BOYNE FALLS – Andy
Ruthkoski of Muskegon, the quiet mini-tour golfer with the loud clothes,
emerged from a back nine logjam of golfers to win the 22nd
Tournament of Champions Wednesday at Boyne Mountain Resort.
“I feel relief
because you work hard, you play hard and you come to win, and so it means
something to do it,” he said after a closing 3-under-par 69 with a birdie on
the par 3 17th left him at 10-under-par 206, one better than the
foursome of defending champion Jeff Roth, 2011 champion Lee Houtteman, Barrett
Kelpin and Jeff Cuzzort.
“I didn’t know I had
the lead until we were in the fairway on 18,” he said after donning the
traditional winner’s green jacket that happened to match his colorful “Island
Girls” pants from his clothing contract with Loudmouth Golf.
“I really
appreciate this, but it hasn’t sunk in yet. Probably on the ride home, I will
be like, yes.”
Ruthkoski, 30 and
the 2007 Michigan Open champion, won $10,000, the Walter Burkemo Trophy, a
crystal trophy and honorary membership in the Country Club of Boyne. He heads
back to the NGA Tour for a few weeks later this month, and then plans to
prepare for PGA Web.com Tour qualifying school.
He said his final
round was keyed by par-saving putts at No. 7 and No. 15 each of about 15 feet.
He told his caddy and friend Dan Farhat of Lansing, a Muskegon native, that
10-under would win at the start of the week. Farhat told him the key on the
course was not making three-putts, and not to come back to the cart if he did
three-putt.
“I didn’t three-putt
and that’s because I’ve really worked on it and finally just trusted it and
went with it,” he said. “I played solid. I putted solid. I just kept trying to
make birdies, and I was surprised I wasn’t in a playoff at the end. I thought
one of those guys would make birdie.”
Roth, the five-time
champion from New Mexico and a former Flint and Detroit area pro, shot 71 to
close and repeatedly missed birdie putts, including a 18-foot effort at No. 18.
“It was just awful,”
Roth said. “I was grinding. I tried everything, and just nothing would go in. I
was so busy trying to make birdies, I really didn’t notice what was going on
with the other guys.”
Kelpin, a Kalamazoo
mini-tour pro, closed with a 69 and just missed an eagle-putt at No. 18.
Cuzzort, a mini-tour pro from Grosse Ile who shot 67, also missed a final
birdie from about 20 feet, and Houtteman, head pro at Manitou Passage in
Traverse City, missed the green with his third shot at 18 to shoot 71.
The logjam happened when
Drew Preston of Grand Rapids, the leader the first two days, lost a two-shot
lead with back-to-back three-putt greens at Nos. 10 and 11 and struggled in for
a 75 and 210 finish.
“It wasn’t a good
back nine at all,” Preston said. “I blew up I guess you could say. After those
three putts I lost my focus when I shouldn’t have.”
Ruthkoski said he
was especially pleased to emerge the victor at Boyne Mountain. He has worked on
his game, including this week, with Brian O’Neill, the director of golf
instruction at Boyne, and he said he always feels comfortable at the resort.
“I can relax,
everything is great about this place and there’s great golf,” he said. “It’s
great to be a champion here. I’m so appreciative of the chance to do it.”
Suzanne
Green-Roebuck, a former LPGA player from Ann Arbor, shot 72 for 215 (tie for 10th
overall) to finish as the low women in the field that brings together seniors,
juniors, men, women, professionals and amateurs who have major Michigan titles
on their resumes.
Jeff Champine of
Rochester Hills, who shot 68, and Jared Dalga of Grand Rapids, who shot 70,
tied as low amateurs at 217 (tie for 16th), and Mike Raymond was the
low senior amateur with a 74 for 222 (tie for 35th). Roth and
Houtteman were low seniors. Low junior honors went to 17-year-old Henry Do of
Ypsilanti, who shot 73 for 218 (tie for 22nd). A female amateur did
not make the 36-hole cut.
