Simply put, it was high time for Mike Mezei to cash in.
Making his fifth appearance in the Red Deer Golf and Country Club Skins Game Tuesday, the Lethbridge product drained birdie putts on the par-5 fourth hole and the par-4 eighth to earn the lion’s share of the loot in the annual event.
“That’s by far the best I’ve played here,” said Mezei, who captured the 2010 title with $5,750 in skins while playing with fellow Canadian Pro Tour members James Love, Wes Heffernan and Kris Wasylowich, and host pro Ken Frame. “To be able to play this well against quality guys and players like these made for a fun day.”
Mezei, as current PGA player Graham DeLaet did last year, was threatening to clean up — or at least force a chip-off — on the ninth and final hole, but narrowly missed an eight-foot putt for birdie. Instead, Love claimed the remaining $1,000 with a birdie putt of his own, this one from five feet.
“I can’t believe that putt of mine didn’t go in,” said Mezei.
“But James is a good friend of mine so I was excited for him to make that skin.”
The money was carried over through the first three holes, as well as Nos. five through seven. Wasylowich appeared to be on the verge of snaring $2,500 when he birdied from 25 feet on the par-4 seventh, but Mezei rolled in a birdie putt of his own from roughly half the distance to halve the hole.
“Skins is a weird format,” said Mezei.
“A couple of times here I’ve shot three or four under on nine holes and won one skin. Sometimes you just birdie the wrong holes at the wrong times. I was lucky no one else birdied No. four and that putt I made on the seventh to half Kris was huge, then I made another birdie on eight to clean it up.
“It was timing more than anything. You have to make some birdies and when you birdie the par-4s, those are the ones that will win you skins.”
Mezei also claimed another $100 for the longest drive — a 301-yard bomb — on the par-5 first, while Love added to his earnings with a $100 long drive of 336 yards on the par-5 sixth and another $100 for closest to the pin on the 189-yard, par-3 second. Wasylowich scooped the remaining $100 side prize when he placed his tee shot a mere seven feet, nine inches from the flag on the par-3 fifth.
Heffernan and Frame were shut out, although both had birdie opportunities.
Next up for the Canadian Pro Tour players is the Edmonton Telus Open July 1-4.
“I’ve had a solid start to the season, but nothing too flashy,” said Mezei. “I’ve made three of four cuts and my best finish was something like 15th. It’s been good, but nothing remarkable.
“I haven’t played as well on tour yet as I did over these nine holes today. If I can play like this the next few events, I’ll do well.”
DeLaet carried last year’s Skins Game success into Edmonton and promptly captured the Telus title. He maintained that momentum through the remainder of the Canadian Pro Tour season and qualified for the PGA Tour last fall.
Mezei is looking to build off Tuesday’s triumph in the same fashion.
“This is an exciting day,” he said. “I’m happy with the way my swing is going and just the way I played coming down the stretch today. I was trying to make birdies and I was excited to make birdies. I wasn’t shying away from anything.”
gmeachem@www.reddeeradvocate.com