McKean makes breakthrough; Kuntz leads at amateur

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This article was published 22/07/2022 (1313 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — Ryan McKean walked away from Neepawa Golf and Country Club dejected a year ago.

He missed the cut by a mile at the Golf Manitoba men’s amateur championship, carding a completely uncharacteristic 92 on Day 2.

This time around, he brought some of his best stuff and followed a 6-over 77 with a smooth 75 on Friday. The Brandonite is tied for 19th and a mile inside the cut of 160.

“It’s exciting. It’s the first time I’ve made the cut so happy to be playing (today),” McKean said after a closing two-putt birdie.

“Considering I haven’t played the course before, I’ll take it. I have no experience whatsoever, the greens are the fastest I’ve ever played before so it was good, I’ll take it.”

McKean is 18 strokes back of leader Braxton Kuntz, who shot another 4-under 67 and is six clear of Marco Trstenjak (68).

But it’s a massive step forward for McKean, 24, in his third men’s am. He missed the cut at Minnewasta in Morden two years ago. He’s watched fellow Wheat City Golf Course staffers Evan Nachtigall and Ryden Hargreaves post some terrific tournament finishes and is in a great spot for one of his own.

McKean said the big shift is in his attitude.

“Just trying to stay positive mentally,” he said. “The last couple of years I got down on myself and it stuck with me in my head. This year the game plan was just hole by hole, don’t let a bad hole get you down, keep grinding out there and try to post something.”

He had one bad hole. After playing the first 14 at even par, he took a quadruple-bogey on the par-4 15th hole when he pulled a tee shot left and punched out only to miss the green left.

“That’s a spot you don’t want to miss it there,” he said. “It was a short-game disaster around the green, took a high number there.”

He followed up with two more bogeys but completely avoided double-or-worse on Friday.

Now there’s a lot of work ahead in today’s final round, which will almost surely feature the toughest course setup of the week, but McKean’s just six strokes out of the top eight and a trip to nationals.

Nachtigall carded a 75 to fall to 7 over on the week and a tie for 12th. Dauphin’s Thomas Scott jumped up 51 spots to T29, following an 83 with a 72. Wheat City’s Scotty Miner (80) is also T29 while Ross Sheard (76) and Dauphin’s Jackson Delaurier (79) are T33 at 14 over and Shilo Country Club’s Brad Pardy (82) is T50 at 17 over.

Brandon’s Ryden Hargreaves (82) missed the cut by one shot.

• • •

The chase is on to catch Kuntz today.

Realistically, he can put his title defence out of reach with anything around par. But the guy in third knows it’s not over until the final putt is holed. Justin McDonald threw himself back into the mix with two birdies and a closing bomb for eagle to shoot 67 and get to 1 under on the week.

He’ll join Kuntz and Trstenjak in the final group, ready to pounce if Kuntz slips. McDonald held a comfortable lead at the 2020 men’s mid-amateur at Bel Acres with seven holes to play. Then, he took a shocking 13 on the par-5 12th and lost by three strokes.

“Well I hope no one makes 13, but you never know,” McDonald said. “It’s golf. We’re all amateurs for a reason. None of us do this for a living so see what happens, just keep playing and one bad swing, especially out here, you put yourself in a bad spot out here and you can literally make double on any hole.”

Kuntz, however, already feels he’s playing conservatively and still lighting up the 6,826-yard track, lightning-fast greens and all. He did the same when he won last week’s provincial junior at St. Charles with a closing 8-under 64.

“That’s something I’ve really learned in the past year,” the 18-year-old said. “Having 150 yards in the middle of the fairway is better than 100 yards in the trees. Just making sure I’m giving myself shots to get on the green is the key.”

He’s focusing on himself and tuning out any buzz from around the course. To be fair, that’s easy when you’re the one making it.

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com

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