USGA Announces Tee Times for 43rd U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship
September 19, 2024
DETROIT LAKES -- Ben Skogen, a soon-to-be senior at the University of Wisconsin, put together a 6-under-par 65 at Detroit Country Club on Tuesday, and he has a two-stroke lead going into the second -- and final -- day of stroke-play qualifying at the 84th Pine to Palm Golf Tournament.
The top 64 finishers in the stroke-play portion of the tournament will begin match play on Thursday, and the championship match will be played Sunday afternoon. (Normally, 63 qualifiers and the defending champion make up the match-play field, but the 2015 winner, Alex Kline, turned professional this spring, shortly after completing his senior season at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.)
Skogen shot his 65 the old-fashioned way. Rather than beating up on the Detroit CC par-5's, all of which are easily reachable to the longer hitters (meaning just about anyone in his 20's or 30's), the former Wisconsin state high school champ from Onalaska made three birdies on par-3's and three on par-4's.
Although there is a Badger on top of the leader board, there are lots of Gophers in pursuiit. Two of the three players tied for second at 67 -- Justin Doeden and Peter Jones -- play for Minnesota. The other 67 came from former Roseau star Will Czeh, who now plays for Bemidji State.
Czech made an early bogey, but then went on a rampage and played the last five holes on the front nine in 6 under: eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie-birdie. Doeden won the Krugel Invitational at Mankato GC in July.
The inter-state Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry continues at 68. Two of the four players at that number -- Charlie Duensing and Grady Meyer -- are Gophers, and a third, Jordan Hahn, is a Badger. Duensing lost to Kline in the 2015 title match. Meyer was the qualifying medalist each of the last two years.
Yet another two Gophers -- Riley Johnson and Matt Rachey -- are in a nine-way tie for ninth with 69's. Johnson finished second in the Minnesota State Amateur three weeks ago at North Oaks CC, making a birdie on the last hole of regulation play to take a one-stroke lead but then losing to an eagle on the final hole by Alex Uloth.
Pine to Palm Golf Tournament
At Detroit Country Club
Detroit Lakes
First-round results
1. Ben Skogen, Onalaska 65
T2. Will Czeh, Roseau 67
T2. Justin Doeden, Lakeville 67
T4. Peter Jones, Owatonna 68
T4. Grady Meyer, West Fargo 68
T4. Jordan Hahn, Spring Grove, Ill. 68
T4. Charlie Duensing, Sandy, Utan 68
T4. Joey Wagner, Dickinson, N.D. 68
T9. Tyler Schlotfeldt, Moorhead 69
T9. Thomas Strandemo, Fargo 69
T9. Michael Kosiek, Minnetonka 69
T9. Colton Murphy, Mandan, N.D. 69
T9. Greg Melhus,. West Fargo 69
T9. Matt Rachey, Waconia 69
T9. Riley Johnson, Fargo 69
T9. Bil Carlson, Fargo 69
T9. Nick Myhre, Rollette, N.D. 69
September 19, 2024
September 19, 2024
September 16, 2024
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