— The nerves of championship Sunday rattled the field throughout Saturday’s match play at Pine to Palm.
The championship matches are slated to crown new champions, as defending champions across all fields nearly made it to the final day.
Fargo’s Bill Campbell watches his chip shot on Hole 4 during the semifinal matches of the Super Senior division at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Haslerud and Campbell crash the Herzog party
The Super Senior division will see a new champion for the first time in three years. No. 5-seeded New Port Richey, Florida’s David Haslerud needed two playoff holes to defeat the two-time reigning champion Detroit Lakes’ Mike Herzog.
Finding the rough on Hole 2, Herzog needed to make a put just off the fringe of the green, giving Haslerud the win if he put it within gimme range. He did just that, ending Herzog’s chance at a three-peat.
Mike’s brother, Steve, met him in the final match for the past two seasons. This year, neither Herzog will be featured in the finale as Fargo’s Bill Campbell secured the second spot with an 8-and-7 victory over Steve. Following a birdie on Hole 2, Steve went on to lose eight consecutive holes.
The Super Senior championship match hits the course at 11:30 a.m.
New Port Richey, Florida’s David Haslerud attempts a putt on Hole 4 during the semifinal matches of the Super Senior division at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Burnside and Kuhn to clash in the finals
The Senior division hit the course for two rounds on Saturday. The final four left after the morning session were No. 8-seeded Detroit Lakes’ Aaron Burnside, No. 4-seeded Fargo’s Dan Ystebo, No. 2-seeded Mandan, North Dakota’s Rick Kuhn and No. 3-seeded Glyndon’s Mark Ecklund.
Burnside came into the semifinals with an upset, 1-up victory over the defending champion AJ Greff. He carried that momentum into another upset win over Ystebo, walking away with a 2-and-1 victory.
Detroit Lakes’ Aaron Burnside watches his chip onto the 10th green during the Senior division semifinal matches at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Kuhn, a two-time championship division champion, and Ecklund, the 2023 Senior champion and 2024 runner-up, battled it out for 17 holes. Kuhn picked up a 2-up lead after wins on three and four. Ecklund came back to tie it up on Hole 9. The two stayed locked together until Kuhn hit consecutive pars on 14 and 15 to secure the victory.
Kuhn is eyeing his first Senior crown, while Burnside has hopes of raising his first Pine to Palm trophy. The Seniors tee off at 11:40 a.m. on Sunday.
Mandan, North Dakota’s Rick Kuhn hits his approach shot out of the rough on Hole 10 during the Senior division semifinal matches at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Bekkerus knocks out the defending champion
There hasn’t been a repeat champion in the Mid-Am division since Michael Melhus in 2021 and 2022. That accomplishment will have to wait until 2026 as No. 4-seeded Rochert, Minnesota’s Matt Bekkerus, took down the 2024 champion Adam Gronaas.
Rochert, Minnesota’s Matt Bekkerus hits his drive on Hole 4 during the semifinal matches of the Mid-Am division at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Bekkerus went up by two after Hole 2 and never looked back. Gronaas’s only win came on Hole 12 with a birdie. Bekkerus went on to win two of the final three holes, ending Gronaas’ day before 16. Bekkerus had won all four matches before the final in 16 holes or less.
2025 medalist No. 2-seeded Oxbow, North Dakota’s Tyler Nelson, had a match with the hometown kid, No. 6-seeded Jacob Radermacher. Nelson made quick work of the Detroit Lakes’ native with a 5-and-3 victory.
Bekkerus will look to be a first-time Mid-Am champion while Nelson will fight for his first title since 2020. The duo tees off at 11:50 a.m.
Oxbow, North Dakota’s Tyler Nelson chips his ball onto the green on Hole 4 during the semifinal matches of the Mid-Am division at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Kortan keeps dancing into the final day
No. 64-seeded Moorhead’s Joe Kortan went from barely making it into match play to surviving to the final day. After an early round 2-up victory over No. 48-seeded Roseau’s Teagan LaPlante, Kortan faced off against No. 9-seeded Breezy Point, Minnesota’s Tyler Seeling for the upper Championship division final. The Moorhead native won yet again, sinking a par on Hole 18.
Kirkwood, Missouri’s Ben Wood chips his ball onto the green on Hole 8 during the lower Championship division semifinal matches at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
He will take on No. 5-seeded Fargo’s Josh Persons, who defeated No. 20-seeded Maple Grove, Minnesota’s Lucas Feterl, 1-up after 21 holes.
No. 47-seeded Kirkwood, Missouri’s Ben Wood, took down No. 23-seeded Detroit Lakes’ Lukas Justesen 5-and-4 in one of the lower Championship matches. No. 43-seeded Belgrade, Minnesota’s Gannon Walsh, will meet Wood in the lower finale. Walsh defeated No. 46-seeded Fargo’s Gabe Benson 3-and-2 to secure the 40 seed and up the semifinals match.
The Kortan and Persons tee off at 7:50 a.m. and Walsh and Wood follow at 8:00 a.m. Only two will survive for a chance at the Championship division crown at 2:45 p.m.
Fargo’s Josh Persons hits his approach shot on Hole 10 during the upper Championship division semifinal matches at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
The Legends division finals include defending champion Leland Petersen and Detroit Lakes’ Doug Gillam. The twosome will tee off at 11:20 a.m. to kick off the round of championship matches.
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Belgrade, Minnesota’s Gannon Walsh watches his tee shot on Hole 8 during the lower Championship division semifinal matches at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Detroit Lakes’ Mike Herzog watches his putt on Hole 4 during the semifinal matches of the Super Senior division at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Fargo’s Gabe Benson studies the green as he walks toward his shot on Hole 8 during the lower Championship division semifinal matches at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Detroit Lakes’ Jacob Radermacher hits his second shot on Hole 4 during the semifinal matches of the Mid-Am division at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Glyndon’s Mark Ecklund watches his chip shot on Hole 12 during the quarterfinals of the Senior division at the 93rd Pine to Palm Golf Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Detroit Country Club in Detroit Lakes.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
My name is Nick Leonardelli and I am the sports editor for the Detroit Lakes Tribune and Perham Focus. I moved to the area in October of 2022 after covering sports for the Monroe County Herald in Sparta, WI for nearly a year. I was also working for ESPN La Crosse as a show producer. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2021 with a degree in sports management and a minor in media studies.
I cover sports and write columns for the Detroit Lakes Tribune and Perham Focus. You can reach me via email at nleonardelli@perhamfocus.com or by phone at 218-844-1461.