Buttar uses patience, wins
Blair Buttar resisted temptation and in the end his refusal to go for broke was key in winning the 2010 Club Car/Titleist-Footjoy PGA of Alberta championship Tuesday at River Bend Golf Course.
Following a perfect drive, the Edmonton Glendale pro was tempted to hit a wood into the par-5 18th hole with his second shot of a sudden-death playoff with defending champion Chris Toth of Edmonton Riverside. Instead, he laid up and settled for a two-putt par, which was good for a one-shot margin of victory when Toth missed his longer par putt.
The decision to play it safe wasn’t overly difficult for Buttar after Toth hit his drive into trouble and was still in the rough while attempting his third shot.
“I knew that Chris had to lay up from there. I thought I really wanted to go for it (green), but would have looked like an idiot if I had made bogey or double (bogey),” said Buttar, who 20 minutes earlier drained an eight-foot birdie putt on 18 to force the playoff.
Buttar, a former PGA of Alberta runner-up, praised the River Bend layout.
“The course is in fantastic shape,” he said. “The greens really sped up from the practice round. They were very nice and the fairways were great.”
The 2010 champ was a picture of consistency during the two-day, 36-hole event. He followed Monday’s opening round of 70 with a 69 Tuesday and finished at 5-under 139, the exact scores posted by Toth.
“I drove the ball pretty well for two days. I think I only had two three-putts and I just kept it in play,” said Buttar, who earned $6,000 for the victory.
“It’s not the longest golf course, I had a lot of wedges in (to the greens). It was a good two days, for sure.”
Toth earned $4,200 as runner-up and Brett Burgeson of Calgary Country Hills picked up a cheque for $3,400 after finishing third with a 140 total that included two rounds of 70.
Five players tied for fourth at 141, including River Bend’s Todd Fiske, who carded an opening-round 71 and followed with a 2-under 70. He earned $2,128.
“I didn’t embarrass myself and that’s always good,” said Fiske. “I had a chance today to shoot probably 67, but I could have went the other way too . . . I could have shot 74. So at the end of the day if you would have told me I was going to be 3-under at the end of two days, I would have said ‘thank you very much and would have never teed off’.”
All joking aside, Fiske admitted he was nervous heading into the tournament as the host pro.
“With all the rain we’ve had I was pretty worried, but the maintenance guys did a good job with the course,” he said. “The rough was thick this year because of all the rain and the golf course was unbelievable. The scores were a little lower than last year which is what I was looking for. Five-under was the (winning) number and it was a tight leaderboard, and that’s what you want.
“Personally, I couldn’t be happier. I was pretty nervous at the start and then I sort of settled down and got it going. You play here every day but then all of a sudden you’re in a tournament, which is a different story. The stress level gets up a bit and you know it’s all about pride. That’s the whole thing — you never want to embarrass yourself.”
Other Central Albertans earning cheques included Jamie Gerlitz of Lacombe (73-71—144, $1,101.66), Roy Hide of the Red Deer Golf and Country Club (68-77—145, $692.50) and Scott Anderson of River Bend (75-72—147, $180).
Shawn Lavoie of the Calgary Elks Club pocketed $4,000 for his hole-in-one on the par-3 12th hole. Lavoie recorded the ace with a 7-iron.
rough was thick this year because of all the rain and the golf course was unbelievable. The scores were a little lower than last year which is what I was looking for. Five-under was the (winning) number and it was a tight leaderboard, and that’s what you want.
“Personally, I couldn’t be happier. I was pretty nervous at the start and then I sort of settled down and got it going. You play here every day but then all of a sudden you’re in a tournament, which is a different story. The stress level gets up a bit and you know it’s all about pride. That’s the whole thing — you never want to embarrass yourself.”
Other Central Albertans earning cheques included Jamie Gerlitz of Lacombe (73-71—144, $1,101.66), Roy Hide of the Red Deer Golf and Country Club (68-77—145, $692.50) and Scott Anderson of River Bend (75-72—147, $180).
Shawn Lavoie of the Calgary Elks Club pocketed $4,000 for his hole-in-one on the par-3 12th hole. Lavoie recorded the ace with a 7-iron.
gmeachem@reddeeradvocate.com
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