Sigel Is Resorters Medalist, 3 Ahead of Lehman, Johnson

Alexandria -- Ben Sigel birdied four of the last seven holes at Alexandria Golf Club on Tuesday, which enabled him to overcome a double bogey on the front nine (No. 7) and shoot a 3-under-par 69. That was good enough to earn him medalist honors by three strokes in the 98th Resorters. 

The former Minnesota Mr. Golf (an award given to the top male high school senior in the state) from Minnetonka made birdies on both of the back-nine par-5's -- No. 12 and No. 14 -- and he also birdied two par-4's, No. 11 and No. 18, as he concluded the 36 holes of qualifying with a total of 137. His first-round 68 on Sunday was even more impressive than Tuesdays' effort, because players had to deal with a lightning delay and soaking rains on the first day of qualifying.

Sigel, a former Junior Division winner, has been playing the Resorters for the better part of a decade, and he's been in the Men's Division Championship Flight for the last four years. But the junior-to-be at the University of Kansas hasn't won it yet. He has made it to the semifinals twice.

"I feel I haven't played great here the last couple of years," he lamented. "Kind of under-achieved."

Right behind Sigel is a familiar name. Thomas Lehman posted a pair of 70's and tied Lincoln Johnson for second at 140. Lehman is the son of Tom Lehman, who was the Resorters medalist in 1979 (with a 70-71--141), won the tournament in 1980 and went on to win five times on the PGA Tour -- including the 1996 British Open -- plus another 12 times on the Champions Tour.  The younger Lehman, who didn't play golf for his high school team in Scottsdale, Ariz. (he played baseball instead, and was on a state championship team), did play golf in college at Cal Poly. He completed his senior season this spring.

Johnson, a former Mr. Golf finalist from Chaska who will be a sophomore at Minnesota this fall, turned in the low round of the day Tuesday, a 67. 

Finishing fourth in qualifying was Clay Kucera, the recently crowned Minnesota State Amateur champion and a junior-to-be at Iowa Western. He shot 71 and finished at 141. 

The defending champion and No. 1 seed is Brian Choe, who will be a sophomore at Kansas State.

Match play begins Wednesday, and Choe will face Lukas Bigger. Bigger shot 154 in qualifying and had to win a 6-for-1 playoff to claim the final spot in the match-play portion of the tournament. 

The medalist in the Women's Division Championship Flight was Alejandra Arellano, an assistant coach at Wichita State. She shot 73, which is even par for women at Alexandria GC.

Madison Herzog and Amanda Bigger tied for second with 75's. Bigger graduated from Hofstra in 2018. Herzog is a sophomore to be at North Dakota State. 

Her cousin Stephaine Herzog, a former Minnesota Ms. Golf and a junior-to-be at Iowa, is the defending champ and No. 1 seed. Yet another Herzog, Stephanie's sister Leah -- this year's Minnesota Ms. Golf -- tied Alayna Eldred for fourth in the qualifying at 78. Leah Herzog will be heading for the University of Nebraska to begin her freshman year in another month or so. Eldred will be a sophomore at Minnesota. 


98th Resorters

At Alexandria Golf Club

Par 72

Alexandria

Men's Division

Championship Flight

Qualifying

Final results

Defending champion (No. 1 seed) -- Brian Choe (exempt)

1. Ben Sigel                      68-69--137

T2. Thomas Lehman        70-70--140

T2. Lincoln Johnson         73-67--140

4. Clay Kucera                  70-71--141

5. Andrew Lindberg          71-72--143

T6. Andrew Israelson       76-69--145

T6. Miles McCarthy          72-73--145

T6. Nick Jarrett                 72-73--145


Women's Division

Championship Flight

Qualifying

Final results

(Par 73 for women)

Defending champion (No. 1 seed) -- Stephanie Herzog (exempt)

1. Alejandra Arellano         73

T2. Madison Herzog          75

T2. Amanda Bigger           75

T4. Leah Herzog               78

T4. Alayna Eldred             78

6. Lauren Stockmoe          80