Swenson Is Men's Champ, Israelson Is Women's at Birchmont

BEMIDJI -- It's been quite a week for golfers from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. 

On Sunday, Brady Madsen, who will be a junior at Winona State in the fall, won the Minnesota State Open. 

Two more NSIC golfers, one current and one former, won championships on Saturday in the Birchmont Golf Tournament at Bemidji Town & Country Club. Bemidji State's Chris Swenson claimed the Men's Championship Flight, and former Augustana star Emily Israelson won the Women's Championship crown for the third time in four years.

And, oh, yes, while they were doing that, former Winona State All-American Troy Merritt was in the process of taking the lead in a PGA Tour event, the Barracuda Championship. Merritt eventually finished second, behind Collin Morikawa. 

Swenson, who tied for second in the NSIC Championships this spring  (four behind the winner, Ben Jasper of Winona State, and one ahead of Madsen), completed his Birchmont triumph with a pair of victories on Saturday, both of them over Bemidji State teammates. In the morning semifinals, he played Cody Cook, who concluded his senior year with the Beavers this spring, and won 3&2. Swenson, a senior-to-be from Fergus Falls, followed that with a 2&1 victory over fellow BSU senior-to-be Matthew Gregg in the championship match. Gregg had upset tournament favorite Andrew Israelson, a two-time champion who will be a senior at North Dakota State in the fall, 2&1 in the semis.

In the final, Swenson and Gregg, No. 23 seed, were tied after 15 holes, and Swenson missed the green at the 377-yard, par-4 16th hole. But the No. 9 seed  chipped in from 35 feet for a birdie and a 1-up lead. He then hit his approach to 10 feet at the 354-yard, par-4 17th and converted the putt to complete his conquest.

"My biggest shot was on 16," Swenson said afterward. "Down the hill to a back pin, and I chipped in. That helped a lot."

This was the second Resort Circuit victory for Swenson. He won the Pine to Palm in 2017. (The Minnesota Resord Circuit comprises three match-play tournaments -- the Birchmont in Bemidji, the Resorters in Alexandria and the Pine to Palm in Detroit Lakes.) 

Emily Israelson, Andrew's brother, had won the Birchmont women's crown in 2016 and again last year. So she was the No. 1 seed this year. On Saturday, the former NSIC Player of the Year defeated No. 2 seed Abbie Kelm, a soon-to-be-sophomore at North Dakota, 3&2 in the final. That makes her the 12th repeat winner in the Women's Division.

Israelson got off to a quick start, winning the first two holes with pars. Kelm cut the deficit to 1 down a couple of times, but she was 2 down at the turn, and Israelson went 3 up thanks to a par at the 12th hole. Kelm won the 15th with a birdie, but both players hit their tee shots into deep rough at the par-4 16th, and Israelson ended up winning the hole -- and the match -- with a bogey. 


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

Quarterfinals

Swenson (9) def. Wages (32) 3&2

Cook (29) def. Stromme (12) 5&4

Gregg (23) def. Johnson (2) 4&3

Israelson (3) def. Hockman (22) 3&2 

Semifinals

Swenson (9) def. Cook (29) 3&2

Gregg (23) def. Israelson (3) 2&1

Final

Swenson (9) def. Gregg (23) 2&1


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
 
Semifinals

Israelson (1) def. Hetletved (4) 6&5

Kelm (2) def. Abel (3) 19 holes

Final

Israelson (1) def. Kelm (2) 3&2