Strandemo Edges Stankey at Alex to Complete Family Triple Crown

ALEXANDRIA -- Sometimes being the shorter hitter in a match can be an advantage.

As an example, Thomas Strandemo and Paul Stankey were tied in their Resorters title match when they came to the 18th hole at Alexandria Country Club on Saturday. Stankey then outdrove Strandemo by roughly 30 yards. But the shorter hitter gets to hit his second shot first, and Strandemo hit his pitch close to the hole. That increased the pressure on Stankey, who could get his second shot no closer than 20 feet. He missed, Strandemo made.

That gave Strandemo a 1-up victory -- and the championship trophy. 

It also completed a sweep of three tournaments in the Resort Circuit -- Birchmont, Resorters and Pine to Palm -- for the Strandemo family.

Jim Strandemo won the Birchmont four times and the Pine to Palm three times, but he never won The Resorters. Although Thomas calls Jim his uncle, the relationship isn't quite that close. Jim is really a cousin of Thomas' father, Guy Strandemo. In any case, the extended Strandemo family now has all three, thanks to Thomas, who won on his sixth try at Alexandria CC.

After qualifying fifth (32 players advance to match play), Thomas won a series of close matches, including a 1-up victory over the 2015 champion, Jacques Wilson. 

The championship match on Saturday was cross-generational -- sort of. Thomas Strandemo, a former Minnesota State Junior champ, graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette this spring and is considering the possibility of turning professional. Stankey graduated from Providence Academy, and he will start college at Yale University in the next month. 

In the championship match, the momentum swung almost violently back and forth. 

Stankey took the lead first, making a long birdie putt at the second hole. Strandemo won the next two holes, with a bogey and a par, but he three-putted the fifth, and the match was back to all square. Strandemo stuck his nose in front by making a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-5 sixth, only to fall back into a tie when he hit his tee shot into the water at the par-3 seventh. At the par-4 ninth, Strandemo reclaimed the lead for the third time. 

He expanded it to 3 up by winning the 10th and 11th holes. Once again, however, Stankey rallied, winning the par-5 14th and 15th holes with birdies and the 17th with a par to set up the dramatic 18th hole.

AMATEUR GOLF

The Resorters

At Alexandria Country Club

Par 72

Round of 16

Brian Choe, Coppell, Texas, def. Nick Heinen, Edmond, Okla. 4&3

Grady Meyer, Fargo, def. Lukas Bigger, Alexandria 5&4

Jacques Wilson, Minnetonka, def. Dawson Willis, Chaska 3&2

Thomas Strandemo, Delano, def. David Schneider 2&1

Andrew Israelson, Staples, def. Andrew Lindberg, Coppell, Texas 3&1

Scott Fudenberg, Hastings, def. Danny Lensing, Orono 1 up

Paul Stankey, Eden Prairie, def. Lincoln Johnson, Chaska 1 up

Alec Heinen, Edmond, Okla., def. Michael Schmitz, Bloomington 2&1

Quarterfinals

Meyer def. Choe 6&4

Strandemo def. Wilson 1 up 

Fudenberg def. Israelson 6&4

Stankey def. Heinen 3&2

Semifinals

Strandemo def. Meyer

Stankey def. Fudenberg

Final

Strandemo def. Stankey 1 up