It's Bemidji State vs. NDSU in Birchmont Quarterfinals

BEMIDJI -- A pair of North Dakota State teammates both won comfortably on Thursday in Round-of-16 matches at the Birchmont Golf Tournament. But they are the only two seeds from among the top eight still alive, and they are outnumbered by the four Bemidji State players who advanced to the quarterfinals. 

Lucas Johnson, who will be a sophomore when school resumes at NDSU, was the medalist (70-65--135) and is the No. 2 seed. He dispatched Trey Dale 5&4 at Bemidji Town & Country Club. Johnson would probably be the favorite to win the tournament at this point if it weren't for his Bison teammate, senior-to-be Andrew Israelson, the No. 3 seed (he shot 71-67--138 in qualifying). Israelson started the summer by claiming co-medalist honors at a U.S. Open qualifier, and a few weeks later he won the MGA Players Championship, torching Pebble Creek GC in the process, as he was 13 under par in his six match-play victories. On Thursday, it was his opponent, Josh Bergurd, that he torched, winning 9&7.

But the story of the day was the wave of Bemidji State green and white that swept into the quarters. Chris Swenson, soon to be a junior, is the highest-seeded Beaver, at No. 9. In a contest between Bemidji State and NDSU, Swenson emerged with a 3&1 victory over the Bisons' Nate Deziel. On Friday, he will take on the surprise quarterfinalist, Duane Wages Jr. Wages, the No. 32 -- and last -- seed, having survived a playoff just to get into the match-play portion of the tournament, knocked off defending champ Nick Schaefer in the first round and then dismissed James Foss 1 up on Thursday.

The other match in the upper half of the draw will pit Bemidji State's long-hitting Cody Cook, the No. 29 seed, against No. 12 Gage Stromme. Cook,who was a senior for the Beavers in 2018-19, won the long drive contest at the Birchmont this year with a blast of 358 yards, and he won his Round-of-16 match on Thursday 3&2 over No. 13 seed Matt Haugstad. Stromme upset the No. 5 seed, Zach Israelson, 1 up.    

At the top of the bottom half, NDSU's Johnson will face Bemidji State senior-to-be Matthew Gregg, the No. 23 seed. He got here with a 2&1 victory over No. 7 seed Toby Palmiscno.

There will be one other Beavers vs. Bison semifinal on Friday, and that will pit Andrew Israelson against No. 22 Brennan Hockman, another senior to be at Bemidji State. Hockman eliminated the last remaining Skarperud, Matt, 1 up. (There were four Skarperuds among the 32 Championship Flight qualifiers -- Chad (No. 4), Matt (6), Alex (30) and Tim (31).

There have been 12 matches thus far in the Women's Division Championship Flight, and only one of them could be considered an upset. That was No. 12 Heather Erholtz's victory in 19 holes over No. 5 Taylor Offerdahl on Wednesday in the Round of 16. On Thursday, all four quarterfinal matches went to the higher seeds.

The tournament favorite, two-time champ (2016 and '18) and No. 1 seed, Emily Israelson, beat No. 8 Haley Tollette 2&1. As a result, the former Augustana star -- and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Year -- will face No. 4 Morgan Hetletved, a 2&1 winner over Erholtz. Hetletved, a former North Dakota state high school champion, will be a sophomore at St. Cloud State this fall.

In Friday's other women's semifinal, it will be No. 2 Abbie Kelm, soon to be a sophomore at North Dakota, against a former Fighting Hawk Haily Abel, the No. 3 seed. Abel hasn't seen the the 16th tee in either of her matches. She beat Amber Koth 4&3 in the Round of 16 and then blitzed Anna Tollette 5&4 in the quarters. Kelm, on the other hand, had to go 19 holes just to get through her first match, against Alyssa Konecne. She had a slightly easier time of it on Thursday, as she defeated Olivia Klefsaas 3&1.       


MINNESOTA RESORT CIRCUIT

The Birchmont Golf Tournament

At Bemidji Town & Country Club

Bemidji 

Men's Division

Championship Flight

Round of 32

Duane Wages (32) def. Nick Schaefer (1) 3&2

Matt Norby (16) def. James Foss (17) 2&1

Beck Erholtz (8) def. Dylan Naylor (25) 3&1

Chrisi Swenson (9) def. Nate Deziel (24) 2&1

Cody Cook (29) def. Chad Skarperud (4) 2&1

Matt Haugstad (13) def. Alex Barrett (20) 5&4

Zach Israelson (5) def. Zach Hischberger (28) 3&2

Gage Stromme (12) def. Tony Vanyo (21) 3&2

Lucas Johnson (2) def. Tim Skarperud (31) 3&2

Trey Dale (18) def. Adam Van Raden (15) 3&2

Toby Palmiscno (7) def. Michael Hendricks (26) 5&4

Matthew Gregg (23) def. Luke Sheetz (10) 1 up

Andrew Israelson (3) def. Alex Skarperud (30) 3&1

Josh Bergurd (19) def. Justin Johnson (14) 3&2

Matt Skarperud (6) def. Sam Tollette (27) 1 up

Brennan Hockman (22) def. Andrew Lindberg (11) 3&2

Round of 16

Wages (32) def. Foss (17) 1 up

Swenson (9) def. Erholtz (8) 3&1

Cook (29) def. Haugstad (13) 3&2

Stromme (12) def. Z. Israelson (5) 1 up

Johnson (2) def. Dale (18) 5&4

Gregg (23) def. Palmiscno (7) 2&1

A. Israelson (3) def. Bergurd (19) 9&7

Hockman (22) def. M. Skaperud (6) 1 up


Women's Division 

Championship Flight

Round of 16

Emily Israelson (DC) def. Kylen Fenson (16) 3&2

Haley Tollette (8) def. Tatum Offerdahl (9) 4&2

Morgan Heltetved (4) def. Jenna Palmiscno (13) 2&1

Heather Erholtz (12) def. Taylor Offerdahl (5) 19 holes

Abbie Kelm (2) def. Alyssa Konecne (15) 19 holes

Olivia Klefsaas (7) def. Carrie Lundgren (10) 19 holes

Haily Abel (3) def. Amber Koth (14) 4&3

Anna Tollette (6) def. Anna Graveline (11) 6&5 

Quarterfinals

Israelson (1) def. H. Tollette (8) 2&1

Hetletved (4) def. Erholtz (12) 2&1

Kelm (2) def. Klefsaas (7) 3&1

Abel (3) def. A. Tollette (6) 5&4