The 2024 Resorters Men’s Senior League trophy battle is between two contenders: No. 19 seed Steve Berg and No. 5 seed Cory Schultz.

Both advanced to the finals after fierce competitions that lasted 17 holes.

Neither of them had ever won this division before.

They will tee off at No. 1 on Saturday at 12:45 p.m.

Let’s take a look at the semi-final matches played on Friday:

Schultz beats Heimsness 2-1

Schultz beat fourth seed Daniel Ystebo 1-0 in the quarterfinals, while his next opponent, Eric Heimsness, also faced a tough fight.

Heimsness won the first hole with a birdie but bogeyed the next five holes. Schultz parred three of them, winning holes 2 and 4 with pars and winning hole 5 with a stylish birdie to move into 2-up.

Heimsness’ birdie on the Minnesota Green at No. 7 brought him within one hole, but Schultz’s par on the 9th hole gave him a two-hole lead at the turn.

Heimsness started the back nine with a birdie, just as he had started the front. He cut Schultz’s lead to one, but Schultz did not waver. He took the 11th with a par to move back up to 2-all.

Schultz tied the par-5 No. 12 with birdies, then made par on No. 13 to go 3-up. But, as he had done throughout the match, Heimsness stayed within striking distance of Schultz’s par on No. 14, and his par on No. 15 cut the deficit to two. They tied the next two holes with pars, giving Schultz a 2-1 victory.

Jake Sutherlin / Alexandria Echo Press

Berg beat Larson 2-1

In the quarterfinals, Berg had to get past Jim Lehman, but rose to the challenge and won 2–1. His next opponent, Mike Larson, put him through the same 17-hole ordeal.

After parring the first hole, Berg’s par on No. 2 gave him his first lead. They both made par on No. 3 and bogeyed No. 4. Berg made birdie on No. 5 to pull ahead and move 2-up.

The golfers tied par putts on the next two holes before Berg won the 8th hole with a par putt to put him ahead.

By three. Larson won the 9th hole to cut the lead to two.

After going through the tunnel, they made pars on holes 10 and 11. Larson closed the gap to one with a birdie on the par-5 No. 12. Both made pars on holes 13 and 14, and it was still anyone’s match. Berg made a critical birdie on hole 15 that put him 2-up.

Berg made only pars on the next two holes and finished the match with a 2-1 score.

Al Edenloff is the editor of the twice-weekly Echo Press. He began his journalism career in the 10th grade writing football and basketball stories for the Parkers Prairie Independent.