The 2020 Men’s Club Championship continues
Last week, on the Little River Golf Course stage, the curtain fell on the final act of the 2020 Little River Men’s Club Championship. As required for the Scratch Championship, the two participants must play 36 consecutive holes.
It is a challenge, as both players conceded, to rein in focus for that many holes and to conserve energy so there is something left in the tank on the home stretch. Our two competitors, first-seeded Bill Brekhus, and sixthseeded Zack Brooks did a fine job in both categories.
On the first nine, Zack took an early one-up birdieing the second hole. Bill brought the match back to even parring seven to Zack’s bogey but on hole nine, Zack got the one-up back with another birdie. On ten, Zack added to his lead parring with Bill scoring a bogey and then Bill found a rhythm winning the next four holes bringing him to two-up.
Both parred 16, with Bill birdieing 17 going threeup. Now it was Zack’s turn winning the final back nine two holes with a par and a birdie making Bill one-up to conclude the first eighteen.
With nary a moment’s rest, the two players, Bill accompanied by Wally Walker and Zack by his father Paul, returned to the first tee and began again. Not wasting any time, Bill
added to his lead parring one to Zack’s five. Both players double bogeyed hole two — What!! — then on three, Zack regained his composure making it
Bill one-up.
By the end of the front nine of the second 18, Bill was up-two and quickly doubled his lead taking holes ten and eleven. Bill and Zack scored the same on the next two holes then Zack found his stroke birdieing 15 and 16 and winning the 17th bringing the match back to Bill up-one with one hole to play. If Zack could find a way to win the final hole the match would go into overtime.
Zack teed up, concentrated, and sent his ball soaring to the right looking like it went out-of-bounds. Bill kept his ball in the middle and the match was effectively over. Wow, drama — back and forth. Well played, Bill and Zack and congratulations to our 2020 Champion Bill Brekhus. Bill is a repeat winner, winning the Championship in 2006.
In the handicap division of the Club Championship Mr. Terry Stratton, and David Coddington had a similarly dramatic round. Terry found himself four holes down with four to go. An impossible challenge but Terry managed to birdie three holes in a row opening the opportunity to tie the match if he could win the last hole.
On 18, David hooked his drive into the ninth fairway with Terry banging a nice drive down the middle just short of the trap. Hope! Terry bladed his chip over the top of the green and.. agh! David, the sixth seed, won the match and will face Don Romelli, 12th seed, in the final.
Good round guys, and congratulations David!