08/21/06
Oneonta man has nerve to win Cup
Brunswick, 26, earns Otsego amateur golf title at 2-under par
LOCAL GOLF — OTSEGO COUNTY AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
By P.J. Harmer
Staff Writer
COOPERSTOWN — Ryan Brunswick even beat the jitters Sunday.
Despite opening the second day of the Otsego County Amateur Golf Championship with back-to-back bogeys, Oneonta resident Brunswick rallied for a 1-under-par 71 at the Leatherstocking Golf Course to win his first Atchinson Cup.
"The first two holes, I was nervous," said Brunswick, who took the first-day lead Saturday with a 1-under 71 at the Oneonta Country Club. "After a par (on No. 3), I settled down. Then I birdied No. 5, relaxed and knew my game was ba[an error occurred while processing this directive]ck."
Ike Lovelass and Rich Couch each finished four strokes behind Brunswick, who is the first Otsego County Amateur champion to finish under par (2-under 142) since Bruce Miller won in 2001 with a 5-under 139.
Brunswick, 26, entered Sunday’s final round with a one-stroke lead over Lovelass. Couch, Frank Vergari and defending champion Matt Schulte were another stroke back.
The leaderboard quickly changed, though, as Lovelass parred the first two holes at Leatherstocking. Brunswick’s bogeys dropped him into a second-place tie with Schulte, who also started Sunday with two pars.
Brunswick battled back into a tie for first with two pars and a birdie on the 396-yard, par-4 fifth hole. Lovelass parred all three holes to keep a share of the lead, and Schulte followed suit to remain one stroke back.
"Ryan played very well," said Lovelass, who won the Otsego County Amateur in 2003. "He started rough, but we couldn’t get enough birdies to make it matter."
Schulte dropped five strokes behind with an 8 on the 362-yard, par-4 sixth hole.
"It’s not a smart play and I kind of pushed it and left it out there," Schulte said of his tee shot, which he failed to properly fade as it landed in a hazard on the right side. "I didn’t play the hole very smart."
Schulte finished the front nine 5-over, then bogeyed two of the first three holes on the back en route to a three-way tie for fifth.
"I knew there’s always a chance (to recover) because there were a lot of holes to play," said Schulte, who tied Vergari and Justin Harris at 151. "But it’s hard to stay enthusiastic after a hole like that. I guess I didn’t fight as much as I should have."
The co-leaders parred the sixth before Brunswick took the lead for good with a par on the seventh. Lovelass bogeyed the 404-yard, par-4 hole and trailed the rest of the way.
"My strategy was going for the center of the greens," said Brunswick, who birdied the 11th, 14th and 15th holes and bogeyed No. 16. "I was putting well enough that I could get it close enough and not three-putt. I didn’t fire at the pins, I went center and two putts. ... The two rounds I had putting were the best I’ve had in a long time."
Miller rebounded from a 4-over 76 at the OCC with an even-par 72 at Leatherstocking to finish fourth overall.
OTSEGO COUNTY AMATEUR
Results Saturday and Sunday of the Otsego County Amateur Golf Championship. The par-72 Oneonta Country Club hosted Round 1 on Saturday. The par-72 Leatherstocking Golf Course in Cooperstown hosted Round 2 on Sunday.
Place, Player Par R1-R2—Total
1, Ryan Brunswick -2 71-71—142
T2, Rich Couch +2 73-73—146
T2, Ike Loveless +2 72-74—146
4, Bruce Miller +4 76-72—148
T5, Justin Harris +7 79-72—151
T5, Frank Vergari +7 73-78—151
T5, Matt Schulte +7 73-78—151
8, Mike Schulte +9 78-75—153
9, Dallas Pylinski +11 79-73—155
10, Steve Torrey +12 77-73—156
11, Curtis Bailey +15 78-73—159
12, Kahle Harris +20 79-73—164
