Rapid City golfer Mike Brummer watches his drive sail from the 11th tee box during the final round of the South Dakota Golf Association Men's Senior Championship on Sunday afternoon. Brummer shot 70 on Sunday to claim his third straight SDGA Men's Senior Championship, a state record. (Dick Kettlewell/Journal staff)
RAPID CITY - Rapid City golfer Mike Brummer quickly erased a five-shot deficit and then cruised to his record third consecutive SDGA Senior Championship victory on Sunday at Arrowhead Country Club.
Brummer's tournament-low, 1-under-par 70 in the final round gave him a 7-over 149 total and a four-shot victory over Rapid City's Marv White. In addition to finishing runner-up, the 72-year-old White also claimed his second career 70-and-over title with an 11-over 153 total, including a 77 Sunday.
Brummer said it felt great to overcome an opening-round 79 and take home the first-place hardware.
"After (Saturday), I went home going 'oh my goodness, what did you do?,'" Brummer said of his first round. "It was just one of those rounds where somebody says, 'what'd you do wrong?' - I said 'everything.'"
Brummer, playing in the third-to-last group, opened with seven straight pars Sunday, before getting a birdie on the par-4 eighth hole and another par on the ninth.
"I played really good on the front," Brummer said. "I hit my driver really well - it was in play. And, I finally made a putt on No. 8 that broke the ice.
"And then on the backside, I thought I hit a great shot on 10 … I bogeyed it. But then I played consistent the rest of the way around."
Brummer birdied the 11th and 15th holes, but also made a couple big par saves on his way in. His second shot from 185 yards on the par-5 14th found the water, however, he was able to get it up-and-down for par after his drop. Brummer hit two bunkers on the par-4 16th hole but still managed par.
"My game today was solid," added Brummer, who entered the 18th hole with a five-shot lead before making his second bogey of the day.
First-round leader Ray Spellman of Spearfish saw his five-shot lead over Brummer turn into a two-shot deficit by the time he reached the 10th tee. Spellman (80) wound up in a tie for third at 12-over 154 with 2003 champion Lee Brandt (75) of Sioux Falls.
White started the day in a tie for second with Custer's Dale Schaffer, two behind Spellman.
"I didn't play very well on the frontside, but I played good on the backside," White said. "I would have liked to have played a little better to give Mike a little better run, but that's alright.
"He (Brummer) is the best player around by a long ways. Don't let anybody kid you, he's a good player."
David Howard (76) of Dakota Dunes rounded out the top-5 with a 14-over 156 total.
Sioux Falls' Steve Dietrich (79), who will be representing South Dakota at the USGA Senior Amateur on Sept. 1-6 at Flint Hills National Golf Club in Andover, Kan., tied for seventh at 16-over 158.
Rapid City's Ray Strand, the 2004 winner, wound up in 10th with a 17-over 159 total.
Since turning 55 in the summer of 2005, Brummer in 4-for-4 in SDGA senior events - he also won last year's Senior Two-Man Championship with Aberdeen's Steve Pelzl. Sunday was also Brummer's 12th career SDGA title, which is fourth all-time, two behind Sioux Falls' Anne Borgman (14).
The Mid-Amateur and Senior Two-Man Championships will be on Sept. 7-8 at Brandon Golf Course.
Note: Entering this year's tournament, five players had won back-to-back SDGA Senior Championships - Sioux Falls' Phil Donohue (1969-70 and 1972-73), Marv Widness (1983-84 and 1986-87) and Ray Laird III (1998-99), and Rapid City's Wayne Young (1976-77) and Brummer (2005-06). Donohue and Widness have won the tourney a record five-times each.
Posted in Local on Sunday, August 26, 2007 11:00 pm
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