Schade burns Bridges for sizzling 61

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This article was published 22/07/2015 (3961 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINDY conditions kept golfers at bay Monday during the first round of the Men’s Amateur Championship.

But with the slightest of breezes during Tuesday’s second round, Devon Schade took his revenge.

The University of Manitoba Bisons golfer fired a course record 11-under-par 61 and took a six-stroke lead at 10-under after firing a 1-over-par 73 Monday.

“It just hasn’t sunk in yet, I’m a little speechless,” Schade said.

A crowd of fellow competitors gathered as word came in he was staring down yet another birdie on the 18th.

As the ball dropped into the hole, a roar from the green could be heard around the clubhouse.

The cheers turned into playful jeers as the Elmhurst member approached the scorer’s table.

“Did you count every hole?” one golfer asked.

Schade signed his scorecard, leaned back, and let out a long sigh.

“That was a grind,” he said, with a look of disbelief and exhaustion.

“I played solidly all round, I made a lot of putts today, obviously,” he said. “That was just exhausting, but I got it done.

“It was perfect conditions, perfect for scoring. The course was in pristine shape.”

Schade drained birdie putts on 11 holes, including six straight from holes six through 11, for a bogey-free round.

“I was making a bunch of 15-footers that I shouldn’t have made,” he said. “They just kept on pouring in today, which was great.”

First-round leader Eric Johnson shot a second 70 to put himself into second place with a 4-under-par score of 140 through 36 holes.

“I knew a low score was possible, but I missed a few putts,” the Breezy Bend player said. “But it was pretty tidy. I thought I might be leading, but now I’m (six) back.”

“I had a bad start. I bogeyed No. 4 and then I could have had and eight or a nine on No. 5, but I luckily found my ball in the bush and was able to chip out and save bogey. Saving that bogey was the highlight of the round.”

With no obstruction to the flight of the ball, scores for some improved dramatically.

Mike Tibbs carded a 5-under 67 after shooting a 5-over 77 Monday, to get himself back to even par for the tournament.

Reigning Manitoba Golfer of the Year Bret Thompson also shot 67, a 12-shot improvement from his opening 79.

“It’s not as windy,” Thompson said. “I self-destructed yesterday, I had a couple of three-putts on the front nine. I blew up on the back nine, got really angry. I shouldn’t have done that.

“Today was a better day.”

Thompson left a 25-foot birdie putt two feet short and proceeded to make bogey after pushing the par putt wide.

“I started with a bogey and then made four birdies in six holes. It was just honestly a solid day. I made a lot of putts today, which was a good feeling after yesterday.”

Sixty-six golfers made the cut, including 15-year-old Ryan McMillan and 16-year-old Brendan Kesterke. Last week’s junior champion, Wesley Hoydalo, missed the cut.

This morning’s pairings start at 8 a.m.

The final group of leader Schade, Johnson and last year’s champion, Todd Fanning, tees off at 11:09 a.m.

 

— Billeck