One hole nearly was too much for golfers to handle Saturday afternoon at Hillcrest Golf Club.
The second round of the 53rd Navajo Trail Open teed off Saturday morning with professional players beginning play on hole No. 10. Strong winds began gusting around seven holes into the lead group’s round. When players reached the 527-yard, par-5 No. 3, they found a green that was unmanageable.
With a hole location on the back of a green that sloped downhill from back to front, players watched as their putts rolled up to the hole and all the way back down to their feet. Three-time Navajo Trail Open champion Micah Rudosky stood over seven putts on the No. 3 green before deciding to pick up his ball and withdraw from the tournament.
A few players were able to escape the tricky hole with par or better. Zahkai Brown of Arvada was able to par the hole, helping him take a two-stroke lead going into Sunday’s final round. He shot a 3-under-par 68 one day after posting a 66, placing him at 8-under for the tournament. He leads Klinton Kreiger of Cheyenne, Wyoming, by two strokes, after Kreiger shot 1 over one day after shooting a tournament low 64.
“It was hard with this wind, because it would blow really hard and then stop to about 5 miles per hour; it is hard to judge that,” Brown said of the gusty conditions. “I hit the ball better (Saturday), but I putted worse, missing like four putts from around 6 feet.”
After a few professional groups advanced past No. 3, tournament director John Vickers and his staff opted to begin watering the green in between groups and in between putts just to keep golf balls from rolling more than 10 feet away from the hole.
“We became aware that some players were having a difficult time keeping the ball near the hole without it rolling back. The wind was coming out of the southwest, and that green tilts the opposite direction; we had two things working against us,” Vickers said. “It became unplayable, and it is regrettable. In the morning, we had calm conditions. It would’ve been a tough pin, but it was fair at the time.
“In equity, the best thing we decided as a committee was to start watering. We feel bad for those adversely affected, but we did the best we could under the circumstances.”
Rudoksy was one of those players who played before watering began, and the frustration of a seven-putt led him to pick up his ball and call it a tournament. He shot a 5-over 76 in the opening round and was out of contention.
“I’ve played here I don’t know how many years, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen that on these greens,” said Rudosky, the head pro at Conquistador Golf Course in Cortez and a three-time NTO champion. “The greens are rolling fast and great, the best I’ve putted on all year. With the wind, the ball just wouldn’t stay by the hole. I hit it enough times, and that was it for me. They started watering the greens between groups, and that was the thing they needed to do to at least give the guys a chance. You can’t just sit there and putt it all day.”
After the professional field passed No. 3, the tournament committee decided to suspend play and move the hole location for players in the second, third and fourth amateur flights.
Two players were able to make birdie on No. 3: 2010 champion Keenan Holt and Kreiger.
Holt’s second shot came up just short of the green. He chipped up to about 10 feet short of the flag before marking his ball and watching his three playing partners struggle. Holt’s birdie putt slid about 5 inches past the hole, but it snuck in the back door while trickling back down the hill.
Kreiger chipped up from a similar position and left his shot even with the hole, getting it to stick after crews watered the green. He had a slippery left-to-right breaking putt, but was able to sneak it in for birdie.
“The last seven holes all were really hard,” Kreiger said. “I was 1 under on those, and I felt like I didn’t miss a shot. It was brutal.”
Kreiger putted his way into first place after Round 1, but he didn’t quite hit enough putts to break par Saturday. He will play in the final group Sunday alongside Brown, Steve Schneiter, who posted his second consecutive round of 2-under 69 to get into third place, and Holt.
Holt, a Durango High School alumnus, had the low round of the day Saturday, scoring a 4-under 67. Holt won the tournament as an amateur in 2010, and he hopes to claim the top prize again Sunday.
“It feels good to put down a solid number after missing quite a few putts on my opening nine,” Holt said. “I think the majority of scores (Sunday) will be about even par or a bit higher even. There’s gonna be a select few guys who can go out and post a good number, and I know I still have to try to take it low.”
Former Fort Lewis College golfer turned professional Charlie Laudermilk shot a 3-under 68 on Saturday, putting him in a tie for fourth with Holt. Ryan Hogue and Jim Knous each shot a 1-over 72 on Saturday after shooting 69 on Friday, putting them in a two-way tie for sixth. Only seven golfers are below par in the 40-player professional field.
Former FLC golfer Gavin Lyons is the low amateur through two rounds. He backed up a 1-under 70 on Friday with a 1-over 72 on Saturday to get to even par and build a seven-stroke lead on the next closest amateur. His even-par score would have him in eighth place in the professional field, and he is excited about winning a few wagers against his professional friends.
“I feel like I gotta play good out there and defend the amateur title,” said Lyons, who has been the low amateur three years in a row. “It will take a pretty bad round for me to lose, so I’m feeling pretty comfortable. I don’t think I can catch the first-place pro, but to place top-10 overall in the tournament would be nice.”
The shot of the day Saturday belonged to Brendon Tolth in the Championship Flight. Tolth hit a hole-in-one on the 199-yard par-3 No. 15. It was the amateur’s first career ace.
“I hit an 8-iron with a heavy wind blowing from the left. I hit a nice cut into the green, hit it off a mound, saw it check up and slowly roll and fall right into the hole,” Tolth said. “The greens here are tough to putt on, so I was glad I didn’t have to putt on that one.”
Play will resume Sunday morning with the first three amateur flights beginning in the morning. The professional and championship flights won’t tee off until the afternoon.
With wins in Arizona and Wyoming already this year, Brown will look to make it victory No. 3 this summer.
“I feel good about the way I’ve been playing all year. I’ve been patient and just trying to keep the ball in front of me and not make mistakes,” said Brown, a Colorado State University alumnus. “I won’t mind if it is windy again or not, and it should be a fun day.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
