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
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