4 Birdies in the Last 7 Holes Give Stendahl the Lead in Jr. Boys

HUTCHINSON -- The back nine at Crow River Golf Club was where the action was on Monday during the first round of the Minnesota State Junior Boys Championship, and that didn't change on Tuesday.

Chase Birdwell took the lead on Day 1 by making four birdies against two bogeys on the inward nine and shooting a 2-under-par 69. And it was on the back nine Tuesday that he surrendered the lead. Having come through the front nine pretty much unscathed, with two birdies and two bogeys, he made three bogeys in a four-hole stretch (the 11th, 13th and 14th). The sophomore to be at Spring Lake Park got one shot back witih a birdie at the par-5 15th, but while he was playing the back nine in 38, Ryan Stendahl was putting together a 33.

Stendahl, who was ranked No. 1 at the end of his senior season at Maple Grove, and was named Minnesota's Mr. Golf, started the day at 1 over after opening with a 72, but he was even par for the tournament when he made the turn. He swapped a birdie at the 522-yard, par-5 12th for a bogey at the 13th, but then he birdied the par-4 13th (350 yards), the 15th (505) and the par-4 17th (415).The result was the low score of the tournament so far, a 67, and a 36-hole total of 139.

That has him three ahead of the foursome that's tied for second at 142, a group that includes Birdwell, who shot 73. It also includes the tournament's mystery guest -- Lunden Esterline. Esterline capped off his freshman year at Collegiate High School in Wichita by winning the Class 3A portion of the Kansas state high school tournament by 10 shots, and in the process, leading Collegiate to the team title. But he spends much of the summer in Alexandria and has won multiple junior championships at the Resorters.

Esterline had a clean card with two birdies on it through 12 holes Tuesday, but he doubled the 388-yard, par-4 13th. He bounced back with birdies at the 14th and 15th and would have had a 69 and sole possession of second place if he hadn't bogeyed the par-4 18th (415 yards). As it was, he shot 70.

Also in the Gang of Four at 142 are Carver Larson and Jacob Wilson. Unlike almost all of the other players who are in contention, they did most of their damage on the front nine Tuesday. Larson shot 3-under 32 on the front, thanks to birdies at the 376-yard, par-4 second, the par-5 fifth and the 160-yard, par-3 eighth. After making a bogey at the 10th, he got to 4 under for the round with birdies at the 12th and 13th, but bogeyed the 14th and 17th. Nevertheless, he finished with 69.

So did Wilson, who ended his junior year at Mahtomedi earlier this month by shooting 70-70--140 at Bunker Hills GC and tying for third in Class AAA at the Minnesota state high school tournament. He was 3 under on the front nine at Crow River on Tuesday, with birdies at the first, fifth and seventh holes. He bogeyed the eighth and the 15th, but went against the prevailing trend by making a birdie at the 415-yard, par-4 18th, the hole that seems to have caused more problems this week than any other.

There is also a group of five players four strokes behind Stendahl, and tied for sixth at 143 going into Wednesday's final round. One of them is Parker Brock,Class of '25, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley. He won the Class A part of the state tournament this spring with 140 (71-69) at Pebble Creek. He's gone 71-72 so far this week.


Minnesota State Junior Boys Championship

At Crow River Golf Club

Par 71, 6,568 yards

Hutchinson

Second-round results

1. Ryan Stendahl, Rush Creek GC 72-67--139

T2. Chase Birdwell, TPC Twin Cities 69-73--142

T2. Lunden Esterline, Alexandria CC 72-70--142

T2. Jacob Wilson, Forest Hills GC 73-69--142

T2. Carver Larson, Geneva GC 73-69--142

T6. Parker Brock, Tianna CC 71-72--143

T6. Colton Rich, YOC Minnesota 72-71--143

T6. Jimmy Abdo, Minnesota Valley CC 72-71--143

T6. Joey Mackinac, Southview CC 71-72--143

T6. Carter Callan, YOC Minnesota 75-68--143

T11. Lance Hamak, Blackberry Ridge 71-73--144

T11. Brennan Weckwerth, Eastwood GC 72-72--144

T13. Collin Ramos, YOC Minnesota 74-71--145

T13. Andrew Ballou, Chaska Town Course 75-70--145