Publinks Championship at Annbriar Golf Results

The 2^nd Annual APT Public Links Championship headed to the original home of the Amateur Players Tour – Annbriar Golf Course in suburban St. Louis.  Annbriar is the top-rated public golf course in the St. Louis area and where the APT kicked off its inaugural event in 2018.  Annbriar GM and PGA Head Professional Kevin Schaeffer had the course in spectacular shape for the 2^nd playing of the Public Links Championship.

On Friday, tournament festivities kicked off with the 1^st annual Hero Am, a tournament where APT players teamed up with veterans from the St. Louis PGA Hope Program based out of the Jefferson Barracks VA Hospital in south St. Louis.  3 APT players and a PGA Hope Veteran played a net best ball format, with 2 out of the 4 scores counting towards the team score, while simultaneously running a stableford for APT points.  All proceeds raised on Friday are being donated to PGA Hope in the St. Louis area.  The winning team for the Hero Am was Sam Gilliland (hero), Joe Baker (hero), Kevin Schaeffer and Matt Minder.  Your APT Champions were: Division 1 – Kentucky’s Tony Wise (39 pts), Division 2 – Kansas City’s Jake Englebrake (35 points), Division 3 – St. Louis’ Christian Benavides (34 points), Division 4 – St. Louis’ Rick Johnson (27 points), and Division 5 – Atlanta’s Tim Harbin (25 points).  After concluding play at the Hero Am, players were invited to an outstanding dinner served at Annbriar and live entertainment by the Matt Carter Band.

131 players would tee it up starting on Saturday for the APT Public Links Championship on a golf course that was firm and fast.  Temperatures were in the 90s and the Heat Index would reach the triple digits, which would lead to some hot play in every division.  Senior players 50 and over had the option to “double-dip” and play in two tournaments in one as 10 champions were crowned at the PubLinks.

In Division 1, Kentucky’s Andrew Miller got things off to a hot start, setting the bar high early with a 3-under 69 in Round 1.  He was closely chased by St. Louis’ Gaite Brauns (-2) and Memphis’  Ed McDugle (-1).  Sunday would prove to be moving day, as the course setup became more difficult and the temps proved to be even hotter.  The Top 6 finishers would be within 4 shots of each other.  Powered by a rare eagle on the drivable par-4 12^th hole, Nate McCutcheon (St. Louis) would use a 1-under round of 71 to earn a 1-shot victory over Ed McDugle (Memphis) and Gaite Brauns (St. Louis).  Kentucky’s Tony Wise would finish in 4^th after a comeback round of -1 71 to finish at +2.  Rounding out the Top 5 was Tim Saunders (East Tennessee) and Nick Heller (Central Illinois), finishing with a 2-day total of 3-over par.  Memphis’ Ed McDugle would take home the Senior Division 1 crown, holding off a late charge from Kentucky’s Tony Wise.

In Division 2, Mike Mervis (St. Louis) would set the early standard to be chased with an even-par round of 72, chased closely by Joel Miller (St. Louis) who was looking for his first win of his Amateur Players Tour career.  As a hot Sunday proved to be too much for a lot of the field, St. Louis’ Billy Davis turned out to be Miller’s biggest challenger, firing a stellar 1-under par 71 to put the pressure on, finishing at a 2-day total of 6-over par.  Miller came to the 36^th hole needing a par to secure his first victory, the same fate that had eluded him at the Season Opener in March.  After an average chip shot, Miller was faced with a 25-footer for par to secure his first win.  A confident stroke sent the ball into the back of the cup and Miller let out a fist pump and a sigh of relief as he earned his first victory in a National Major.  With the win, Joel Miller (St. Louis) earns a 2-year exemption into the North American Championship and a trip to the Tournament of Champions next January at Disney.  On the senior side, Scott Horton (St. Louis) battled late down the stretch with Billy Davis (St. Louis) for the senior crown.  Davis’ late charge was enough to hold off Horton, who finished 2 shots back.  Mike Mervis finished in 3^rd position.

In Division 3, Jon Wendt (Indianapolis) had a career day in round 1, shooting a 74 to lead by 2 over Adam Povis (St. Louis) and 4 over Michael Konuch (St. Louis).  On Sunday, the challengers would stumble, allowing Wendt to earn his second victory of 2022 by 3 shots, finishing with a 2-day total of +13 and earning a promotion to Division 2.  Mike Cason’s (St. Louis) solid play, shooting 80-80 was good enough for 2^nd place, while recently promoted Greg Miller (St. Louis) shot his career-best 78 to tie for 3^rd with St. Louis members Mike Konuch and Simay Souvannarath.  Adam Povis (St. Louis) finished in 6^th position.  On the senior side, Jon Wendt took advantage of the double-dip to earn a 2-shot victory over Bill Wunderlich (St. Louis).  Dave Verhulst (St. Louis) finished in 3^rd place 4 shots off the pace while Simay Souvannarath and Michael Konuch each tied for 4^th.

In Division 4, Round 1 belonged to Iowa’s Ryan Hohanshelt, who shot a career-best 5-over par 77 to take a 2-shot lead over St. Louis’ Dallas Cook, whose 79 was a strong follow-up to his first career win last Saturday at Lockhaven Golf Club.  Sunday would see some more low scores, where St. Louis’ Zachary Runk (St. Louis) fired an 80 to climb into a tie for 2^nd with Hohanshelt with a 2-day total of 24-over par.  Mike Adkins (St. Louis) would fire a 2^nd round 81 to move into 4^th position at 26-over par.  Dallas Cook would follow-up his 79 with another great round of 81 to earn his 2^nd win of 2022 and a earn a promotion to Division 3.  On the senior side, Columbus’ Robert Lawless earned a 3-shot victory with 2 solid back-to-back rounds of 84.  Arkansas’ Jeff Corder finished in 2^nd 3 shots back while Nashville’s Louis Ralph finished in 3^rd just 5 shots off the pace.

In Division 5, 36 holes would not be enough to decide the championship in both the open and senior side.  Sunday turned out to be an incredibly hot day, but St. Louis’ Michael Moynihan  and Kansas City’s Robert Rosenbaum would end the day tied at 37-over par.  Moynihan had the round of the weekend on Sunday, shooting an 87 to force the playoff with Rosenbaum.  Rocky Metcalfe (Kansas City) shot an 88 to finish in 3^rd position just 1-shot off of the leaders.  St. Louis’ Jim Seibert finished in 4^th place with a 40-over par total.  On the first playoff hole, Rosenbaum was able to best Moynihan with a bogey 5 on the first playoff hole to win both the open and the senior divisions.  Jim Seibert finished in 3^rd place in the senior division.

Blind Draw Fourball Results:

-21 - Nicholas Heller/Andrew Miller (scorecard playoff) – Projekt Puddlejumper Carry-on Bag
-21 – Noel Fehr/Keith St. Pierre – Blue Tees Series 3 Max Rangefinder
-21 – Noel Fehr/Logan Madren – Blue Tees Series 3 Max Rangefinder
-19 – Noel Fehr/Andrew Ziegler – Nelson Hill Yardage Book Cover
-19 – Paul Spotanski/Billy Davis – Nelson Hill Yardage Book Cover
-19 – Mike Moynihan/John Lusker – Nelson Hill Yardage Book Cover
-17 – Tim Saunders/Kent Van Cleve – APT Flexfit Hats
-17 – Christopher Burt/Nicholas Heller – APT Flexfit Hats
-17 – Chris Lusignan/Darryl Wolff – APT Flexfit Hats
-17 – Billy Davis/Rocky Metcalfe – APT Flexfit