Westmoreland tops Patriot tourney
Air Force senior wins 6-hole playoff
There aren’t too many better ways to end a year than with a victory, and Air Force Academy golfer Kyle Westmoreland finished 2013 in style by winning the Patriot All-America Invitational on the Gold Course at the Wigwam in Litchfield Park on Tuesday.
Honoring Air Force Maj. Lucas “Gaza” Gruenther, Westmoreland battled the University of Texas’ Toni Hakula through six playoff holes for what he called one of his craziest victories.
“I’ve never been in a playoff like this,” Westmoreland, a senior, said. “That was really neat for me ... playing with the lead coming into (Tuesday), you definitely feel the pressure.”
Entering the third and final round, Westmoreland had a 1-stroke lead at 4 under and was teeing off in the final group.
Before the round, he said he just wanted to keep it simple and let the rest handle itself.
“The goal is keep it in the fairway, hit some greens and make some putts,” Westmoreland said.
Although he didn’t start off the way he hoped — hitting his drive left and in the rough and bogeying the first hole — he finished the front nine at1under and in the lead.
Hakula finished the front nine at 1 over and at 1 under for the tournament.
The Longhorns senior from Finland rallied on the back nine, draining two big putts on 17 and 18 to finish at 4-under 67 to put the pressure on Westmoreland, who was one group back.
Westmoreland crushed his tee shot over 300 yards and got up and down for birdie to force a playoff.
“I didn’t know it was going to go into a playoff,” Westmoreland said of his birdie to tie Hakula. “I knew Toni had birdied 17 but didn’t know what he had done on 18.”
The playoff went six holes, playing No. 18 four times.
Both Hakula and Westmoreland each faced pressure during the playoff, whether it was a long putt or challenging shot.
But in the end, Westmoreland made the biggest shot, rolling his 140-yard approach from the fairway just over the hole within three feet.
After making so many clutch putts on the afternoon, Hakula would miss his 8-footer just left, while Westmoreland finished the playoff with a 3-foot birdie and the win.
More than the victory, Westmoreland was honored to represent his fallen hero, Gruenther, who passed away nearly a year ago.
“He was an F-16 pilot, and he died January of last year during some training exercises just outside of Italy,” he said.
“There are so many people here in this community that know exactly who he is. I was very happy that I was able to be the one to support him.”
Arizona State freshman Ki Taek Lee finished even for the day and tournament (68-72-70).
Chip shots
Krystal Quihuis of Tucson shot a 4-under 68 on Monday to win the Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler.
Quihuis, a two-time state highschool champion at Tucson Salpointe Catholic, finished the 54- hole tournament at 14-under 202, 3 shots ahead of Vanderbilt freshman Simin Feng, of Windermere, Fla., who shot a 68 on Monday.
» Craig Hocknull, the 2013 Southwest Section PGA Player of the Year and the Outback Golf Academy Director, will host a free golf trick shot show 4-8 p.m. Jan. 10 at Western Skies Golf Club in Gilbert.
More information: outback golfacademy.com.