Detroit Lakes Boys Lead Class AA Tourney After Day One; Deziel Shoots 69 to Lead Individuals

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
 
 
  JORDAN, Minn. – Seeking its first team title since 2012, the Detroit Lakes High School boys golf team combined for a score of 305 Tuesday to take the first-round lead at the 2018 Minnesota State High School Class AA golf tournament at Ridges at Sand Creek.
 
The Lakers won back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012 and will look for the school’s fourth team title entering Wednesday’s final round with a three-stroke advantage over Holy Family.
 
 “I saw a lot of good things. We kind of mudded up the last hole with a double and three bogeys, but we’ve got a three-stroke lead and we’re where we want to be in the last grouping,” Detroit Lakes head coach Bob Gorden said Tuesday. “Wyatt [Blomseth] played solid, Ryan Paskey played like he’s been playing all year and Ben [Unruh] came back. Those three have been my leaders all year long.
 
“Our message is that we don’t play the other team; we come out and control the things we can control. We have to play solid from the start. We’ll get some good rest and we’ll be ready to play tomorrow.”
 
Blomseth carded a double-bogey on the final hole to post a 2-over par 74 to lead the Lakers, finishing the first 18 holes inside the top-10 Tuesday, while Paskey posted a round of 3-over par 75 to finish the first day of competition tied for 14^th.
 
Seniors Collin Ginnaty and Unruh pitched in rounds of 6-over par 78 and freshman Lukas Justesen carded an opening-round 80 in his first state tournament appearance.
 
A birdie on the final hole Tuesday helped East Grand Forks’ Nate Deziel to a 3-under par 69 to take the first-round lead by two strokes over defending individual champion Cecil Belisle, 2016 individual champion Derek Hitchner and Lake City’s Thomas Huettl as all three fired rounds of 1-under par 71.
 
“I played well today, I gave myself a lot of opportunities and rolled in some putts,” Deziel said after his round Tuesday. “I hit the ball well, stayed pretty quiet and tried to focus on one shot at a time. I just wanted to play good golf.
 
Deziel rolled in back-to-back birdies at the fourth and fifth holes to quickly move to 2-under for the tournament and rolled in a 12-footer at the eight before taking a step back with bogey at the ninth to turn at 2-under.
 
Trading birdie for bogey at the 10^th and 11^th, Deziel remained at 2-under until he tapped in for birdie on the final hole to card a 3-under par 69.
 
“I think I missed three fairways, so I happy with everything right now,” Deziel said. “I’m not worried about tomorrow—it’s my last round, so I want to go out and hit fairways and greens, give myself some chances and enjoy it.”   
 
Belisle, a junior at Red Wing, fired an opening-round 68 a year ago and followed it with a 71 to claim the Class AA individual title. On Tuesday Belisle said he struggled with the putter, hitting 15 greens and only managing two birdies on the scorecard.
 
“It was a rough day—I was under par, but I hit a lot of greens and putting it to 20 feet every hole was really frustrating,” Belisle said Tuesday. “My irons were great and I’m very close to going low again. First round of sections I shot 67. It was steady, but on seven I got rattled, I missed a 5-footer for birdie and three-putted eight.”
 
Rolling in birdie on his opening hole from four feet, Belisle played the next nine holes at 1-under before sinking an 18-footer for birdie at his 11^th to move to 2-under. A three-putt bogey on his 17^th hole put Belisle into a three-way share of second place at 71.
 
With one state title under his belt, expectations for Belisle are high.
 
“I have to win—I want to make history for Red Wing. It would mean more than the first one if I won,” he said. “You go out to the putting green and hear, ‘There’s that Cecil kid that won state.’ I’m just a regular guy that wants to go out and have fun playing the game I love.”
 
Bouncing back from a bogey on the opening hole Tuesday, Huettl rolled in his birdie at the par-4 sixth hole and would turn at even par before moving into red figures with a birdie at the par-5 10^th.
 
Back-to-back bogeys at the 13^th and 14^th holes put Huettl at 1-over but he answered with a pair of birdies on the final two par-3’s of the round to shoot 71 and put himself into contention, just two shots back of Deziel.
 
A victory Wednesday would put Huettl in good company as his dad, Andy, claimed the 1988 individual title for Lake City.
 
The 2018 Minnesota State High School Boys Class AA tournament continues Wednesday with final-round tee times beginning at noon at Ridges at Sand Creek.
 
 
 
2018 MSHSL BOYS CLASS AA GOLF TOURNAMENT
RIDGES AT SAND CREEK
JORDAN, MINN.
6,655 YARDS, PAR 72
 
 
TUESDAY’S TEAM RESULTS
1. Detroit Lakes – 305
2. Holy Family – 308
3. Red Wing – 317
4. Cloquet-Esko – 319
T5. St. Cloud Cathedral – 320
T5. Blue Earth – 320
7. Totino-Grace – 321
8. Worthington – 348
 
 
TUESDAY’S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Nate Deziel, East Grand Forks, 34-35—69
T2. Derek Hitchner, Blake, 34-37—71
T2. Thomas Huettl, Lake City, 36-35—71
T2. Cecil Belisle, Red Wing, 36-35—71
5. Max Court, Rocori, 36-36—72
6. Luke Alexander, Rochester Lourdes, 34-39—73
T7. Kason Anderson, St. Croix Prep, 38-36—74
T7. Wyatt Blomseth, Detroit Lakes, 36-38—74
T7. Austin Danelski, Hermantown, 35-39—74
T7. Gus Grunau, St. Paul Academy, 39-35—74
T7. Michael Uhas, Mound Westonka, 37-37—74  
T7. Carter Doose, St. Peter, 38-36—74
T7. Glavine Schugel, New Ulm, 40-34—74
 
 
For complete tournament results go to: www.mshsl.org/mshsl/golfscores.asp?gender=Boys&class=AA