STONY PLAIN — It’s not often that a seven-shot lead evaporates over 18 holes, let alone nine.
Tom Skinner of the Red Deer Golf and Country Club watched his seemingly comfortable cushion slip away during the first half of Thursday’s final round of the Alberta senior men’s championship, before recovering on the backstretch and then defeating Floyd Kilgore of Grimshaw in a playoff.
“I kind of leaked a little oil and then just kind of settled down,” said Skinner, who was par-bogey-bogey-bogey on the first four holes while Kilgore, seven shots off the lead heading into the last round, was birdie-par-birdie-par.
Skinner rounded the turn in 39 strokes. Kilgore headed to the 10th tee at 5-under 31 and in first place.
Both players drove the 300-yard, par-4 sixth, with Kilgore carding an eagle and Skinner making birdie. But the Red Deer golfer was 3-over after nine and apparently fading.
However, he pulled himself together and shot even-par 36 on the back while Kilgore fired a 37. The co-leaders came in with scores of 75 and 68 and 54-hole totals of 211, then went to a playoff that finally ended with Skinner two-putting the fourth hole for par and Kilgore three-putting.
“I just settled down and made pars on the back nine and he (Kilgore) made a mistake on 16 (for bogey) and I got lucky and made a five-footer (for par),” said Skinner, who shot 68 on each of the first two days of the tournament.
“I shot 75 today and I wasn’t very proud of that, but I was able to hang on. I never made a putt today that really mattered until the end when I made all of my five-footers, including three in the playoff.”
The victory gave Skinner his second provincial title, coupled with his Mid-Amateur win in 2001.
While Skinner struggled through most of the first half of the final round, he gave full marks to Kilgore.
“Floyd played really well, especially on the front nine. It was a pleasure to watch,” said Skinner, who also played with long-time buddy Frank Van Dornick of Camrose.
The 57-year-old champion admitted that he’ll take his time savouring Thursday’s triumph.
“I’m getting a little longer in the tooth, but the game is still fun and I can shoot the occasional low score (including a 67 in the first round of the recent Central Alberta Amateur) and I happened to shoot two in a row here,” he said.
“Today I just kind of hung on and did the best that I could and fortunately my putter held me to the end. My ball striking was OK over the last 14 holes, but the first four were just brutal. But I hung in there and got the job done.”
Skinner, along with Kilgore, Van Dornick and Ron Kelly of Calgary Canyon Meadows, will comprise the Alberta team in next month’s Canadian senior men’s championship at St. Thomas, Ont.
Van Dornick carded a final-round 70 to finish third at 2-under 214 and Kelly was fourth after firing a 65 and finishing at 215.
Merv Dusyk of the Red Deer Golf and Country Club (RDG&CC) finished tied for fifth at 216 after carding a 71 Thursday, while Pete Duncan of the RDG&CC tied for 12th with a 221 total that included a final-round 72.
Les Swelin of Sundre shot a 75 and tied for 20th at 225, with Dave Raabis of Rocky Mountain House Pine Hills shooting 76 and settling for a tie for 26th at 227.
As for the remainder of the Central Alberta contingent, Ron Hilz of Erskine struggled to a final-round 88 and tied for 53rd place at 239; Jim Hargreaves of Lacombe came in with an 84 and tied for 62nd at 242; Aro Dudley of Ponoka tied for 82nd with an 87 and a 251 total; Denny Humbke of Wolf Creek carded an 87 and finished at 253 and tied for 86th; Lacombe’s Landon Ritchie recorded a final-round 86 and had a 256 total, good for a tie for 92nd; RDG&CC members George Wallace and Peter Sereda shot 88 and 94 respectively and finished tied for 90th and 94th at 254 and 257; and Terry McGibbon of Innisfail was 99th after an 85 gave him a 266 total.
Don Longmore of the RDG&CC and Tom McKinlay Sr. of Lacombe did not finish.
gmeachem@www.reddeeradvocate.com