Israelson Defeats Foss -- Again -- in Birchmont Repeat; Sheetz Rallies to Win No. 4

BEMIDJI -- A year didn't make any difference.

For the second year in a row, Andrew Israelson took on former Bemidji State golfer James Foss in the final at the Birchmont, and for the second year in a row, Israelson won. The only minor difference was that this time Israelson looked even better, winning 5&4. Last year he won 4&3.

Israelson, a former Minnesota Mr. Golf from Staples who will be a sophomore at North Dakota State in a few weeks, tends to score better on the back nine at Bemidji's Town & Country Club than he does on the front. So it was a bad sign for Foss when Israelson started birdie, par, birdie on Saturday afternoon to go 3 up after three holes. Foss cut the deficit to 2 with a birdie at the eighth, but Israelson responded with a birdie at the ninth to go 3 up once again.

The par-5 10th hole was probably the clincher for Israelson. Foss nearly holed his second shot and had a tap-in for his eagle 3 -- only to see Israelson drain a 25-footer for eagle on top of his.

Israelson then won the 11th with a par and the 12th with a birdie. The next two holes were halved with pars, and that was that. 

With this year's victory, Israelson became the first player to win consecutive titles in the Men's Championship Division in 15 years. Dave Schultz was the last to do it previously, in 2001 and '02. He went on to earn All-American Honorable Mention at TCU and played for a while on the PGA Tour.

Andrew also matched the number of Birchmont titles his father, Bill, won on his way to the Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame. Except that Israelson the Elder needed six years to get his second. He won in 1973 and '79. 

(Emily Israelson, Andrew's sister, also has a Birchmont championship on her resume. She won the Women's Division last year.)

Israelson, who has now won 10 consecutive matches in this tournament, had his toughest match of the five he won this year on Saturday morning, against 2015 Birchmont champ Nick Schaefer in the semifinals. In that one, Israelson made five birdies and four bogeys on his way to a 1-up victory. Schaefer made only one bogey -- but he had no birdies.

Foss has now been to the final three times in the last four years. He got there this year with a 2&1 victory over another Bemidji State alumnus, Chris Curb. Curb was a co-medalist this year, along with Danny Menton. They shot 135's in the 36-hole qualifying.

The Senior Championship was won by one of the longest hitters in Minnesota's 50-and-over set -- Marc Redman. He led the qualifying after 18 holes with a 73, but came back with 83 the next day. The resulting total of 156 qualified, but he had his hands full throughout the match-play portion of the tournament, and his matches got progressively tougher as the week went on. He won 2&1, then 1 up, then in 19 holes en route to his title match against Todd Schaefer of Grand Forks. And the championship match was the toughest yet. Redman won it in 20 holes. 

Katie Sheetz, who won the Women's Division in 2013, 2014 and 2015, was probably just hoping to get to extra holes when she arrived at the 15th tee, 3 down to Kristin Glesne. But Sheetz birdied the 15th and Glesne, a junior-to-be at the University of Iowa, bogeyed the last three holes. The result was a 1 up victory for Sheetz, and a fourth Birchmont title. 


MINNESOTA AMATEUR GOLF

Birchmont

At Bemidji Town & Country Club

Par 72

Bemidji

Men's Championship Division

Round of 16 -- Thursday

(1) Andrew Israelson, Staples, def. Chad Skarperud, Fargo 5&4

Gage Stromme, West Fargo, def. Matt Norby, Grand Forks 2&1

Nick Schaefer, Grand Forks, def. Chris Swenson, Fergus Falls 5&4

Tim Skarperud, Grand Forks, def. Will Holmgren, Plymouth 1 up

Matt Haugstad, Bemidji, def. Danny Menton, Minnetonka 21 holes

James Foss, Roseau, def. Lucas Johnson, Moorhead 2&1

Chris Curb, Bemidji, def. Connor Bjugstad, San Antonio 4&3

Johnny Larson, Sringfield, def. Justin Johnson, Bemidji 1 up

Quarterfinals -- Friday

Israelson def. Stromme 4&3

Schaefer def. Tim Skarperud 1 up

Foss def. Haugstad 1 up

Curb def. Larson 3&2

Semifinals -- Saturday

Israelson def. Schaefer 1 up

Foss def. Curb 2&1

Final -- Saturday

Israelson def. Foss 5&4


Women's Division

Quarterfinals -- Thursday 

Kristin Glesne, San Antonio, def. (1) Emily Israelson, Staples 1 up

Katie Nelson, Bismarck, def. Hailey Abel, Avilla, N.D. 19 holes 

Katie Sheetz, Grand Rapids, def. Haley Tollette 1 up

Annie Nelson, Bismarck, N.D., def. Abby Kelm, Bemidji 3&2

Semifinals -- Friday

Glesne, San Antonio, def. Katie Nelson 3&2

Sheetz def. Annie Nelson 19 holes 

Final -- Saturday 

Sheetz def. Glesne 1 up