WILLMAR - If the 84th Lakeland Tournament at Eagle Creek Golf Course was an election, the challengers might have wisely conceded to the incumbent by midnight.
Andy Jacobson filed a 27-hole score of 102 on Saturday for a seven-stroke lead on the field. He followed that on a windy, blue-bird Sunday with a 103. That added up to a 205, which is a whopping 11-under par.
Danny Anderson, who finished the runner-up to Jacobson a second straight year, finished three-over par at 219.
Anderson, who trailed by seven strokes after Jacobson’s Saturday blitz, must have known the dye was cast. Last year he summed up Jacobson’s fifth Lakeland championship this way: “You don’t catch Andy; you need to get out in front.”
Jacobson, who won with a 212 last year, deployed his driver, wedge and putter to crush the shorter back nine each time with scores of 33, 33 and 30 - 12 under. His fronts were 36 and a one-over 37 on Sunday. The 14-stroke winning spread is surely among the greatest in the venerable tournament’s long history.
ADVERTISEMENT
It was his sixth Lakeland win in nine attempts beginning in 2006. He’s now just one short of John Spreiter’s seven wins.
Pete Hannig placed third with a 225 with 2012 champ Rick Frieberg of Monticello in fourth at 226. Chuck West, the fifth man in the final fivesome, shot 228 for fifth-place money. West is from Victoria and a St. Cloud State spring graduate who played at No. 2 and 3 for the Huskies squad that won the Northern Sun Conference title this spring.
He marveled at Jacobson’s concentration, even when the frontrunner had no worries.
“You could tell he wanted every shot and putt,” said West. “He just missed his chip for an eagle on No. 17 and a birdie putt on the last hole from 25 feet, or so, just missed.”
In the 16-player Seniors Match Play Tournament, John Hagge of Fergus Falls won here for the second time. In a terrific final, he defeated Howie Swift in the championship match on the 21st hole with a par on No. 12. Hagge’s other win here was also in OT but versus Norm Strehlow.
Hagge defeated John Gust in the quarterfinals. Gust, also from Fergus Falls, is the 1978 Lakeland champion who hadn’t played the course again until this weekend.
Isaac Armitage defeated Stevin Carlson 3-and-1 in the Select Flight title match.
Shawn Bohlsen finished first and Nate Boie second in Sunday’s 18-hole medal round for non-qualifiers for Sunday’s Championship.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Championship paid through seven places starting with $350 for first and $250 for second.
Jacobson also won Saturday’s match-play putting contest. Boie was second.
MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
(1) Andy Jacobson 102-73-30-205
(2) Danny Anderson 109-75-35-219
(3) Peter Hannig 110-75-40-225
(4) Rick Frieberg 220-78-38-226
(5) Chuck West 114-75-39-228
ADVERTISEMENT
(6) Eric Means 116-76-39-231
(7) Hunter Mottinger 118-78-37-233
Matt Gorans 118-75-40-233
(8) Derek Hasselberg 120-79-38-237
(9) Roque Arcilla 117-83-40-240
(10) Aric Harrier 123-79-40-242
Jason Ronstad 122-81-39-242
(12) Bart Bradford 123-78-42-243
ADVERTISEMENT
(13) Josh Dooley 120-85-41-246
(14) Anthony Stern 123-85-WD
Mark Bonnema 123-WD (injury)
SENIORS FLIGHT
Quarterfinals – Jon Gust def. Neil Tagawa; John Hagge def. Dave Nelson 3-up; Howie Swift def. Brian Berget 3&2; Norm Strehlow def. Josh Wodash 4&3
Semifinals – Hagge def. Gust 5&4; H. Swift def. Strehlow 4&5
Final – Hagge def. H. Swift 21 holes
Consolation – Berget def. Nelson 3&2
ADVERTISEMENT
SELECT FLIGHT
Quarterfinals – Jim Anderson def. Josh Mead 5&4; Stevin Carlson def. Eric Swift, 19 holes; Dave Bredeson def. Tyler Johson 3-up; Isaac Armitage def. Tom Anderson 3&1
Semifinals – J. Anderson def. Carlson 3&1; Armitage def. Bredeson 4&3
Final – Armitage def. J. Anderson 3&1
Consolation – T. Anderson def. E. Swift 2-up
