Ekern Survives Early Scare, Still Rolls to MN Junior PGA Match Play Win; Steady Simek Victorious at Girls’ Championship

  BRAINERD, Minn. – A late birdie Wednesday at The Dutch 27 at The Legacy Courses at Cragun’s helped Elias Ekern secure a victory over Easton Fiddle in the final match of the 2025 Minnesota Junior PGA ‘Sota Series Match Play Championship.

Ranked No. 43 to begin the championship this week, the Northfield High School senior played 104 holes over six rounds and trailed just 10 holes en route to the first state title of his career.

Ekern took an early lead during the final match with a birdie at the par-3 sixth before taking advantage of a bogey by Fiddle at the 10th to extend his lead to two.

A birdie at the 11th gave Ekern a lead of three before he took back-to-back bogeys at the 12th and 13th holes shrunk his lead to one.

Taking advantage of the par-5 16th with a birdie, Ekern’s lead grew to two once again, and he’d close out the championship at the 17th with a par to win, 2 and 1.

Ekern narrowly escaped the opening round Monday against Detroit Lakes High School senior Lawsen Justesen, needed a pair of late birdies on the final two holes to force a playoff, eventually advancing in 20 holes.

Facing recent Twin Cities Junior Championship winner Ryder Carlson during the Round of 32 during Monday’s afternoon session, Ekern bounced back from an early deficit with four birdies over his final 12 holes to earn the victory, 2 and 1.

During the Round of 16 early Tuesday, Ekern trailed Ryan Stanek by two after nine holes, but took advantage of late miscues by Stanek to come away with his third win of the tournament, 2 and 1.

Leading most of his quarterfinal match against Alex Imgrund, a pair of late birdies helped Ekern advance to the semifinal round by winning, 2-up.

Facing off against Nolan Jensen early Wednesday in the semifinal round, Ekern squandered a 2-up lead with a pair of bogeys mid-round before tallying three birdies over his final seven holes to edge Jensen, 2-up, to set up the final match against Fiddle.

Brianna Simek tied her opening-round match on the 17th hole Tuesday against Tatum Gatheridge before earning the victory on the 19th hole Tuesday at The Dutch 27 at The Legacy Courses at Cragun’s.

It would be the last time Simek would trail an opponent over the next three rounds on her way to a victory, 3 and 2, over Sophie Cook in the finals of the 2025 Minnesota Junior PGA ‘Sota Series Match Play Championship.

Simek, a junior at Two Rivers High School, earned the tournament’s No. 6 seed to begin the week and faced off against 11th-seeded Gatheridge to open the Round of 16 Tuesday.

Trailing by one after the first nine holes, Simek evened the match with a par at the 10th, but gave back the lead to Gatheridge with a double-bogey at the 12th.
Simek bounced back by winning the 13th, but Gatheridge gained the late advantage by winning the 14th with a par.

Winning the 17th with a par, Simek drew even once again before winning the first playoff hole to advance to the quarterfinal round.

Facing recent Chaska High School graduate Joey Koth during Tuesday’s afternoon quarterfinals, Simek would win the opening hole with a par and never looked back, holding on to defeat Koth, 2-up, on the 18th hole to move on.

Jumping out to an early lead against Detroit Lakes High School sophomore Sophie Christianson early Wednesday during the semifinal round, Simek again would never look back, building her lead to three after seven holes.

Christianson clawed her way back into contention by winning the eighth and 10th holes to pull within one, but Simek pulled away by winning three consecutive holes to capture the victory, 4 and 2, to reach the finals.

Squaring off against the tournament’s top seed in Cook in Wednesday’s afternoon round, Simek struck first by winning the third hole with a par and wouldn’t give up her lead over the next 13 holes, despite Cook making a late charge to cut Simek’s lead to one after the 14th.

Simek slammed the door with a par at the 15th and a birdie at the 16th to close out the championship with a victory, 3 and 2.