Official Publication of the 100th Annual Resorters Golf Tournament • Echo Press
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Veterans vying for a title By Eric Morken emorken@echopress.com Lauren Contreras is a little more than a month removed from leading the Maple Grove girls golf team to a second-place finish at the state tournament. She shot a 153 over the course of her two rounds at the Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids. Since then, she’s worked hard on her game this summer. It resulted in a state amateur appearance in late July and the Minnesota Golf Association’s Women’s Match Play Championship at Dellwood Country Club. The Resorters is one of the last events she’ll play before heading to the University of St. Thomas for her freshman year in golf and school. She’s making the most of this opportunity as the youngest player left standing in the Women’s Division. “We played pretty well today playing with the wind. It was a bit trickier, but I was able to flight the ball down and go at some pins,” Contreras said. “My putting really helped me out today.” Contreras is in her fourth year playing at the Resorters, and this is her furthest run in the Women’s Division. The three others joining her on the first tee box at 12:30 Friday afternoon with a spot in the finals on the line are all either current or former college players. Ale Heinen, a former player and now coach at Wichita State, secured her spot in the semis as she goes for a second straight championship.
Contreras tries to continue her run against Resorters regulars
before Herzog got one back with a par win at 15. Larson needed some late magic, and she got it with a birdie win at 16 and a par win at the par-3 17th. That tied things up, and Herzog and Larson both parred 18 before Herzog brushed aside Larson’s rally on the first playoff hole to secure the win. Herzog finished second in 2019. She will face Lauren Contreras for the first time on Friday.
Contreras def. Elise Stockmoe, 6-5
Eric Morken / Alexandria Echo Press
Madison Herzog lines up her putt on the 14th green during her match against Alexandria’s Cora Larson on Aug. 5, 2021. Herzog led by four after 10 holes on Thursday before Larson rallied to force a playoff. Herzog brushed that aside to win in 19 holes and secure her spot in the Women’s Division semifinals. Madison Herzog (North Dakota State) and Alayna Eldred (Ferris State) also secured their spots as Herzog goes for her first Women’s title, and Eldred will try to capture her second. Here is a closer look at how all four got here.
Herzog def. Larson, 19 holes
Cora Larson will be a senior at Alexandria Area High School, and she proved to be quite a challenge for a couple of older players through two matches in the Women’s Division this week.
L a r son beat top-seeded Samantha Sommers, a former player at the UniHerzog versity of Minnesota, in her opening match on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, she rallied with a furious back nine to force a playoff before Detroit Lakes native Madison Herzog won on the 19th hole. Herzog led by four after a birdie win at No. 10. That’s when Larson made her move as she won holes 12, 13 and 14
Contreras shot an even-par 37 on the front against Alexandria’s Elise Stockmoe in the quarterfi nals, and that’s what led her to the 6-5 win. She won No. 2 with a birdie Contreras before par wins at 3, 4, 6 and 9. That took her to the turn at 5-up. Her par win at 13 ended the match with five holes to spare. “I’m feeling pretty confident about my game right now,” Contreras said. “I’ve been able to hit the ball well. My putting and chipping has especially saved me out on this course with the greens playing super hard and fast. I’m excited to see what’s next in this next match.” Contreras said she has worked on her short game a lot this summer, and she’s been excited to see that pay off. Family friends who
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play the Resorters drew her to this tournament in recent years, and she’s enjoyed this week ever since. It’s been good competition for her as a high school player at Maple Grove. Now she’s looking to play some more good golf to springboard her into her career at St. Thomas in a few weeks. “I want to make it as far as possible,” Contreras said. “I want to put up a good fight in my next match. I’m just taking it match-bymatch, so we’ll see how (Friday) goes. Go out on the course and play the best I can.”
Heinen def. O’Donnell, 5-4
Ale Heinen got a bird-
ie win at No. 1 in her match against A v e r y O’Donnell, but she ran Heinen into a little trouble on hole four. A double bogey there gave O’Donnell a 1-up lead, but Heinen’s experience showed as she immediately regained control to win 5-4. Heinen birdied Nos. 5 and 6 before a par win at 7 moved her to 2-up. An eagle on 9 gave her a bunch of momentum and helped her work around a birdie win for O’Donnell at 10.
WOMENS: Page 4
Maple Grove’s Lauren Contreras chips onto the green during her Women’s Division match against Alexandria’s Elise Stockmoe on Aug. 5, 2021. Contreras secured her spot in the semifinals with a 6-5 win. It’s her deepest run into the Women’s Division in now her fourth year playing at the Resorters. NEWMAR CLASS A MOTORHOMES
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