.

Fischer, 7-5

It was an early afternoon for Hoops. He put away his opponent, Matt Fischer in 13 holes.

The match was fairly close at the start. Hoops won No. 10 with par but Fischer stayed with him on the next two holes, halving par and birdie on Nos. 11 and 12. Hoops padded his lead with par wins on Nos. 13 and 14 but Fischer struck for a par win on No. 15 to pull within two. Hoops just seemed to get hotter as the day wore on, winning Nos. 16 and 17 with pars to go 4-up. Fischer won his second hole, a par on No. 18, but trailed by three at the turn.

From there, it was all Hoops. He won the next four holes with two birdies, a par and another birdie to close out the match, 7-5.

After 13 holes, Hoops was 2-under-par –a similar pace to his 1-under-par medalist round.

Champlin def. Nygaard, 8-7

Herbie Champlin didn’t waste any time against Troy Nygaard. He won the first three holes with pars to quickly go 3-up. Nygaard matched Champlin’s par on No. 13, but Champlin reeled off three more straight wins on No. 14, 15 and 16, going par, birdie, birdie to go 6-up.

Nygaard won his first hole, a par on 17, but lost the next hole to Champlin’s par and trailed by six at the turn.

Champlin also didn’t waste time in ending the match. He won No. 1 with a birdie and No. 2 with par for an 8-7 victory.

Andrew Petersen def. Cattoor, 5-3

Andrew Petersen lost just two holes to Chris Cattoor – No. 10 to Cattoor’s birdie and No. 18 when Petersen double-bogeyed. Otherwise, it was pretty much Petersen’s day.

Petersen won four of the first nine holes –Nos. 11, 12, 14 and 16 with two birdies sandwiched between two pars – and was 2-up.

After they crossed the road to the front nine, Petersen didn’t lose any steam. He won Nos. 2 and 3 with pars to go 4-up and matched Cattoor’s pars on the next two holes before closing out the match with a hole-winning birdie on No. 6.

Paulsen def.

Bright, 7-6

Two big streaks by Nick Paulsen carried him to a 7-6 win over

Pete Bright.

The first streak was on Nos. 10, 11, 12 and 13. Paulsen won them all with par, par, birdie, birdie to go 4-up. Bright won No. 16 with a birdie to chop the lead to three but then it was time for another Paulsen streak.

This time it was on Nos. 18, 1, 2 and 3 –all pars that closed out the match in Paulsen’s favor, 7-6.

D. Johnson def. Stennes, 4-2

Dan Johnson grabbed some momentum early, winning four of the first five holes and settling for a par tie on the hole he didn’t win.

Suddenly down by four, Matt Stennes tried to get back into the match with backto-back wins on No. 15 (bogey) and No. 16 (birdie) to slice Johnson’s lead in half. Johnson, however, went back

to 3-up with a par on No. 17 only to drop the next hole to Stennes’ par.

Johnson padded his lead to three with a par on No. 1 but Stennes wasn’t done yet. His par took No. 2 and pulled him within two. Johnson won No. 4 with par to go 3-up but Stennes again came back with a par win on No. 5. Johnson dug down and came up with back-to-back wins on the next two holes, thanks to a par and a birdie, to seal a 4-2 win.

Heimsness def. Harris, 4-3

This was a tale of two matches. Joel Harris jumped out to an early lead, winning Nos. 12, 14 and 15 while Eric Heimsness managed just one win, a par on No. 13 and trailed by two after seven holes.

Then the momentum shifted. Heimsness won six straight holes, starting with pars on No. 17, 18 and 1, adding a birdie on No. 2, and settling for bogey wins on Nos. 3 and 4. Heimsness found himself 4-up with just five holes left to play. He matched Harris’ bogey on No. 5 and his par on No. 6 to wrap up a 4-3 win.

Sieve def. Anthony Petersen, 5-4

Patrick Sieve steadily built a solid lead, winning the first three holes with a par followed by two birdies. Andrew Petersen finally broke through with a par on No. 13 but Sieve won No. 15 with par and No. 18 with par to go 4-up at the turn.

Sieve won Nos. 1 and 2 with birdie, par to go

and 4 put him in a hole he couldn’t dig out of against one of the tournament favorites. Johnson, who bogeyed just two holes on Wednesday, will look to keep his match play winning streak alive against Chad Marlow.

Marlow def. Cullen, 4-3

Chad Marlow never let 18th-seeded John Cullen make a run at a comeback on Wednesday in his 4-3 victory.

6-up. Petersen delivered some excitement by winning Nos. 3 and 4 with par, bogey but Sieve closed out the match, 4-3, with a par win on No. 5.

Schomer def.

Buchholz, 4-3

Daryl Schomer was 1-under-par in his match against Aaron Buchholz who was 7-over-par, so it wasn’t too surprising that Schomer was able to ride out a 4-3 victory.

Schomer’s game was sizzling from the beginning. He won four of the first nine holes –Nos. 11 (par), 14 (birdie), 15 (par) and 18 (par). Buchholz showed some fight, however, and won No. 12 with an eagle, no less, and also took Nos. 16 and 17 with pars to trail by just one at the turn.

But Buchholz would not win a hole after that. Schomer won No. 1 with an eagle, No. 3 with par and No. 5 with par to go 4-up with just four holes left. Schomer put the match away on the next hole, No. 6, by tying Buchholz’s par.

Troy Johnson def.

VanderPlaats, 4-3

Troy Johnson picked up where he left off in 2020 by shooting 1-under-par in 15 holes on Wednesday. The second seed in the field took care of business against 31st-seeded Aaron VanderPlaats in a 4-3 victory. Johnson birdied his first three holes to start the match before going on a ninehole par streak. VanderPlaats was just 1-overpar on the front nine, but bogeys on Nos. 2, 3

Marlow, the 15-seed, parred the first three holes to go up one before a par and a birdie on No. 16 increased the lead to three. Marlow bogeyed twice to end the back nine to cut the lead to one, but a birdie and a par after the turn got the three-hole advantage back. Marlow parred three out of the last four holes to seal the win over Cullen. Marlow’s hands will be full with the defending champion on Thursday afternoon.

Fingalsen def. Williams, 1-up

Mike Williams did all he could to avoid a firstround upset against Dave Fingalsen. But when the match was squared going into the final hole, it was a par from Fingalsen that got the job done.

Fingalsen led by four holes with six to play after a pair of birdies on the back nine and threestraight hole wins after the turn. Williams capitalized on Fingalsen’s only double bogey of the day to cut the lead to three before three consecutive pars squared the match. Williams’ par streak ran out on No. 9 with a bogey, which sent Fingalsen to the next round.

Stout def. Chad Johnson, 5-3 Breton Stout came into bracket play as the 25th seed with nothing to lose. He cruised past 10th-seeded Chad Johnson on Wednesday.

Stout kicked off the match with a par to go up by one before sinking back-to-back birdies to go up by three. A par on No. 13 won Stout’s fourth consecutive hole.

Johnson staged a comeback midway through the back nine. After a birdie on No. 14 to cut the lead to three, two more pars before the turn dwindled Stout’s lead to one.

Stout got two holes back with a birdie on No. 2 and a par on No. 3. His fourth birdie of the day ended the match on the sixth hole.

Hoops Champlin

T. Johnson Marlow

D. Johnson Heimsness

Sauer Heimerman

Petersen Paulsen

Fingalsen Stout

Sieve Schomer Bisson Cota

Photos by Jared Rubado / Alexandria Echo Press Jeffry Cota splashes a shot from the right bunker in front of the 10th green in his Men’s Executive firstround match against Jim Kihn on Aug. 4, 2021.

Dan Johnson chips from in front of the 10th green on Aug. 4, 2021 during his Men’s Executive first-round match against Matt Stennes.

A new champ will emerge in Seniors

By Eric Morken emorken@echopress.com

There will be a new champion this year in the Senior Division.

Eighteenth-seeded Mike Johnson took down the defending champion in second-seeded Rick Vanyo. Now Johnson will have to go through another former Resorters champion in Mark Lindberg (a 2002 and 2003 Men’s Division winner) after Lindberg controlled his match for the second straight day.

Top-seeded JT Johnson and two-time title winner Chris Haugen will join those two in the quarterfinals, along with Mike Herzog, Mark Knutson, Mark Frie (1996 and 2000 Executive Champion) and Richard Frieburg.

Here is a look at how all of the quarterfinalists got here ahead of teeing off at 12:18 from the first tee box on Thursday.

JT Johnson def.

Abrahamson, 2-1

JT Johnson has found ways to win close matches through his first two rounds of match play.

Johnson beat AJ Kluver by a 2-1 final on Tuesday and won by that same score over 17th-seeded Tom Abrahamson on Wednesday.

Johnson got off to a fast start with a 3-up advantage after a birdie win on No. 6. Abrahamson took 8 with a par, but pars on holes 11 and 14 were enough for Johnson to stretch his lead out and ultimately secure his win.

Haugen def. Gardiner, 3-2

Alexandria’s Chris Haugen may have qualified as the 25th seed in the 32-player field, but those who follow this tournament closely know he’s a serious contender. Haugen has shown that again through the first two rounds after he beat Jon Freeman and now John Gardiner after taking his Wednesday match by a 3-2 final.

Haugen never trailed in the match as he shot 2-under through the front nine and took a 5-hole lead into the back. Gardiner got wins at 10 and 11, but the hole was too much to dig out of. Haugen birdied the par-5 12th to help him breathe a little easier down the stretch.

Mike Herzog def. White, 5-4 Mike Herzog was steady throughout his 14 holes on Wednesday and that’s what he needed to be as Michael White had a bit of an off day in a 5-4 win for Herzog.

Herzog won nine holes in

the match. Eight of those came with pars around a birdie win at No. 8. White tried to counter after back-to-back losses on the first two holes as he evened things up with par wins at Nos. 3 and 4. It was still even after six, but Herzog won the next four holes to take full control of the match.

Knutson def. Roach, 4-3 Bob Roach played well on the back nine on Wednesday, but a slow start ultimately hurt him in a 4-3 win for Mark Knutson. Knutson won the first three holes with a birdie and two pars. He added another birdie win on No. 5. That 4-up lead is what he took to the turn. Both players were on their game once they reached the back. They each shot 2-under par through six holes, and Roach never could steal one as Knutson finished his round at 2-under through 15 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Mike Johnson def. Vanyo, 3-2

The defending champion Rick Vanyo shot a 40 on the front nine, and Mike Johnson made sure to take advantage of a few opportunities during that stretch.

Johnson won with pars on holes 4, 6 and 7 before his birdie win at No. 9 sent him to the back with a 3-hole cushion. Another par win at 14 gave Johnson his biggest lead of the day.

Vanyo put a little pressure on with a par win at 15, but Johnson’s par win at 16 secured the win by a 3-2 final.

Lindberg def. Pokorney, 6-4

Mark Lindberg has played like he’s ready to make a run at a third Resorters trophy this week.

Lindberg shot even par on the front in his match against Mark Pokorney on Wednesday. That allowed him to take a 3-up lead into the turn, and backto-back pars on Nos. 10 and 11 further created distance.

Both players birdied the par-5 12th, but a par win on 14 won the match for Lindberg as he secured the 6-4 victory.

Frie def. Montplaisir, 3-2

Mark Frie is no stranger to deep runs in the Resorters. He was the Men’s Executive champion in 1996 and 2000, and he made a run to the Senior finals in 2015. He lost that match in a 4-3 decision to A.J. Kluver, and he’s a

couple wins away from getting another crack at his first Senior championship. Frie put away Larry Montplaisir in a 3-2 decision after a short burst on the back nine. Montplaisir pulled even with a par win at 10, but back-toback birdies for Frie gave him a 2-hole advantage that he never relinquished.

Another par win at 15 helped him put the match away with two holes to spare.

Frieburg def.

Wanous, 19 holes

The closest match of the division came from Richard Frieburg and Mark Wanous as the two went to 19 holes before Frieburg secured the win in a playoff.

It was a tale of two nines as Frieburg controlled the front, and Wanous controlled the back. Frieburg shot 35 on the front to take a 3-up lead. Wanous got them all back with a par win at 10 and birdie wins at 15 and 17 before the two parred 18 to go into extra holes.

12:18 P.M. - JT Johnson vs. Chris Haugen; Mike Herzog vs. Mark Knutson

12:27 - Mike Johnson vs. Mark Lindberg; Mark Frie vs. Richard Frieburg

Top left: Mike Johnson reads his putt on the first green in his Men’s Senior quarterfinal matchup against Rick Vanyo on Aug. 4, 2021. Johnson got the win over the defending champion in a 3-2 final to advance to the quarterfinals.Top right: Richard Frieburg chips from the left side of the first green on Aug. 4, 2021 in his Men’s Senior quarterfinal match against Mark Wanous. Frieburg won in 19 holes to secure his spot in the quarterfinals. Bottom left: John Gardiner (left) and Tom Abrahamson chat before their putts on the first green in the quarterfinal round of the Men’s Senior championship on Aug. 4, 2021. Bottom middle: Mark Knutson hits it out of the tree line on the left side of the first hole in his Men’s Senior quarterfinal match against Bob Roach on Aug. 4, 2021. Knutson won that match 4-3 to advance to the quarterfinals. Bottom right: Mike Herzog putts from the front of the first green on Aug. 4, 2021 in his Men’s Senior quarterfinal match against Michael White. Herzog was on his game in a 5-4 win over White.

Jared Rubado / Echo Press

THURSDAY SENIOR DIVISION PAIRINGS —

Mike Johnson knocks off 2020 winner Johnson

Haugen

Herzog

Knutson

Johnson Lindberg

Frie

Frieburg

Sauer def.

Flannery, 6-5

Third-seeded Joe Sauer birdied three holes on the back nine en route to beating Taylor Flannery and moving on to the round of 16.

Sauer’s three-underpar score of 33 on the back nine put him 5-up over the 30th-seeded Flannery. His lone blemish was a bogey on No. 3, but it wasn’t enough daylight for Flannery to make a comeback push. Sauer ended the match on No. 4 with a par.

Heimerman def. Crosby, 1-up

Tom Heimerman never trailed in his opening-round match against Craig Croby, but the lead was never breathable.

A couple of early pars from Heimerman put him in the driver’s seat before a bogey on No.17 cut his lead in half. Heimerman regained the two-hole advantage with a par on No. 1 before Crosby’s birdie on No. 2 cut into the deficit again. Crosby would square the match on No. 3 with a par before Heimerman took the lead back with a par on No. 5.

Heimerman’s only birdie of the day gave him a two-hole lead on No. 6 before a bogey cut the lead in half again. Both Crosby and Heimerman parred the final two holes, sending Heimerman to the next round

Bisson def.

Larsen, 4-3

Chad Bisson proved why he’s going to be a tough out in this tournament as the sixth seed in his match against 27th-seeded Cory Larsen.

Bisson made par on the first eight holes of

the match to go up by five. Larsen had a threehole streak of pars early on, but couldn’t keep pace with Bisson.

Larsen chipped away at the deficit with a par on No. 18 and a birdie on No. 2. Trailing by three, he got another one back with a par on the third hole. But Bisson’s first birdie on No. 4 and his 11th par on No. 5 sealed the deal

Cota def.

Kuhn, 1-up

Jeffry Cota and Jim Kuhn had a tale of two halves on Wednesday.

Kuhn, the 22nd-seed, got out to a hot start by leading in eight of the nine holes to open the

match on the back nine. Three straight pars and a par on No. 18 sent Kuhn to the turn 1-up.

Cota squared the match to start the back nine before taking his first lead with a par on No. 5. The lead doubled a hole later with another par before Kuhn got one back on No. 8. Needing to win the hole to keep the round alive, Kuhn’s par wasn’t enough to square the match on No. 9, sending Cota to the round of 16

Photos by Jared Rubado / Alexandria Echo Press

Top-seeded Bryan Hoops lofts a shot over the left bunker onto the 10th green on Aug. 4, 2021 in his opening-round match against Matt Fischer. Breton Stout chips from the back of the 10th green onto the surface in his openinground match against Chad Johnson on Aug. 4, 20201.

First, second seeds still in it

Aldrich breezes, Sullivan survives

By Al Edenloff Alexandria Echo Press

The top two seeds in the Resorters Women’s Executive Division are still in the hunt.

But how they advanced on Wednesday was vastly different. Betsy Aldrich, the defending champion who has won the division four times, breezed to a 6-5 win. Jodi Sullivan, who won the division in 2018, had to gut out a 19-hole victory.

Third-seeded Molly Baker also survived the opening round, coasting to a 6-5 win.

There were a few upsets too. Joan Frie, the 13th seed, knocked off fourth seed Andrea Allyn, and 12th seed Colleen Boerboom eliminated Karna Peters.

The division’s “elite eight” will next play on Friday, starting from the No. 1 tee at 12:40 p.m.

Here’s a look back at Wednesday’s results:

Aldrich def.

Lambros, 6-5

Aldrich built a solid lead against Rose Lambros, winning the first two holes with par and following that up with a trio of wins – Nos. 4, 5 and 6 with pars. Both golfers had trouble with No. 7, ending up with double-bogeys, but Aldrich quickly regained her footing and matched Lambros’ par on No. 8 and won No. 9 with par to go 6-up at the turn.

Aldrich won No. 10 with par but Lambros responded with a par win on No. 11. It turned out to be the only hole she won. Aldrich matched her pars on the next two holes to preserve a 6-5 win.

Dowd def. T.

Johnson, 3-1

Momentum swung back and forth in the Liz Dowd-Tiffany Johnson match. Dowd won four holes on the front – No. 1, 4, 6 and 8, all with pars. Johnson, meanwhile, struck for three wins – No. 2, 7 and 9, also with pars.

Trailing by one at the turn, Johnson squared the match with a par on No. 10 while Dowd found trouble with a triple-bogey. Dowd, however, bounced back, tak-

ing Nos. 12 and 13 with pars to go 2-up. Johnson drew to within one with a par on No. 15 but Dowd hung tough, winning the next two holes with bogeys that gave her a 3-1 victory.

Frie def. Allyn, 4-3

Frie allowed her opponent, Andrea Allyn, to win just two holes in the match – Nos. 3 (with bogey) and 7 (with par).

Frie, meanwhile, notched four wins on the front nine – Nos. 2 (bogey), 4 (bogey), 8 (bogey) and 9 (par) –and held a 2-up lead at the turn.

Frie went to 3-up with a clutch par on No. 10 and added another win on the par-3 13th with a nifty birdie to go 4-up. The golfers swapped bogeys and pars on the next two holes, which gave Frie a 4-3 win.

Boerboom def.

Peters, 1-up

If you like a backand-forth battle with lead changes, rallies and a dramatic finish, the Boerboom-Peters was the match for you Wednesday.

Boerboom grabbed the first lead, a par on No. 2 but Peters came back with back-to-back par wins on Nos. 4 and 5 to go out front. Boerboom responded by kicking her game up a notch, winning Nos. 6, 7 and 8, all with pars, to go 2-up. Peters pulled off a huge rally by winning the next four holes, highlighted by pars on Nos. 9 and 11, to steal the lead and go 2-up.

Then the momentum suddenly switched to Boerboom. She won the next three holes, taking No.13 with birdie, settling for a bogey win

on No. 14 and carding another birdie win on No. 15.

Peters mounted one more comeback, winning hole 16 with a bogey to tie the match for the fifth time but Boerboom had one more shining moment – a par on No. 17 that proved to be the difference-maker when both golfers matched pars on No. 18.

Sullivan def.

Lambkin in 19 holes

Sullivan and Paula Lambkin enjoyed their match so much they played an extra hole. Well, not really. It was more of a hard-fought, white-knucle match that neither golfer wanted to end with a mistake.

Lambkin took the early lead by winning No. 1 with birdie and No. 3 with par to go 2-up, a lead she held for the next four holes until

Sullivan finally carded her first win, a par on No. 8.

Sullivan drew even with a par win on No. 11 and took the lead for the first time with a par on the long 12th hole. Lambkin roared back, taking No. 13 with a birdie to tie it. Undaunted, Sullivan made par on No. 14 to regain the lead, but Lambkin tied the match again with a par on the next hole.

Both golfers matched each other on the next three holes, sending it into overtime, where Sullivan came out on top in the first extra hole.

O’Donnell def.

Kammann, 4-3

Amanda O’Donnell won three holes on the front – Nos. 1, 5 and 7 with pars – and limited her opponent, her good friend Jessica Kammann, to just one, a par on No. 6. That gave her

a 2-up lead at the turn and she refused to give an inch from there.

O’Donnell won Nos. 12 and 14 with pars and matched Kammann’s par on No. 15 to close out a 4-3 victory.

Baker def.

Sholts, 6-5

Baker came out blazing against Cathy Sholts, taking the first four holes with two pars and two bogeys.

Sholts won No. 6 with par but a bogey on No. 9 put her down by four holes at the turn. Baker won No. 10 with a birdie but Sholts responded with a birdie of her own on No. 11. Baker, however, kept the pressure on and won Nos. 12 and 13 with pars to close out a 6-5 win.

Cavers def.

Faith, 3-2

Some very good golf on the front nine carried Jen Cavers to a 3-2 win over Stacy Faith.

Faith won the first hole with par and struck for a birdie win on No. 4 but Cavers collected five holes on the front – Nos. 3, 5, 7, 8 and 9, highlighted by a birdie on No. 9 that put her 3-up at the turn.

Faith made a birdie on No. 11 and drew to within two. Cavers bounced right back with a par win on No. 12 to go 3-up. From there, the golfers matched each other on the next four holes, preserving a 3-2 win for Cavers.

Aldrich Dowd Frie Boerboom

Sullivan O’Donnell Baker Cavers

Photos by Eric Morken / Alexandria Echo Press Paula Lambkin chips onto the fifth green during her Women’s Executive Division match against Jodi Sullivan. Lambkin pushed the 2018 champion from this division, but Sullivan won in 19 holes to secure her spot in the quarterfinals.

Joan Frie chips onto the green during her Women’s Executive Division match against Andrea Allyn on Aug. 4, 2021. Frie won that match by a 4-3 final to advance to the quarterfinals on Friday.

Liz Dowd lines up her putt during her 3-1 win over Tiffany Johnson in the Women’s Executive Division on Aug. 4, 2021.

Jessica Kammann gets some help from her husband and caddie, Kourt Kammann, during her Women’s Executive Division match-play round on Aug. 4, 2021. Kammann played her good friend, Amanda O’Donnell, and O’Donnell got the best of her in that contest by a 4-3 final.

Top seed survives scare in Junior 10-12 quarterfinals

By Jared Rubado jrubado@echopress.com

Top-seeded Will Hacker needed every one of the nine holes to hold off Bronx Esterline in the Junior 10-12 quarterfinal round on Wednesday afternoon.

The four matchups saw three low seeds clinch spots in the semifinals, with one high seed continuing to shake things up. Will Hacker, Jaxn Hacker and Graham Odland took care of business, while 12th-seeded Ellie Sticha knocked off another top-five seed.

Here’s how the Junior 10-12 quarterfinals played out.

Will Hacker def.

Esterline, 1-up

Leading by one, Hacker walked up to the 18th tee box needing to go low to secure a spot in the semifinal round.

Eighth-seeded Bronx Esterline parred the long par-4, putting pressure on Hacker.

Hacker buried a par putt to stave off the upset scare and win the match 1-up. It was one of six pars Hacker made on the day.

Esterline took an early lead with pars on Nos. 10 and 12 to go 1-up.

Hacker parred No. 13 to

square the match before taking the lead on No. 14. That lead doubled on No. 16 before Esterline’s fourth par of the round on No. 17 cut the lead in half. Both golfers totaled a score of 40.

Sticha def.

Buttweiler, 4-3

Ellie Sticha followed up her opening round upset over fifth-seeded

Lewis Kuhn with another one on Wednesday. Sticha, the 12th-seed, was dominant in her quarterfinal-round win over fourth-seeded Henry Buttweiler. Backto-back pars to start the round put her up two. Both golfers had a rough 12th hole, but a double bogey from Sticha increased the lead to three. Another par on No. 12 put Buttweiler’s

championship hopes in dire straits.

Buttweiler’s only par of the day cut into Sticha’s lead in the final hour, but trailing by three, his double bogey on No. 15 ended his run. Sticha’s hands will be full again on Friday morning when she takes on top-seeded Will Hacker.

Jaxn Hacker def. Harris, 5-3

Jaxn Hacker, the second seed, didn’t leave

any doubt on Wednesday in his 5-3 win over 10th-seeded Jack Harris.

After sinking a long par putt on the 10th green to go up by one, he dominated the next three holes to take a four-hole advantage. A bogey on No. 14 and a par on No. 15 ended the match three holes early, sending Jaxn Hacker to the semifinal round. His dad, Chad Hacker, has been his caddy through three rounds. Chad is

playing in the consolation bracket in the Men’s Championship Division on Thursday morning.

Odland def.

Cullen, 4-2

After a triple bogey on the first hole, Graham Odland found a rhythm on his way to a 4-2 victory over Tyler Cullen.

Sixth-seeded Odland won four straight holes to go up three before ending the match with a par on No. 16. The win halted 14th-seeded Cullen’s upset run after a first-round win. Odland made three pars in total on Wednesday afternoon. Cullen made par on No. 15.

Odland J. Hacker

W. Hacker Sticha

Photos by Jared Rubado / Alexandria Echo Press

Jaxn Hacker tries a long putt from the front of the 10th green during his match against Jack Harris on Aug. 4, 2021 in the Junior 10-12 quarterfinal round.

Graham Odland chips from the back of the 10th green in his Junior 10-12 quarterfinal matchup against Tyler Cullen on Aug. 4, 2021.

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