Hawkinson Subdues Three-Tme Champ Moline in 19-Hole Northland Final

DULUTH -- A lead didn't necessarily mean anything Sunday on the last day of the Northland Invitational. 

Three-time defending champion Dan Moline returned from the dead -- 5 down with eight holes to play -- against Phil Ebner in the morning semifinals, and he ended up winning with a conceded birdie on the 22nd hole.

In the final, turnabout wasn't just fair play, it was a recurring theme. Hawkinson came back for a big early deficit, and then Moline rallied on the back nine, before Hawkinson eventually claimed victory with a conceded birdie of his own on the 19th hole. 

Moline, who had already won two tournaments in the area this summer (the Reidar Lund Skyline Memorial and the Cloquet Invitational), seemed on his way to a fourth straight Northland victory when he took a 3-up lead over Hawkinson in the first six holes of the title match.

Hawkinson had other ideas. He retaliated by winning the eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th holes to take a 1-up advantage, and he went 2-up after Moline's second putt rolled off the treacherous 14th green.

Then it was Moline's turn to come back. He won the 15th hole, halved the 16th and 17th, even though his tee shot at the 16th nearly ended up in the 17th fairway, and he won the 18th after Hawkinson's approach shot spun back off the green and rolled 50 yards down the fairway.

On the first extra hole (No. 1, 428 yards, par 4), Hawkinson hit his drive into the middle of the fairway and his second shot to within a few feet of the hole. Meanwhile, Moline hooked his tee shot into the trees on the left, hit his second into a bunker and failed to save par.

As a result, he conceded Hawkinson's birdie.

This was only the second time Hawkinson has played in the Northland Invitational, but Sunday must have had a familiar feel to him. His opponent in the semifinals was Alex Kolquist, whom Hawkinson will be coaching, beginning in a couple of weeks.

Kolquist will be a senior at Gustavus Adolphus, and Hawkinson, a former Gustie All-American, was recently hired to coach at his alma mater.

Hawkinson won the semifinal contest between coach and player 3&2.

The Don't-I-Know-You theme continued in the final, where Hawkinson and Moline were paired in a foursome with the two Senior Division finalists, one of whom was Hawkinson's father, John Hawkinson, although the afternoon didn't turn out quite as well for Hawkinson the Elder. Pat Vincelli defeated him 3&1.

For Vincelli, the tournament was also a chance to prepare for the Minnesota State Senior Amateur, which will be played at Northland later this month (Aug. 27-29). Vincelli tied for third in last year's Senior Am. 

And this wasn't the last time that Hawkinson and Moline will be seeing each other in a tournament this summer. Earlier this month, they both made it through he qualifying for the U.S. Mid-Amateur, which will be played Sept. 8-13 at Conway Farms GC in Lake Forest, Ill. 

Northland Invitational

At Northland Country Club

Duluth

Championship Flight

Semifinals

Dan Moline def. Phil Ebner 22 holes

Jordan Hawkinson def. Alex Kolquist 3&2

Final

Hawkinson def. Moline 19 holes

Senior Flight 

Pat Vincelli def. John Hawkinson 3&1