Knoop edges Baron in men’s final

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This article was published 26/08/2024 (625 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASAGAMING — Chris Knoop’s short game went a long way at the Tamarack and ultimately made him a champion.

The Moose Jaw product beat Carberry’s Joel Baron one-up in the men’s championship flight on Saturday at Clear Lake Golf Course in a matchup between a pair of players who had never won the top prize before.

Knoop, whose wife is from Brandon, has played in the event eight or nine times over the years. He’s been in the championship flight all but once, but previously only made it as far as the semifinal.

“It feels really cool,” Knoop said. “There are a lot of really big Manitoba golfers who have come and won this, and guys I have gotten to know over the last eight, 10 years. They’re fantastic golfers, and to be able to add my name to that is pretty neat. It’s pretty cool.”

Knoop shot rounds of 70 and 72 to finish third in qualifying, and beat 14th-ranked Marcus Friess, sixth-ranked Cal Vanderschuit and 10th-ranked Kolby Day to make his way to the final.

Meanwhile, Baron posted a 72 and 70 to tie him with Knoop but was seeded fourth, and beat 13th-ranked Ryan Baker, 12th-ranked Braeden Mueller and top-ranked Evan Nachtigall.

“I finally finished under par in qualifying, so it was a good start to the week, and played well in matches and stayed on the champs side and made it here,” Baron said.

The eight-day event, which drew 540 golfers this year, ended up with a problem on its hands on Saturday morning due to Mother Nature. With golfers already out on the course, a storm lashed the area. While the rain wasn’t insurmountable, the lightning was, and play was stopped twice as the system passed.

The tournament eventually ended up about 90 minutes behind.

“My kids went to Brandon for the night so my wife and I were in the campground at Minnedosa,” Knoop said. “We hung out, had some breakfast, sat around. It was actually nice. We got to just hang out all morning and drink some coffee. I wasn’t sure we were going to get to play today looking at the radar when I woke.

“The afternoon looked awful and then a couple of hours later, it seemed to clear up. We got super lucky, but we’re sweating everything off. It’s so muggy out here. I think it’s coming in here right away so we’re fortunate we finished.”

He was right. Within 15 minutes of Knoop and Baron shaking hands, big drops began to fall.

In the championship match, Knoop went up two holes early with a pair of birdies, but Baron squared the match with birdies of his own on 11 and 12.

“I just knew he doesn’t miss so I had to play well,” Baron said. “Obviously you always have a shot and never give up, even when you’re a couple down and keep grinding away.”

Knoop restored the lead on 13, and managed to hang on until what proved to be the decisive moment of the match. While every shot can be important in match play, one near miss played a huge role in the eventual outcome.

On the par-4, 16th hole, Baron was down one when he hit an outstanding shot at the flag. He ended up with an eagle putt as Knoop stood nearby with a birdie putt.

“I lipped out,” Baron said. “They said it just burned the edge going by too for an ace. It was that close. We would have been tied after that because I was down one at that point. Had that gone in or I made the putt, we would have been back to square.”

Knoop was well aware.

“I got fortunate on 16 probably that he missed that eagle putt, and then I rolled one in to tie it,” Knoop said. “I got up and down 17 tight.”

After they halved 17, the two men both had birdie putts on 18. When Baron missed his and Knoop put his ball within a foot of the hole, they shook hands.

“My putting did everything for me this week,” Knoop said. “I made a couple of bogeys, I think I made two on Tuesday, and I haven’t made one since. That sure helped. My putter caught a little bit of fire and it stuck with me today when I needed it on every hole.”

While Baron ended up one match shy of his goal, he said it’s plenty of motivation for 2025.

“I’m excited to get back and have another kick it,” Baron said.

The event was a family affair for Knoop, whose sons Tucker and Finley also played. He said that and the returning faces he sees every year are what make the Tamarack special.

“Lots of the same guys are in it every single year so you get to know those guys because you’re playing them or playing with them,” Knoop said. “It’s a family event because my oldest ended up playing in the junior event and my youngest played cub, so it’s nice to get up and hang out on the golf course all week, whether you’re playing or caddying or having a drink watching other people golf. It’s an awesome, awesome time.”

The Knoops were discussing a trip to Europe next summer, but since he now has a title to defend, they might need to revisit that decision. Time will tell.

“We may have to change plans now,” Knoop said with a chuckle. “We’ll see if that happens.”

» pbergson@brandonsun.com

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