Chris Haugen's last seven holes in the Men's Senior quarterfinal round were something to remember.
JT Johnson went into the qualifiers as one of the favorites, and he proved it by earning medalist honors. But even he couldn't slow down Haugen -- the 2017 and 2018 division champ -- on the back nine. The 25th seed birdied five of the last seven holes to punch his ticket to the semifinals.
Waiting for him is another familiar name in Mike Herzog, who survived a match against Mark Knutson. The Herzog family is well represented once again this year, with Madison still alive in the Women's Championship and Michael in the Men's Regular Division.
Mark Lindberg and Mark Frie make up the other semifinal match heading into Friday's final four showdown. Here's how the Men's Senior quarterfinal round shook out from the first tee.
Haugen def. JT Johnson, 5-3
JT Johnson didn't have his typical precision, but it might not have mattered if he did. Chris Haugen took a one-hole lead to the turn after a birdie on No. 9 and never looked back.
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Haugen birdied on back-to-back holes after the turn before sinking two more on Nos. 14 and 15 to clinch the upset. Despite four bogeys on the front nine, Haugen finished the 15-hole round at one-under-par.
Johnson opened his round with four straight bogeys but was even par the rest of the day. He erased two back-nine bogeys with birdies on Nos. 10 and 14.
Herzog def. Mark Knutson, 3-2
Mike Herzog and Mark Knutson each had a bogey-free back nine, but Knutson needed a little more.
Herzog started his day with back-to-back birdies to go up by one. Another birdie on No. 6 put him 2-up before Knutson's double bogey on No. 9 put Herzog in firm control of the match.
Both golfers started the back nine with a pair of pars and birdies on No. 12. Knutson birdied No. 14 but couldn't find any more magic to keep his title hopes alive. Herzog finished two-under-par through 15 holes while Knutson was even.
Lindberg def. Mike Johnson, 6-4
There wasn't an ounce of daylight for Mike Johnson in his match against Mark Lingberg.
After Lingberg bogeyed No. 2, he went on to birdie five holes in a 6-4 victory. In the 14-hole round, Lindberg was 4-under-par, with birdies on Nos. 5, 9, 11, 13 and 14.
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Johnson has nothing to hang his head about after falling to Lindberg. A pair of bogeys on Nos. 1 and 2 were his only blemishes in an otherwise promising round. Lindberg will take on Mark Frie for a chance to clinch a spot in the final.
Frie def. Frieburg, 1-up
Down by a hole with only 18 to play, Richard Frieburg's late birdie would typically be enough to force a playoff. But a clutch birdie at the hands of Mark Frie ended the match in regulation.
Frie and Frieburg saw one-hole-leads disappear six times on Thursday afternoon with neither golfer ever building more than a one-hole advantage. Frieburg was up and down all day. Despite birdies on five holes, he finished the round 1-over par.
With the match squared to start the back nine, Frie's seventh consecutive par gave him a 1-hole lead. However, a bogey on No. 12 squared the match again. After a birdie to retake the lead on No. 14, Frie bogeyed again on Nos. 15 and 16 to square the contest.
Frieburg made back-to-back bogeys of his own on Nos. 16 and 17 to hand the lead to Frie once again. Both birdied No. 18 – resulting in a 1-up victory to Frie.
Frie will take on Lindburg Friday afternoon.
