When it comes down to the stretch run of the Colorado PGA Professional Championship, nothing has been simple the last two years.
Late last summer, the top two contestants played the 18th hole four times, including three in a riveting sudden-death playoff, before Chris Johnson prevailed for the title.
This year, it looked like the quest for the trophy would be relatively uneventful as Rob Hunt (pictured) held a four-stroke lead on the 17th hole of the final round.
But Mother Nature had other ideas. Lightning descended on Eisenhower Golf Club before the leaders could finish, and it took 3 1/2 hours between the final threesome’s approach shots on the 17th hole and their final putt on the 18th. When play did resume about three hours after it was halted, there was a lot of squeegee work done just to make the final two greens puttable as a deluge had pushed things beyond the saturation point. In addition, the last hole-plus was played in a drenching rain.
But for Hunt, an assistant professional at The Links Golf Course in Highlands Ranch, it was all worth the wait.
Hunt claimed the title for the second time in three years, becoming the sixth player to win more than one CPGA Professional Championship. The others are Bill Loeffler (three titles), Ken Krieger (three), Ron Vlosich (three), Mike Zaremba (two) and Jack Sommers (two).
“That’s pretty neat,” Hunt said. “I heard a couple of guys being called to the tee who had multiple wins in this event, and to be included in that list is pretty awesome, pretty cool.”
The 32-year-old closed with a 1-under-par 71 Wednesday to post an 11-under 205 total on the Blue Course, good for a three-stroke victory and the $7,000 first prize. Caine Fitzgerald of Murphy Creek Golf Course took second place for the second straight year, sharing the runner-up spot this time with John Ogden of Cherry Hills Country Club. Fitzgerald carded a nifty 65 on Wednesday, while Ogden had a 70.
The top seven finishers in this week’s tournament qualified for the 2012 PGA Professional National Championship, which will take place June 24-27 in Seaside, Calif. Those qualifiers were Hunt, Fitzgerald, Ogden, Micah Rudosky of Conquistador (209), Johnson (212), Shawn Wills of Lakewood Country Club (213) and Barry Milstead of Valley Country Club (213). Mike Northern of Valley Hi Golf Course (213), who competed in this year’s PGA Championship, was already in the national field.
Earning spots in the national tournament is no small matter because the top 20 finishers there land berths in the 2012 PGA Championship.
But for Hunt, who held at least a share of the lead each day, by far the biggest priority was the overall championship in the $50,000 tournament.
“It’s always hard to win a tournament for the second time,” the Highlands Ranch resident said. “But it’s hard to win the first one, too. Regardless of when you win, it’s fun.”
Ogden (pictured at left) was in second place for much of the day on Wednesday, but he couldn’t cut his deficit to fewer than three strokes.
Hunt “is a fine player and even a better young man,” Ogden said. “I told him, ‘I’m not in your class.’ He’s a cool customer and a fine player. He’s a well deserved two-time champion.”
Hunt, who entered the day with a four-shot lead, never was seriously challenged on Wednesday. On the final nine holes — the front nine at the Blue Course — a birdie by Ogden followed shortly thereafter by a three-putt bogey by Hunt narrowed the margin to three with six holes left. But the par-5 14th hole — No. 5 — effectively ended what suspense there was. There, Hunt hit a 4-hybrid from 237 yards to just in front of the green, and he chipped in for eagle from 25 feet. And with Ogden scrambling for par, the margin went from three to five.
“That deflated me because that’s a hole I can get on the green (in two),” Ogden said. “I didn’t hit a good tee shot there and I was lucky to make 5.”
Said Hunt: “Knowing that I had five shots to work with and four holes to go made it a little more comfortable. From that point, it was, ‘Stay out of trouble, get the ball in the fairway, get it on the green and don’t beat myself.'”
Fitzgerald, who started the day in ninth place, steadily moved up the leaderboard with an eight-birdie day, and he was one ahead of Ogden when the last two groups had to wait out the weather delay. But despite dealing with drenched greens and a constant soaking rain, Ogden finished par-birdie, draining a 25-foot birdie from behind the green on the final hole.
“That could be some of the worst conditions I’ve ever had to play in,” he said. “I wanted to win, and at that point I didn’t have a chance to win the golf tournament. I let that get away in the early and middle parts of the round. But it was a nice way to finish. It’s better to finish tied for second than third, that’s for sure.”
Hunt, meanwhile, overcame a missed 2-foot par putt on the 17th hole following the weather delay to make a routine par to close the tournament.
“The lead was comfortable enough, (so) I just wanted to get done — get it over with,” he said. “It was tough, pretty nasty.”
But soon after, he had another trophy to show for it all (pictured at left).
For scores from the Colorado PGA Professional Championship, CLICK HERE.
