Of all the significant statistics to come out of the 2009 HealthOne Colorado Open, this one might be the most telling about what kind of week it was for Derek Tolan:
His closest challenger, John Douma, birdied nine of his last 10 holes on Sunday, shot 29 on the back nine at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club “¦ and still lost to Tolan by four strokes.
“It was like chasing a bullet,” Douma said of Tolan.
Tolan, less than two months into his pro career, chalked up his second victory of the summer — and by far the biggest one of his life — with a record-setting performance at GVR.
“This is kind of like a major for me,” he said after collecting a check for $23,000. “This is one I’ve always wanted to win, for sure, ever since I first played it. I”˜d watch the leaders come in on Sunday, and I was so envious. It makes me appreciate it that much more now.”
The 23-year-old from Highlands Ranch, one of the youngest players ever to win the Open, demolished the old 72-hole scoring record for the tournament by five strokes. Tolan, who led wire to wire this week, gave his competition no chance on Sunday, shooting a 7-under-par 64, good for a 22-under 262 total.
To put that into perspective, the 2008 Colorado Open winner finished 15 shots higher than Tolan did this year.
“I’m not going to be surprised if I see him playing on the PGA Tour next year,” said Phoenix pro Chris Kamin, who played the final two rounds with Tolan and finished fifth.
Douma, with his phenomenal late run, matched Tolan’s final-round 64 to place second, making former University of Colorado golfers 1-2 in the overall results. As for Douma himself, he’s finished second four times and first one in the last five Colorado Opens.
Former PGA Tour player Brian Kortan (65 Sunday) and Andrew Landry of Beaumont, Texas (a tournament-best 63) tied for third place at 269.
Tolan, who was born in Denver and raised in Highlands Ranch, was the first Colorado resident since Pueblo West’s Dustin White in 2006 to win the Open, and it showed in the larger-than-normal gallery on Sunday.
“This is so sentimental, growing up here,” Tolan said of his victory. “I’ve always read the record books for this tournament. And it was great having so many friends and family out there.”
Tolan certainly put on a good show for the gallery. With a pre-tournament goal of shooting 20 under for the week, he birdied the first three holes Sunday and played the front nine in 5-under-par 31, reaching the 20 under mark at that point.
Tolan reset his goal for 24 under and never was seriously challenged on the back nine despite Douma’s remarkable finish. When Douma three-putted and Kamin four-putted the 12th green, both for double bogey, Tolan held a seven-shot lead over Landry.
Douma’s double bogey was the only score he posted other than a birdie from hole No. 9 on. Every birdie putt was 10 feet or less.
“On the back nine, I struck the ball probably the best I ever have,” Douma said. “I was saying that I needed to throw a Calcavecchia at him (Mark Calcavecchia set a Tour record with nine straight birdies at the Canadian Open over the weekend). And I almost did except for the double bogey. I put some pressure on Derek, but he answered every time. I’m proud of him as a person and as a Buff. He has an attitude that’s well beyond his age. He obviously knows how to play with the pressure on and with the lead. I was very impressed.”
How solid was Tolan? Over the course of the tournament, he made an eagle, 23 birdies and just three bogeys (none on Sunday).
“I’ve had a lot of second-place finishes, and I know if you get lackadaisical, you’re vulnerable,” Tolan said. “So I wanted to keep the foot on the gas because if you let up you get smoked. “¦ I was real proud of myself because even when I had a (seven) shot lead, it didn”˜t cross my mind to lay back.”
Tolan was still making highlights late in the round, holing out a sand shot for birdie on No. 15 and making a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 16.
While Tolan was happy with the way he performed, he was amazed at Douma’s incredible finish, even if it still didn’t get Douma back into contention.
“Forget what I did, I’m still in shock at what John did,” Tolan said.
Douma has now finished second, second, first, second and second in the last five years at the Open.
“If I stick with that pattern, I should win again next year,” the 35-year-old said.
Between what Tolan and Douma were doing, the third player in their group, Kamin, became an afterthought.
“I was just hanging around as a spectator,” he said.
Only once since 1980 has a Colorado Open victory margin been larger than Tolan’s. Wil Collins won by six strokes in 2005.
COLORADO OPEN NOTES: CGA executive director Ed Mate on Sunday became the 10th winner of the Robert M. Kirchner Award, named for the founder of the Colorado Open. The award is given to an individual who has “contributed greatly to amateur golf, professional golf and/or tournament golf in the state of Colorado.” “¦ University of Wyoming golfer Gabe Maier claimed low amateur honors on Sunday. Maier birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Matt Schovee of Cherry Hills Village. Both players finished at 3-under-par 281, tying for 28th place overall. “¦ With the $13,000 John Douma won for finishing second Sunday, he overtook four-time Open champion Dave Hill on the all-time Open money list. Douma moved into third place (behind Bill Loeffler and Jim Blair) all-time with $73,540.50. “¦ Derek Tolan’s swing instructor, John Ward of Denver, attended the Colorado Open earlier in the week but wasn’t able to make it out to GVR on Sunday. Ward was scheduled to leave for the U.S. Senior Open in Carmel, Ind., where he will compete July 30-Aug. 2.
