Kuntz completes rare double-double

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This article was published 24/07/2022 (1397 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — Just when Braxton Kuntz looks human, he produces another magic moment that restores doubt.

While he puts his shoes on one foot at a time like the rest of us, he just pulled off something no one in this province has ever achieved.

Kuntz repeated as Golf Manitoba men’s amateur champion with a three-day total of 4-under 209 at Elmhurst Golf and CountryClub on Saturday. With his second-straight junior boys title at St. Charles Country Club last week, he’s the only player to defend both 100-year-old trophies in the same season.

“I didn’t really realize it was a record or anything until they told me so I guess that’s kind of cool to hear,” the 18-year-old said.

“But I mean, yeah, I’m happy that I’ve been able to perform really well in Golf Manitoba events. I look forward to them everyyear, I try to build my game up leading up to tournaments, so I think that’s why I’ve been able to have some success. It’s an honour to be able to win a couple of tournaments.”

It was far from Kuntz’s best stuff on Saturday. He scrambled early but missing greens caught up with him as he bogeyed thefourth and sixth holes then short-sided himself and carded his first double-bogey in the past two weeks of provincial championships.

Runner-up Marco Trstenjak, 22, seized the opportunity and walked in back-to-back birdies to make the turn just two shots back after starting the day a whopping six behind.

Time for the province’s best player to crumple, right? Nah, Kuntz stuffed a wedge shot to three feet and kicked in a birdie togo back up three.

“I thought at that moment we got to 10 I was like ‘I’m going to win this thing,’” Trstenjak said. “I hit a good shot in on 10there, just couldn’t convert and he made that a little bit tougher. I gave it my all, all day and not everything went my way but it was good playing by Braxton all week.”

The lead was back to two when Kuntz bogeyed the par-5 14th, but it could have been tighter as Trstenjak was just off the green in two and failed to cash in on an incredibly long lag putt. Then Kuntz missed way left in the trees on the 15th and Trstenjak was in the middle of the fairway with a wedge in hand.

Instead of punching out and accepting a long third shot into a tough green, Kuntz gritted his teeth and ripped a towering iron shot left of the green, then flopped it calmly down the steep back-to-front slope and tapped in a clutch par. Trstenjak, meanwhile, airmailed the green with a thin shot and bogeyed.

“So I was actually in the (Elmhurst Invitational) a couple of weeks ago,” Kuntz said with a grin. “And I was in the exact same spot in the trees and I had the exact same window. And I think I made par that time, too. So I’m like ‘Sure, I’ll do the same thing.’ Hit it left of the green and try to get up and down. So yeah, kind of lucky in that sense.

“… I was kind of falling off again. At that point, I bogeyed the hole before so to be able to hit a nice chip shot there was definitely a confidence booster.”

The two matched with pars on the next two holes, then Kuntz safely found the fairway with less than driver to preserve his three-shot lead on the last. He laid up short of the green. Trstenjak unloaded on a driver and stuff his approach to six feet and rolled in an eagle to finish even on the day.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas player’s reaction was as subdued as one could be, closing a championship with a big birdin the final group. The 2020 amateur champ knew it simply wasn’t enough to claim his second crown at his home track.

With two putts to win, Kuntz needed just one, draining a birdie for a 75 and another trip home with a historic trophy.

“I mean, can’t ask for anything better than that,” Kuntz said. “I’m happy with how I played all week. Obviously, the first two rounds I couldn’t complain (about) how I played. (Saturday) might’ve been a little bit of a struggle, but I’m still glad that I was able to hand in there and finish off strong.”

“… Golf, especially on this course, is difficult. You can’t be making too many mistakes. I made some that I definitely shouldn’thave today but that’s golf. You’re not going to have your best game every day. So, just trying to pull it together and hang in there was definitely the goal.”

Kuntz earned a sponsor’s exemption to the PGA Tour Canada’s 2022 Manitoba Open at Southwood Golf and Country Club onAug. 18-21.

Kuntz declined his team spot for the Canadian men’s amateur, so Trstenjak and Nathan Wazney and Brent Ingram, who tiedfor third at 3 over, will represent Manitoba at Point Grey (Vancouver) and Seymour (North Vancouver) Golf and Country Clubsfrom Aug. 1 to 4.

WESTMAN LEADERBOARD: Brandon’s Evan Nachtigall shot 74 to finish 10 over in a tie for 11th. Wheat City member Ross Sheard (71) tied for 14th at 13 over while Scotty Miner (77) slid to a tie for 33th at 19 over, with Dauphin’s Thomas Scott (78) a shot back and T33. Brandon’s Ryan McKean fired 85 and fell to T45, Dauphin’s Jackson Delaurier (84) dropped to T52 at 17 over and Shilo Country Club’s Brad Pardy (82)ended the week 28 over and T55.

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