Big week for Bison men's golf

Detroit Lakes golf fans have followed the North Dakota State University women's team for the past half-decade watching the successes of 2018 graduates Natalie Roth and Trisa Hutchinson and incoming sophomore Maddie Herzog.
After the 87th Pine to Palm and the following week of golf, the Bison men's team has been making noise both locally and on the national stage worthy of attention.
The summer success of the Bison men has head coach Steve Kennedy thrilled to get to work on the upcoming collegiate season.
"I'm really excited about it," he said in an interview at the Pine to Palm. "We've got seven guys who can play the game really well. I think they're going to battle each other. I'm really looking forward to the year."

Pine to Palm fans got a good look at this year's team captain Andrew Israelson and the future of the team with runner-up Nate Adams.
The duo battled to a 19th hole standoff with Israelson snatching his only lead of the match to win the coveted trophy on hole No. 1.
Fellow Bison Lucas Johnson dueled with Israelson in qualifying. Johnson led after day one and finished second to a surging Israelson on Wednesday of the tournament.

Israelson's victory was special as he, along with his father Bill Israelson, became the first father-son duo to both with Pine to Palm titles.

Bill Israelson was a mainstay at the tournament in the late 70's and early 80's capturing three championships in a five-year span (1976-77, 1980).
Bill is still excelling on the Minnesota seniors tour. He captured his sixth Minnesota Senior PGA Professional Championship shooting 9-under and a two day score of 68-67-135 at Island View Golf Club in Waconia Wednesday, Aug. 14.
Bill is one of six Minnesota professionals that will compete at the 2019 Senior PGA Professional Championship Oct. 3-6 at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas.
At the same time, NDSU junior golfer Van Holmgren was making a run at the U.S. Amateur golf tournament Thursday at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in North Carolina.

Holmgren faced a pile of players, 27 to be exact, in a playoff for the final four sports in match play but got out of the melee early as one of two players to birdie the first playoff hole to advance.
In the opening round of match play, Holmgren won three of the final five holes on the front nine to lead the No. 3 seed Tom Sloman 1-up. He sealed the match with a par on 16 to win 3&2 in the Round of 64.
Holmgren's run ended in the round of 32 in a 3&1 loss to Pierceson Coody.
The 30th-seeded Coody clinched the win with a birdie on hole No. 17. Holmgren won holes No. 3, 5, 10 and 11, with birdies on 3, 5 and 10 but it was a birdie attempt on 16 that sealed his fate.

Holmgren elected to leave the pin in for his attempt and his ball just shaved the edge of the pin changing the trajectory only slightly, but enough to lip out. With a subsequent miss by Coody, had the putt fallen Holmgren would have been 1-down with two holes to play.

Both Bison golf teams start the collegiate season at Oxbow Country Club Monday, Sept. 9 in the NDSU Fall Match Play tournament.

1/2: Incoming Bison freshman Nate Adams made a big splash in his Pine to Palm debut with a runner-up finish to NDSU team captain and teammate Andrew Israelson Sunday, Aug. 11 in Detroit Lakes. Robert Williams / Tribune

2/2: Lucas Johnson - Robert Williams / Tribune