ALEXANDRIA — Even legends have to lose sometimes, including Jon Empanger of Chaska.
Empanger, who has 11 Resorters trophies overall and a three-year streak of successfully defending the Men’s Masters Division, lost Friday at the Alexandria Golf Club. His opponent was no slouch. Tom Ryan won the whole shebang in the Men’s Masters in 2021.
Ryan, the 6th seed, and Greg Mattson, the No. 4th seed, will square off this afternoon to determine the Men’s Masters champion. Here’s how they got there:
Mattson def. Ancona in 19 holes
Greg Mattson putts on the No. 8 green at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 8, 2025.
Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
Mattson took the first lead, a birdie on No. 1, but Peter Ancona quickly erased that with a par win on No. 2 to draw even. Both golfers tied the next three holes with two pars and a bogey. Ancona broke the streak of ties by winning No. 6 with a birdie. Mattson rallied back with a birdie win on No. 7 and a par win on No. 8, which put him 1-up. It stayed that way when they both bogeyed No. 9.
After swapping bogeys and birdies on Nos. 11 and 12, Ancona squared the match with a birdie on No. 12. They tied on No. 13 with pars and No. 14 with bogey. Ancona won Nos. 15 and 16 with pars, but the momentum shifted quickly when Mattson won No. 17 with par and No. 18 with birdie. This tied the match and brought on extra holes, where Mattson prevailed on the next hole.
Ryan def. Empanger, 2-up
Jon Empanger putts from just off the No. 8 green at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 8, 2025.
Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
In a tightly played shoot-out, when every shot mattered, it all boiled down to the 18th hole. Ryan was 2-up heading into No. 17. In typical Empanger style, Empanger birdied the par-3 hole to get within one. But Ryan wasn’t going to let this match slip away. He birdied No. 18 to win it.
The match was close all the way. None of them were behind by more than two strokes. Empanger took the lead on No. 2 with par. Ryan’s par won No. 14 and tied the game. Empanger surged ahead again with a par on No. 5. After tying the next three holes, Ryan made a clutch par on No. 9 to tie the match at the turn.
Peter Ancona hits a pitch shot from just beyond the No. 8 green at the Alexandria Golf Club on Aug. 8, 2025.
Sam Stuve / Alexandria Echo Press
Ryan jumped into the lead for the first time with a birdie on No. 10. After shooting nothing but 6s on the next two holes, Ryan delivered a birdie win on No. 13 to go 2-up. Empanger won No. 14 with par and tied Ryan’s bogey on No. 15. Ryan took No. 16 with a birdie to go 2-up, setting up those final two holes that led to his win.
MEN’S MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP
12:45 p.m. Greg Mattson vs. Tom Ryan
Al Edenloff is the editor of the twice-weekly Echo Press. He started his journalism career when he was in 10th grade, writing football and basketball stories for the Parkers Prairie Independent.
