Unable to go home, Townsend wins Idaho Amateur
Hugo Townsend (Idaho Golf Association photo)
You know that old saying in golf, “Sometimes a hole just fits your eye”? What if a whole nine holes that fit your eye?
The back nine at Elkhorn Golf Club might have been designed with Hugo Townsend in mind, or at least it seems like it. Townsend played the back nine at Elkhorn in a cumulative 11 strokes under par, shooting 33-31-33 throughout the week.
Starting the day a stroke behind the leaders, Townsend seemed to have stalled on the front nine, making one birdie and eight pars. Things started moving very quickly though on the back nine.
A bogey on 11 set him back for a moment, but a birdie on 13 put him just 2 shots back of Colt Sherrell.
Then it happened.
Townsend stuffed his approach on 15 and drained the putt, while Sherrell lipped out his par putt. A two shot swing.
Townsend had the honor on the 16th hole, a hole that had been shortened and was certainly reachable. Instead of giving it a go he elected to lay up just short. Then he played maybe the shot of the tournament. A crafty little bump and run into the hill in front of the green, letting it cozy to about three feet which he promptly buried for another birdie.
A routine par on 17, and a bogey for Sherrell gave Townsend a two shot lead headed to the 18th, and he never looked back. A very casual birdie on 18 brought him to -10 (206) for the tournament, and a comfortable win.
After losing his spring college season to the pandemic, Townsend sounded more relieved than excited after the round. “It just feels really good to play in a tournament. I’ve been working really hard in the gym and playing a lot with my teammates since I can’t go home (to Sweden) this summer. It just feels really good to have all the hard work pay off.”
At the end of the day, there’s certainly no better pay off than having a trophy waiting.
ABOUT THE
Idaho State Amateur
54-hole stroke play championship. Entries are open
to amateur golfers who must have an up-to-date
USGA Handicap Index®. A Handicap Index must
either be issued from an IGA District I, II, or III
member “golf club” (as defined in the “USGA
Handicap System Manual”) which is licensed to use
the USGA Handicap SystemTM . Or, for bona fide
residents of the State of Idaho, Panhandle District
have an up-to-date USGA Handicap Index® issued
from a WSGA licensed member “golf club.”
Each IGA member club may enter one 3-man team
into The Stanwood Cup competition which is played
during the Men’s Amateur Championship. The total
of
the two (2) low scores from each day will be used to
determine the winner.
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