It's Official -- Doeden Wins Rain-Shortened Tapemark

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WEST ST. PAUL -- The inevitable became reality on Sunday, as the Tapemark came to a conclusion.

Basically, the result was decided on Saturday morning, when Justin Doeden, an. aspiring PGA Tour player who stopped off at Southview Country Club on his way to Canada, made 10 birdies in a 13-hole stretch and followed a first-round 65 with a second-round 62. That gave him a 36-hole total of 127, which no one was going to beat, but Van Homgren did give it a go. The former Minnesota State Amateur champion -- and 2022 State Open champ --  shot a record-tying, 10-under-par 61, but that put him at 129.

It was a morning when. par was getting battered. Andrew Israelson, the son of former two-time Tapemark champ Bill Israelson, shot a 63 and was tied for third with two-time defending champ Angus Flanagan at 132. Flanagan, a former University of Minnesota star who was co-champion of the Big Ten in 2019, and who established the Tapemark tournament record of 61 last year, was a little disappointed with his 65 Saturday,. But he would be only five behind Doeden going into the final round on. Sunday, and he came from six behind to win last year. 

Then the afternoon wave of players started going out -- and then the rains came, ending play for Saturday. What was worse, the delay meant that there was going to be no way to complete a third round by Sunday evening. So the tournament was shortened to 36 holes. 

And with that, the 2023 Tapemark trophy -- not to mention the first-place check of $5,500 -- was effectively gift-wrapped and handed to Doeden. It was going to be virtually impossible for anyone who was on the course when the rain storm hit to catch him. 

Jeff Sorenso, a former champion (2009), was six holes into his second round and was 2 under, after a 67 on Friday. So he was 6 under for 24 holes. He would have needed to go 9 under in his last 12 holes to force a playoff with Doeden. Robert Bell, the 2018 Tapemark runner-up, was also 6 under after 24 holes (a 65 plus 1 under for his first six Saturday), and he had four par 5s left in his 12 remaining holes. 

It was remotely conceivable that they could catch Doeden who will be playing in the first PGA Tour Canada event of the season, beginning Thursday in Victoria, British Columbia. After all, Doeden was able to go 9 under in 13 holes -- from No. 13 to No. 7 (he started on the back nine Saturday) -- but the odds were massively against it. And when the wind kicked up on Sunday morning, just about all hope for any of the challengers was blown away.  

Considering the conditions Sunday morning, Sorenson did well just to stay at 6 under. He made 10 pars, 1 birdie and 1 bogey on his way in, signed for a 69, and tied Derek Stendahal for fifth. Stendahl shot 70 on Friday, then came back with a 66 Saturday morning for a 136. 

Bell dropped back. Having birdied his last hole Saturday (the par-3 15th), he started off Sunday with a bogey at the 436-yard, par-4 16th, and worse yet, he made another bogey at the 475-yard, par-5 18th. He made two more bogeys and one birdie on the. front nine and ended up with a 73, which dropped him back into a four-way tie for eighth at 139. Also at 139 was another two-time Tapemark champion, Ross Miller, who defeated Bell in a playoff in 2018, and three-time champ Ryan Helminen.

The player who was the most successful in the wind on Sunday was 2020 champ Chris Meyer. He birdied the par-4 third and par-5 fourth holes just before the rain came Saturday. On Sunday, he made four more birdies and no bogeys, all of which added up to a 65, and he moved up 14 places during the round, which put him in the tie for fifth at 136.

As for the amateur standings, Cretin-Derham Hall teammates Joe Honsa and Sam Udovich finished 1-2. Honsa was first at 135, having opened with a 65 -- he was tied with Doeden Friday night -- and followed with a 70 early Saturday. Udovich was two behind him at 137, having gone 69-68.  


Tapemark Minnesota PGA Pro-Am

At Southview Country Club

Par 71, 6,062 yards

West St. Paul

Final results 

Professionals 

1. Justin Doeden                      65-62--127 (-15)

2. Van Holmgren                      68-61--129

T3. Angus Flanagan                67-65--132

T3. Andrew Israelson             69-63--132

T5. Derek Stendahl                70-66--136

T5. Jeff Sorenson                     67-69--136

T5. Chris Meyer.                      71-65--136

T8. Robert Bell                         66-73--139

T8. Grant Shafranski               71-68--139

T8. Ryan Helminen                  69-70--139

T8. Ross Miller.                       70-69--139

T12. Andy Smith                     68-72--140

T12. Jack Gustafson              72-68--140

T14. Don Berry                       71-70--141

T14. Michael Schmitz             75-66--141          


Amateurs

1. Joe Honsa                       65-70--135

2. Sam Udovich                   69-68--137

T3. Justin Burelson               71-71--142

T3. Cecil Belise                    73-69--142

5. Alex Robb                       71-73--144

T6. Ben Freeman                77-71--148

T6. Robert Dew                   72-76--148

8. Scott Gordon                   77-72--149