Erickson is champ

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Aug. 2, 1998

By Devlyn Brooks

Bemidji's Steve Erickson finally shook off his championship hex, as he ended fellow local Paul Daman's Cinderella Birchmont run Saturday at Bemidji Town & Country Club.

Erickson, who was the Men's Championship Division runner-up at the annual Birchmont Golf Tournament in 1996 and 1997, finally captured his first title by defeating Daman in front of a large, hometown gallery.

Daman, who had never gotten past the first day of match play ever in the Birchmont Men's Division, turned in a gutsy performance which surprised many spectators who had thought Erickson was a shoe-in in the title match.

It took Erickson all 18 holes to turn back Daman 1-up, after he had led most of the day 2-up without much reason to worry.

Erickson took the lead after sinking a birdie putt on the second green, putting him 1-up after both golfers had parred the first hole.

On the second hole, it looked like it could be a long day for Daman when he had a shaky tee shot for the second consecutive hole. However, his driver would remain spotty the rest of his match, but never put him out of contention for winning the championship.

The two finalists then pushed Holes 3, 4 and 5 to make the match 1-up in Erickson's favor after five.

Then last year's runner-up would add to his lead on the sixth, when he nailed a par, and Daman finished with a double-bogey.

The score would remain that way for what seemed like eternity, as each of the golfers parred Holes 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.

Throughout the stretch, Daman made one miraculous shot after another to recover from disastrous tee shots that often left him under trees and at the very least, off the fairway.

But the rough play never ate him up, even after missing a 4-foot birdie putt on nine and a 2-foot birdie putt on No. 14 that would have brought the score back to 1-up and even, respectively.

The match grew to a climax on No. 16 when Daman hit left of the fairway again with his first shot, and Erickson applied more pressure by sticking his second shot on the green.

Daman, however, calmly knocked his second shot, which was hidden behind a tree, onto the green and proceeded to drop in a birdie putt that closed the match to 1-up in favor of Erickson going into 17.

Daman once again made it interesting on 17, when he missed a birdie putt by two feet, and later parred the hole, forcing the match to the 18th.

On No. 18, however, Erickson showed why he has played in the last three consecutive Men's finals, when he took his second shot, which had gone wide right onto the next fairway, up and over a row of pine trees and a right-side bunker to place it on the green.

Erickson parred the hole, and so did Daman, ending the match 1-up in Erickson's favor.

"He's (Daman) got a lot of imagination around those trees and even on the fairway," Erickson said of Daman's championship round after receiving his trophy. "He's a heck of a scrambler, but you have to expect your opponent to make their shot. That's how I played."

Erickson said he had played well all week, and especially during his middle matches during which he defeated his opponents 7 and 5 and 4 and 3.

"This was a little bit of a dream come true, because growing up in Bemidji, you always dream of winning the Birchmont," he said. "You always dream of walking up the 18th with a big gallery cheering you on, and then you win it by putting on the 18th green."

1998 Tournament results:

Monday-Tuesday (Qualifying Rounds):

Kris Kroetsch (Grand Forks, N.D.) 70-71--141

Pete Passolt (Minnesapolis) 72-70--142

JP Prenevost (LeSuer) 68-75--143

John Carlson (Bagley) 74-69--143

Drew Corwin (Fargo, N.D.) 69-74--143

Kevin Krigbaum (Bemidji) 71-73--144

Matt Mayer (Fargo, N.D.) 70-74--144

Joe Christianson (Halstad) 71-74--145

Bob Brink (Bemidji) 74-71--145

Paul Daman (Bemidji) 71-74--145

Mychal Gorden (Detroit Lakes) 70-75--145

Steve Erickson (Bemidji) 73-73--146

Tom Jenkins (Bemidji) 73-73--146

Bill Hagen (Roseau) 71-76-147

Guy Strandemo (Walker) 73-74--147

Mike Berg (Detroit Lakes) 71-76-147

Lance Thompson (Detroit Lakes) 75-74--149

John Kieber (LeSuer) 74-75--149

Jason Cossette (Fargo, N.D.) 75-75--150

Steve Dick (Plymouth) 77-73--150

Jim Strandemo (Bemidji) 75-75--150

Robert Trenda (Owatonna) 74-77--151

Rick Passolt (Eden Prairie) 72-79--151

Eric Niskanen (Bemidji) 76-75--151

Jay Cavanagh (Perham) 77-75--152

Jay Ross (Blackduck) 77-75--152

Jeffery Tweeton (Perham) 72-80--152

Chad Gustafson (Forest Lake) 76-76--152

Adam Nordin (Thief River Falls) 75-78--153

Hans Anderson (Zumbrota) 76-78--154

Matthew Peterson (Fargo, N.D.) 77-77--154

Brian Reagan (St. Paul) 76-78--154

Wednesday (First Round):

Kroetsch def. Anderson, 3 and 2

Hagen def. Thompson, 1-up

Christianson def. Cavanagh, 2 and 1

Brink def. Trenda, 2 and 1

Prenevost def. Nordin, 5 and 3

Erickson def. Cossette, 1-up

Carlson def. Ross, 2 and 1

Jenkins def. Dick, 2 and 1

Peterson def. Passolt, 2 and 1

G. Strandemo def. Kieber, 1-up

Tweeton def. Krigbaum, 1-up

Daman def. Passolt, 20 holes

Corwin def. Reagan, 6 and 5

J. Strandemo def. Berg, 4 and 5

Mayer def. Gustafson, 3 and 2

Gorden def. Kiskanen, 6 and 5

Thursday (Second Round):

Kroetsch fef. Hagen, 3 and 2

Brink def. Christianson, 24 holes

Erickson def. Prenevost, 7 and 5

Jenkins def. Carlson, 3 and 2

G. Strandemo def. Peterson, 6 and 5

Daman def. Tweeton, 1-up

Corwin def. J. Strandemo, 2 and 1

Mayer def. Gorden, 21 holes.

Friday (Quarterfinals):

Brink def. Kroetsch, 2 and 1

Erickson def. Jenkins, 4 and 3

Daman def. G. Strandemo, 4 and 3

Mayer def. Corwin, 2 and 1

Saturday (semifinals):

Erickson def. Brink, 2-up

Daman def. Mayer, 1-up

Saturday (Championship):

Erickson def. Daman, 1-up