Leaf vs. Czeh & Hanson vs. Skogen in Pine to Palm Semis

DETROIT LAKES -- When he won the Pine to Palm in 2012, Beau Hanson had just graduated from high school a couple of months earlier. He was the young guy as he worked his way through the matches and into the final, which he won 4&3 over University of Minnesota senior David Haley. 

Now, four years later, Hanson will be the old guy in Sunday morning's semifinals. The former state high school champ (Class A, 2010) from Frazee isn't really all that old, but he completed his eligibility at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock this spring, and the other three semifinalists still have college eligibility left.

Hanson said he's found his swing this week, and Peter Jones would probably agree. Jones, who will be a sophomore at Minnesota, was one of the three co-medalists in the 36-hole qualifying at Detroit Country Club earlier in the week. But he was no match for Hanson on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals, as Hanson beat him 6&5. 

Earlier in the day, Hanson had dispatched Brandon Sletmoen 2&1 in the Round of 16. 

Next up for Hanson will be another of the co-medalists, Ben Skogen, a senior-to-be at Wisconsin. Skogen, who shot 65-69--134 in qualifying, needed only 13 holes to get through his first-round match. But he went the full 18 in his next two matches, both 1-up victories, before ending his quarterfinal match on the 16th green, where he closed out Tanner Lane 3&2.

The other semifinal will pit the only remaining Gopher, William Leaf, a soon-to-be senior from Winona, against Bemidji State sophomore-to-be Will Czeh.

Leaf played in a 72-hole tournament in Iowa last week, and didn't get to play a practice round at Detroit CC. He said he played conservatively in the qualifying, and the result was 73-73--146, which made him the No. 48 seed for match play. Once the matches began, however, Leaf became more aggressive, and his scores have improved dramatically. He was 7 under par for 13 holes in a 5&4 victory over Michael Abrahamson, the No. 16 seed, in the second round Friday morning.

On Saturday, he birdied six out of seven holes in one stretch, as he defeated Charlie Duensing 4&2 in the Round of 16, and then knocked off his college roommate, fellow Gopher Riley Johnson, 2&1 in the quarters. 

Duensing was the third of the co-medalists, and he was also the runner-up to Alex Kline at the 2015 Pine to Palm. (Kline has since turned professional.)

Czeh came up with Saturday's Great Escape in his Round of 16 match against Lincoln Cizek, who was 2 up after 14 holes. But Czeh leveled the match and won with a birdie on the first extra hole, No. 1, a 500-yard, par-5.      


Pine to Palm Golf Tournament

At Detroit Country Club

Detroit Lakes

Saturday's matches

Round of 16

(48) William Leaf, Winona, def. (1) Charlie Duensing, Sandy, Utah, 4&2
 
(2) Peter Jones, Owatonna, def. (15) Connor Holland, West Fargo, 3&1

(3) Ben Skogen, Onalaska, def. (19) Nick Myhre, Rolette, N.D., 1 up

(13) Bill Carlson, Fargo, def. (29) Cade Montplaisir, Mesa, Ariz., 1 up

(5) Will Czeh, Roseau, def. (44) Lincoln Cizek, Shakopee, 19 holes

(38) Tanner Lane, Detroit Lakes, def. (43) Jon Miller, Moorhead, 19 holes

(7) Beau Hanson, Frazee, def. Brandon Sletmoen, Dilworth, 2&1 

(8) Riley Johnson, Fargo, def. (9) Jordan Hahn, Spring Grove, Ill., 19 holes 

Quarterfinals

Leaf def. Riley Johnson 2&1

Czeh def. Carlson 2&1

Hanson def. Jones 6&5

Skogen def. Lane 3&2


Previous results

First-round matches (Thursday)

(1) Charlie Duensing, Sandy, Utah, def. (64) Tanner Kretchman, Fargo,  5&4

(2) Peter Jones, Owatonna, def. (63) Caleb Ketterling, Napoleon, N.D.,  2&1

(3) Ben Skogen, Onalaska, Wis., def. (62) Joey Wagner, Dickinson, N.D., 6&5

(4) Dan Johnson, Elk River, def. (61) Cole Johnson, Fargo, 3&2

(5) Will Czeh, Roseau, def. (60) Mason Fiddle, White Bear Lake, 3&1

(6) Justin Doeden, Lakeville, def. (59) Austen Strom, Fargo, 4&3

(7) Beau Hanson, Frazee, def (58) Tim Sanford, Elk River, 4&3

(8) Riley Johnson, Fargo, def. (57) Austen Rene, Jamestown, N.D., 5&3

(9) Jordan Hahn, Spriing Grove, Ill., def. (56) Alex Koopmeiners, St. Cloud, 5&4

(10) Brandon Sletmoen, Dilworth, def. (55) Cory Papachek, Fargo, 2&1

(11) Chris Swenson, Fergus Falls, def. Aaron Smith, Mahnomen, 5&4

(53) Matthew Sieg, Osseo, Wis., def. (12) Pat Dietz, Moorhead, 1 up

(13) Bill Carlson, Fargo, def. (52) Lucas Johnson, Moorhead, 6&5

(14) Matt Rachey, Waconia, def. (51) Alex Gabriel, Princeton, 2&1

(15) Connor Holland, West Fargo, def. (50) Eric Harris, Rushford, 4&2

(16) Michael Abrahamson,Chicago, def. (49) Justin Nelson, Wahpeton, 4&3

(48) William Leaf, Winona, def. (17) Thomas Longbella, Chippewa Falls, Wis., 1 up

(18) Nick Olsgaard, Moorhead, def. (47) Tanner Schnathorst, Detroit Lakes, 1 up

(19) Nick Myhre, Rolette, N.D., def. (46) Andrew Passanante, Moorhead, 4&3 

(20) Grady Meyer, Fargo, def. (45) Kyle Jandro, Fargo, 6&5

(44) Lincoln Cizek, Shalopee, def. (21) Blake Kahlbaugh, Mahnomen, 19 holes 

(43) Jon Miller, Moorhead, def. (22) Bryant Buckellew, Tempe, Ariz., 5&4

(42) Hunter Thorsen, Moorhead, def. (23) Jacob Dehne, Bismarck, 3&2

(41) Greg Melhus, West Fargo, def. (24) Thomas Strandemo, Fargo, 5&3

(25) Michael Kosiek, Minnetonka, def. (40) Andrew Israelson, Staples, 19 holes

(39) Marc Vincelli, Denver, def. (26) Tyler Schlotfeldt, Moorhead, 3&2

(38) Tanner Lane, Detroit Lakes, def. (27) Rick Kuhn, Mandan, N.D., 2&1

(28) Colton Murphy, Mandan, N.D., def. (37) Jon Rubis, West Fargo, 3&1

(29) Cade Montplaisir, Mesa, Ariz., def. (36) Jordie Siverson, Moorhead, 1 up

(33) Gus Minkin, York, Pa., def. (30) Erik Weiss, Moorhead, 5&3

(31) Ben Mallow, Pelican Rapids,  def. (34) Jackson Foth, Lenexa, Kansas, 2&1

(33) Chris James, Walker, def. (32) Lukas Davison, Sioux Falls, 2&1 


Second-round matches (Friday) 

(1) Duensing def. (33) James 6&5

(2) Jones def. (31) Mallow 1 up

(3) Skogen def. (35) Minkin 1 up

(29) Montplaisir def. (4) Dan Johnson 2&1

(5) Czeh def. (28) Murphy 4&2

(38) Lane def. (6) Doeden 1 up

(7) Hanson def. (39) Vincelli 1 up

(8) Riley Johnson def. (25) Kosiek 3&2

(9) Hahn def. (41) Melhus 7&6

(10) Sletmoen def. (42) Thorsen 1 up

(43) Miller def. (11) Swenson 3&2

(44) Cizek def. (53) Sieg 3&1

(13) Carlson def. (20) Meyer 3&2

(19) Myhre def. (14) Rachey 3&2

(15) Connor Holland def. (18) Olsgaard 2 up

(48) Leaf def. (16) Abrahamson 5&4 


Qualifying results (Tuesday and Wednesday) 

T1. Charlie Duensing    68-66--134

T1. Peter Jones            67-67--134

T1. Ben Skogen           65-69--134

T4. Dan Johnson         70-65--135

T4. Will Czeh             67-68--135

6. Justin Doeden          67-69--136

T7. Jordan Hahn          68-70--138

T7. Beau Hanson        71-67--138

T7. Riley Johnson        69-69--138

T7. Brandon Sletmoen 71-67--138

T11. Chris Swenson     72-67--139

T11. Pat Deitz               72-67--139

T11. Bill Carlson           69-70--139

T11. Matt Rachey         69-79--139

T11. Connor Holland    71-68--139