Hill wins four-hole playoff on No. 18
WHITECAP DAKOTA FIRST NATION — A horse, standing behind the winner on the 18th hole, said it all with a grunt-like groan following a gruelling marathon golf session here at Dakota Dunes Golf Links. “Phhhhhuuuuuggh.” The Canadian Tour’s 2012 Dakota Dunes Casino Open went into extra time here early Sunday evening with a four-hole playoff. For the first time in five years since the tournament was resurrected at the Dakota Dunes Golf Links, a playoff was needed.
Also for the first time in five years, a Canadian won the event.
Matt Hill, a 23-year-old from Sarnia, Ont., captured the $24,000 first-place cheque by surviving a gruelling playoff with former PGA Tour player Will Strickler of Texas. Both golfers finished the tournament at 19-under par through four rounds.
One week earlier, Hill lost in a playoff to Cory Renfrew at the Syncrude Boreal Open in Fort McMurray, Alta.
“I’ve been knocking on the door the last couple of weeks and obviously just missed out last week, so that kind of makes this feel much better winning this week,” said Hill, who had rounds of 6768-66-68 for a 269 total.
It was his first win since his NCAA days at North Carolina State.
“I won a little pro-am, but I’m not really going to count that,” said Hill, a former NCAA individual national champion whose last win came about 2 1/2 years ago. “This feels awesome.” After coming up short on a 20-foot eagle putt for the win, Hill tapped in his birdie putt. Then, much to his relief, he avoided a fifth playoff hole on the par 5 No. 18 after watching Strickler miss on his five-foot birdie attempt.
Both golfers made pars on the first two extra holes and both birdied on the third try. It looked like another sawoff until Strickler missed on his short birdie putt.
After bogeys on two of his first five holes, Hill eventually got it going and finished with five of his six birdies coming on the last 13 holes.
Strickler, meanwhile, had six birdies while shooting a bogey-free 66 to force a playoff.
“I’m proud of myself for that,” he said. “I take a lot of positives out of today because I shot 6-under to get into the playoff after being three shots back to start the day … it’s my best finish as a pro, so I can take something from that.”
Strickler was 69-70-64-66 for a 269 total. “Probably my best chance (to win),” he said, “was in regulation.”
He had a 30-foot eagle putt right up the hill on No. 18 and thought he made it, but the ball burned the edge. The birdie still got him into a playoff. Strickler also missed an eagle chance, from about 15 feet out, to win on the third playoff hole.
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In the playoffs, a few of Strickler’s approach shots were long.
“I had eight-iron or seven-iron in (from 200-205 yards) and the ball was going forever,” he said. “I kept hitting it long and I couldn’t believe it.”
“I HAD EIGHT-IRON OR SEVEN-IRON IN AND THE BALL WAS GOING FOREVER.”
WILL STRICKLER
At one point late Sunday afternoon, six golfers — Hill, Strickler, B.C.’s James Allenby, Mexico’s Jose de Jesus Rodriguez and Washington’s Joel Dahmen — were all tied for the lead at 17-under.
Dahmen (71-66-65-68), Allenby (69-67-65-69) and Rodriguez (6767-68-70) finished tied for third at 18-under 270.
First- round leader Michael Gligic, of Burlington, Ont., was seventh with a 17-under 271.
Creighton Honeck of Texas, Derek Gillespie of Oshawa, Ont., Wes Homan of Ohio and Tyler Harris of Florida were tied for eighth at 16-under. Homegrown Canucks have won every event thus far on the Canadian Tour this season. So far, every winner has been 26 years old or younger. It was the third straight week that a playoff was needed to decide the winner of the Canadian Tour.