Israelsons Claim Birchmont Men's & Women's Titles

BEMIDJI -- About the only question remaining Saturday after the conclusion of the Birchmont Match Play Tournament was this: Where do the Israelsons keep all their trophies.

Bill Israelson has won most of the state championships, both amateur and professional, that were available to him. The head pro at The Vintage in Staples was inducted into the Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame in 2009, but he kept on winning, including the the State Senior PGA in 2011, '12 and '13.

His first noteworthy victory, however, came in his home town of Bemidji at the Town & Country Club, in the 1973 Birchmont, when he was 16 years old. Six years later, he won the Birchmont again.  

On Saturday, the Israelsons added two more championship trophies from the Birchmont to their collection of hardware, which has been growing at a prodigious rate in recent years.

Bill's son Andrew, who won the Class AA portion of the state high school tournament two years ago, when he was a sophomore at Staples-Motley, added 13 tournament victories to his resume this spring during the high school season, and he was named Minnesota's first Mr. Golf in June. (The Mr. Golf Award goes to the state's top high school senior boy each year, and the corresponding Ms. Golf Award goes to the top senior girl).

The North Dakota State recruit had to win twice on Saturday to complete his Birchmont conquest. Both opponents were former Bemidji State golfers. He beat Chris Curb 5&4 in the morning semifinals, and James Foss 4&3 in the afternoon final.

While Andrew was dispatching Foss in the Men's Division final, his sister Emily was busy winning the Women's Division in comprehensive fashion. She drilled Morgan Willams 6&4 in the title bout. 

Neither of the Israelson children seems to have any interest in wasting time once a match starts. In his semifinal victory over Curb, Andrew won the second hole with a par, then birdied the 314-yard par-4 third hole, the 500-yard fourth and the 389-yard fifth to take a 4-up lead. Curb fought back with a birdie at the 421-yard, par-4 sixth, and he won the 183-yard, par-3 seventh with a par, which cut his deficit to 2 down.

That reprieve didn't last long. Israelson went 3 up again with a birdie at the 393-yard, par-4 eighth, and he pretty much sealed the deal when he went 4 up with an eagle at the 499-yard, par-5 10th. 

Against Foss, he lost the first hole with a bogey, but bounced right back with a birdie at the 210-yard, par-3 second to pull even, and he took his first lead of the afternoon with a par at the third. Foss birdied the fourth, and the match was all square again, but not for long. Israelson birdied the fifth for the second time in just a few hours, and he won the sixth with a par.

Andrew went 3 up by winning the eighth with a par. 

As for Emily, she was equally relentless, maybe even moreso. She won the first hole against Williams with a par and the 252-yard, par-4 third with a birdie. Williams replied with a birdie at the par-5 fourth, but Israelson birdied it, too. Israelson won No. 5 with a par and 6 with a birdie. She made one of her two bogeys on Saturday at the 136-yard, par-3 seventh, and her advantage was reduced to 3 up.

No matter. Israelson won the eighth and ninth holes with pars, and the Augustana junior-to-be birdied the 442-yard, par-5 10th to go 6 up. Basically, that was Game, Set, Match.    

RESORT TOURNAMENTS

The Birchmont Match Play Tournament

At Bemidji Town & Country Club

Par 72

Bemidji

Men's Championship Division

Qualifying results 

T1. Will Holmgren, Plymouth             68-70--138

T1. Justin Johnson, Bemidji               71-67--138

3. Andrew Israelson, Staples             70-71--141

T4. Matt Haugstad, Bemidji               73-70--143

T4. Joe McKean, Blackduck              72-71--143

T4. Daryl Schomer, St. Cloud            73-70--143

7. Chris Curb, Bemidji                        77-67--144

T8. Jack Holmgren, Plymouth            73-72--145

T8. Johnny Larson, Springfield          73-72--145

T8. Aaron Leintz, Bemidji                  76-69--145

T8. Matt Norby, Grand Forks            73-72--145

T8. Matt Skarperud, Omaha             72-73--145

First-round matches (Round of 32)

Adam Van Raden (152) def. Nick Schaefer (Def. champ) 1 up

Toby Palmiscino (147) def. Brady Ohman (147) 3&2

Chris Curb (144) def. Ekren Miller (151) 3&1

Jack Holmgren (145) def. Michael Strain (151) 3&1

Andrew Israelson (141) def. Jon Roddy (151) 5&3

Will Czech (148) def. Aaron Leintz (145) 19 holes

Matt Haugstad (143) def. Ben Moen (151) 3&2

Matt Skarperud (145) def. Robert Stocker (148)

Will Holmgren (138) def. Zach Israelson (152) 4&3

Jim Foss (147) def. Jeff Cannon (147) 1 up

Alex Koopmeiners (151) def. Daryl Schomer (143) 23 holes

Matt Norby (145) def. Grayson Klein (150) 5&4

Justin Johnson (138) def. Isaac Westlake (151) 1 up

Van Holmgren (146) def. Conner Bjugstad (148) 4&3

Alex Barrett (151) def. Joe McKean (143) 1 up

Johnny Larson (145) def. Bobby Frazini (149) 3&2

Round of 16

Palmiscino def. Van Raden 19 holes

Curb def. J. Holmgren 5&4

A. Israelson def. Czech

Skarperud def. Haugstad 

Foss def. W. Holmgren 1 up

Norby def. Koopmeiners 

V. Holmgren def. J. Johnson 19 holes

J. Larson def. Barrett 

Quarterfinals 

Curb def. Palmiscino 4&3

A. Israelson def. Skarperud 3&2

Foss def. Norby 8&6

V. Holmgren def. J. Larson 19 holes 

Semifinals 

A. Israelson def. Curb 6&4

Foss def. V. Holmgren 4&3

Final 

A. Israelson def. Foss 4&3 


Women's Division

Qualifying results 

1. Emily Israelson, Staples              68

T2. Morgan Miller, Bemidji               75

T2. Haley Tollette, Andover             75

T4. Carrie Lundgren, Chaska          79

T4. Missy Tabery, Wadena              79

T6. Morgan Williams, Bemidji          80

T6. Molly Winge, Omaha                 80

T8. Amber Koth, Chaska                 81

T8. Annie Nelson, Bismarck            81

10. Cydney Hasselberg, W. Fargo  82


First-round matches (Round of 16)

Emily Israelson (68) def. Abby Kelm (92) 5&4

Annie Nelson (81) def. Amber Koth (81) 5&4

Olvia Klefsaas (90) def. Carrie Lundgren (79) 3&2

Missy Tabery (79) def. Katie Nelson (89) 3&2

Morgan Miller (75) def. Haily Abel (92) 7&6

Morgan Williams (80) def. Cydney Hasselberg (82) 19 holes 

Haley Tollette (75) def. Brandi Kuenzel (91) 8&6

Molly Winge (80) def. Heather Erhotlz (86) 4&2

Quarterfinals

E. Israelson def. Nelson 6&4

Tabery def. Klefsaas 19 holes

Williams def. Miller 1 up

H. Tollette def. Winge 5&4 

Semifinals 

E. Israelson def. Tabery 7&6

M. Williams def. H. Tollette 19 holes 

Final

E. Israelson def. Williams 5&4


Other Finals --

Executive Flight 

Brad Anderson def. Mark Moreland 1 up

Men's Senior Flight 

Jeff Wiltse def. Jeff Tweeton 6&5

Masters Flight

Glen Hasselberg def. Jim Archer 

Junior Division

Nate Deziel def. Bryce Bye 3&2