Every competitive golfer dreams of making a big shot to win a tournament. That dream came true for Ty Campbell in the final round of the 109th Saskatchewan Amateur Men’s Championship on Friday.
The 23-year-old from Saskatoon arrived at the 18th tee of the Legends Golf Club trailing defending champion Danny Klughart by one stroke. Campbell’s second shot on the par-five hole landed on the fringe at the front edge of the green, setting up a 40-foot putt for eagle.
Campbell, who was two-over through 17 holes, took some extra time to measure things up then calmly stepped up and drained the putt.
“A few putts weren’t falling but coming down 18 I knew what I had to do and I knew I was due. I had to make something,” he said afterward.
The victory was not yet secure, however. Klughart still had a chance to force a playoff but his birdie attempt rolled just past the hole, giving Campbell the title.
“It feels pretty good. It’s definitely something I’ve been striving for for a long time and it’s nice to knock that off the bucket list and hopefully there will be a few more,” Campbell said.
It was a disappointing finish for Klughart, who entered the final round tied for the lead with Campbell before building himself a six-shot advantage.
The Prince Albert native led by five strokes after 14 holes, but a double bogey at the 15th followed by back-to-back bogeys at 16 and 17 opened the door for the dramatics at the 18th.
“Got an unlucky break on 15. Just got up there, I thought it was in the middle of the fairway and it was under a tree so I had to chip it out and then I ended up making double. But I still had a big enough lead. It wasn’t that big of a deal, I just needed to make some pars coming in and I didn’t,” Klughart said.
Campbell’s first-ever win in stroke play is a major confidence booster as he prepares for his fifth year at Southern Wesleyan (South Carolina) University.
“I’ve struggled a little bit in college and I wasn’t really sure what it took to win but I’m looking forward to going down there with this mindset and trying to take home a few more w’s,” he said.
Campbell, whose previous best result was a 4th-place finish in 2018, finished the tournament at 11-under par. Klughart, who claimed the provincial men’s mid-amateur title earlier in the week, closed at 10-under. Two-time champion Scott Thompson of St. Walburg rounded out the top three at five-under par.