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PARK RAPIDS – After sharing the lead with eight holes to play, Tate Usher took control down the stretch by carding two birdies and an eagle to capture the Men’s Club Championship at Headwaters Golf Course on Sunday, Aug. 14.
Usher held a one-shot lead after the first 18 holes with a 73 and maintained that one-shot cushion after carding a 71 on the first 18 holes of the final round before carding a 3-under 33 over the final nine holes for a 45-hole total of 177. Trent Wilcox, a seven-time Men’s Club Champion, finished second at 184 while Doug Taylor took third at 193. Scott Williams was fourth in the 11-golfer field at 194.
Usher and Cory Miner were tied after the first nine holes with 35s during an 18-hole round on Saturday, Aug. 13. Usher had birdies on No. 4 and No. 7 while Miner carded birdies on No. 1 and No. 4. Taylor and Ian Johnson were two shots back with 37s while Wilcox opened with a 38.
On the back side, Wilcox took the lead with birdies on holes No. 12, No. 13 and No. 15 as Usher fell one shot back after bogeys on No. 14 and No. 15. Taylor used a birdie on No. 12 to pull to within one shot while Miner was also one shot back. Usher regained the lead by closing with three pars for a 38 and a first-day total of 73. A double-bogey on No. 18 gave Wilcox a 36 on the back and a first-day total of 74 while Taylor and Miner finished with 75s after the first 18 holes. Johnson carded a 76, Williams had a 77 and defending champion Dana Husby finished with a 78. Rounding out the first round were Ron Litzau and Aron Moses with 80s, Cody Schirmers with an 82 and Chris Bungert with an 83.
Usher built a two-shot lead after the first trip on the front side during Sunday’s final 27 holes as birdies on No. 2, No. 4 and No. 9 led to a 34. Wilcox stayed close as a birdie on No. 4 and eight pars resulted in a 35. Taylor also birdied No. 4, but fell five shots back with a 37 while Miner dropped eight shots off the lead with a 40. Williams also carded a 40 to fall 10 shots behind Usher.
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On the back side, Usher maintained a two-stroke advantage with a birdie on No. 15. Bogeys on the next two holes resulted in a 37 as Usher carried a one-shot lead into the final nine holes. Wilcox used birdies on No. 11 and No. 15 for an even-par 36 to stay within a shot while Taylor fell eight shots back with a 39. The rest of the field fell out of contention.
A par along with Usher’s bogey on No. 1 gave Wilcox a share of the lead. Usher regained the lead when Wilcox carded a bogey on No. 2. A birdie on No. 4 extended Usher’s edge to two shots. Usher pushed the lead to five shots with a birdie on No. 7 while Wilcox had bogeys on No. 6 and No. 7. Usher sealed the win with a par on No. 8 and an eagle on No. 9 for a 3-under par 33. Wilcox finished with a 39 on the final nine holes to lock up second place.
Taylor hung onto third place with a 42 and Williams moved up to fourth place with a 38. Litzau took fifth with a final round 39 for a 199 two-day total. Rounding out the field were Schirmers at 204, Husby at 208, Bungert at 209 and Johnson at 211. Miner and Moses withdrew after 36 holes.
Usher also won the First Flight with a net 72 while Wilcox won his fifth Men’s Senior Championship with a net 71 during the first 18 holes on Sunday. Wilcox also won the Senior title in 2016, 2018 and 2020 and 2021. The other flight winners from Sunday’s play were Bungert with a net 74 in the Second Flight, Lee Davis with a net 76 in the Third Flight, Randy Leeseberg with a net 73 in the Fourth Flight and Buzz Schneider with a net 72 in the Fifth Flight. A total of 24 golfers competed in the five flights.
MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
1, Tate Usher 73-71-33–177. 2, Trent Wilcox 74-71-39–184. 3, Doug Taylor 75-76-42–193. 4, Scott Williams 77-79-38–194. 5, Ron Litzau 80-80-39–199. 6, Cody Schirmers 82-82-40–204. 7, Dana Husby 78-87-43–208. 8, Chris Bungert 83-82-44–209. 9, Ian Johnson 76-91-44–211. Cory Miner 75-81–WD; Aron Moses 80-81–WD.
MEN’S FIRST FLIGHT
1, Tate Usher 71 (+1 handicap) net 72. 2, Trent Wilcox 71 (+2) net 73. 3, Ron Litzau 80 (-4) net 76.
MEN’S SECOND FLIGHT
1, Chris Bungert 82 (-8) net 74. 2, Aron Moses 81 (-6) net 75. 3, Cory Miner 81 (-6) net 75.
MEN’S THIRD FLIGHT
1, Lee Davis 83 (-7) net 76. 2, Jeff Massie 84 (-8) net 76. 3, Harold Critcher 85 (-7) net 78.
MEN’S FOURTH FLIGHT
1, Randy Leeseberg 84 (-11) net 73. 2, Wayne Nelson 87 (-9) net 78. 3, Gary Marjama 90 (-11) net 79.
MEN’S FIFTH FLIGHT
1, Buzz Schneider 90 (-18) net 72. 2, Mark Schroeder 96 (-18) net 78. 3, Ken Sikorski 92 (-13) net 79.
