Longbella cruises to State Amateur title
RIVER HILLS - Thomas Longbella found the key to finally breaking through and winning the Wisconsin State Amateur golf tournament.
Just pull away from the entire field and leave nothing to chance.
Longbella polished off a dominant performance at Milwaukee Country Club on Thursday, shooting a 1-under par 69 in the fourth round for a 10-stroke victory.
On a tough course, the Chippewa Falls native shot every round under par and finished with a 274 total.
Hoisting the trophy was a big moment for Longbella after coming so close in recent State Amateurs. In 2016 , he had a lead going into final round but couldn't close. In 2018, he lost in a playoff to Harrison Ott. Last year, he tied for sixth.
"I haven't really won any big amateur tournaments," Longbella said. "Played really good junior golf and got used to winning.
"And then out here I've gotten close a bunch. But eight-hole playoff ... lost in that. Lost down the stretch of another State Am. It feels good to have a game plan this week and I just played better than everyone else, it didn't come down to the wire. Which is nice."
Longbella, who will return for a fifth season at the University of Minnesota after the coronavirus pandemic cut short his senior campaign, entered the fourth round with a six-stroke lead and could play with a free mind.
"I hit 16 greens today," he said. "I was aiming like I was all week. It was just the same day, honestly.
"A couple mistakes, there was a three-putt, but overall it was middle-ofthe-green golf and then see how many 20-footers I can get to go in."
The only disappointment for Longbella was that his 10-stroke victory fell just short of Tom Strong's tournament record for the largest margin of victory set at 11 in 1994.
Longbella had three bogeys in the fourth round, including on the final hole.
But that paled in comparison to the joy he felt when he tapped in a short putt to finish off his round.
"I loved it," Longbella said. "That's what I wanted. I mean, it's not that I don't like the pressure. But I think I'm good enough to not have to feel like that.
"In the past, it was almost like I played down to get in the playoff. I had a one-stroke lead at Minocqua (in 2018) and bogeyed the last (hole) to get in the playoff. I think this week I just tried to put that out of my head and think about me playing the golf course."
Longbella joined Bob Gregorski, Mark Wilson, Steve Stricker and Hunter Eichhorn as the only Wisconsin golfers to win State Amateur and Wisconsin State Golf Association Junior Championship titles.
Longbella also won the 2013 WIAA Division 3 title at McDonnell Central Catholic High School.
Tyler Leach and Nate Thomson finished tied for second at 284.
"Coming into the day, I knew six back (of Longbella) was a lot," said Leach, who plays at Marquette University. "And I was probably going to need help from him if I wanted to come back.
"And he pretty much played flawless. He played really well."