Abbie Kelm to defend Birchmont title, Eckmann's Cinderella run ends against Hetletved

Jul. 28—BEMIDJI — A local favorite has a chance to go back-to-back at the Birchmont Golf Tournament.

Top-seeded Abbie Kelm of Bemidji, last year's champion in the Birchmont women's division at Bemidji Town and Country Club, will defend her title after a 5-and-4 victory over fifth-seeded Anna Tollette of Ramsey. Kelm will face third-seeded Morgan Hetletved of Grand Forks, N.D.

Hetletved carded a 3-and-2 triumph over Park Rapids' Anna Eckmann, the No. 15 seed whose upset run to the semifinals came to an end on Friday.

Kelm took an early lead, winning four of the first five holes contested. She maintained that advantage through the front nine, dropping only hole No. 11 the rest of the match. Wins on Nos. 12 and 14 clinched Kelm's berth in the final.

Hetletved's consistent performance powered her into the championship match. She won No. 4 to take an initial lead, then maintained that edge until No. 12, when she doubled it with a birdie. Hetletved clinched the match with a par on No. 16.

The result represents a redemption arc for Hetletved, who fell in a Round of 16 upset

last year.

Now, she'll be the one trying to upset Kelm after taking down Eckmann, who herself felled five-time champion and 2023 qualifying medalist Emily Israelson

on Wednesday.

The women's final gets underway at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 29, at the opening hole of BTCC.

Another Bemidjian advanced to the final day of competition in the men's championship. Eighth-seeded Matthew Gregg of Bemidji defeated No. 32 Josh Bergrud of Grand Forks 1-up in Friday's quarterfinals.

Gregg is the lone Bemidji native to advance to the semifinals in the men's division, and to do it, he took down the man who defeated defending champion Josh Galvin in the Round of 32.

Elsewhere in the men's championship, No. 13 Jake Skarperud of Fargo, N.D., beat No. 28 Alex Robb 6-and-5. Skarperud will match wits with Gregg on Saturday.

Gregg is a former Bemidji High School and Bemidji State golfer. Skarperud recently completed his freshman season on the North Dakota State golf team.

In the bottom half of the bracket, No. 2 Nick Schaefer of Grand Forks took down 10th-seeded Alex Skarperud 1-up. He will face third-seeded Jon DuToit, who cruised to a 4-and-3 win over No. 22 Boomer Well.

Schaefer is seeking his third men's championship after winning in 2015 and 2018. DuToit is a former University of Minnesota golfer who finished in the top 25 at the Big Ten Championships three times.

The semifinals start at 8 a.m. Saturday at the first tee box. The final will follow in the afternoon.

The men's executive championship will not feature the top seed in the field, nor will it contain a local resident. No. 1 seed Jeff Thompson of Bemidji was felled by No. 13 Derek Hasselberg of Milaca, who took home a 2-up triumph to advance to Saturday's final.

Hasselberg will match up with No. 3 Mark Hylden of Minneapolis, who won 2-up over seventh-seeded Joshua Faecke of Phoenix.

The last executives standing commence their championship match at 1 p.m. Saturday on the first tee.

The men's senior championship won't contain a top-four seed, much less the No. 1 seed in the field.

That much was assured when fifth-seeded Jeff Slupe of Windsor, Colo., upset top-seeded Bemidjian Jeff Wiltse 1-up. Slupe will face sixth-seeded

tournament director

Curt Howard, who beat No. 7 Trent Wilcox of Park Rapids 1-up as well.

Wiltse was seeking his eighth Birchmont title. He won three executive championships and four senior crowns, including last year's.

The senior final tees off at 12:45 p.m. Saturday on hole No. 1.

Top seed Jeff Tweeton of Perham will try to win his third straight masters division championship when he takes on seventh-seeded Jack Seiberlich of Gold Canyon, Ariz., in the title match at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Tweeton advanced to the final with a 4-and-3 victory over fourth-seeded Steve Herzog of Alexandria. Seiberlich downed No. 11 John McEnroe of Crosslake 3-and-1 in Friday's other semifinal.

Tweeton also won senior titles at the Birchmont in 2003, 2005 and 2006, but lost to Seiberlich in the 2007 senior final.

In a tight battle between two Bemidji friends who tee it up together regularly, second seed Caden Boschee outlasted fifth-seeded Axel Burlingame 1-up Friday evening to earn the first championship of the 2023 Birchmont, the junior 12-and-under title.

Neither player had more than a 1-up lead in the nine-hole final, which included birdies by both golfers on the par-3 seventh hole. That left the match all square, and it was still tied after both made par on No. 8. But Boschee won it on the ninth to earn the championship.

* Saturday: Match play finals for all divisions.

Dennis Doeden also contributed reporting.