Showdown at Elmhurst

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This article was published 19/07/2022 (1404 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The last thing Braxton Kuntz wants to do is overthink this week.

The 19-year-old phenom is playing golf about as well as he could hope to right now, fresh off a landslide victory last week in the Manitoba junior men’s championship at St. Charles Country Club, where he flirted with a course record in his final round.

The win was his second consecutive in the junior championship, and this week he’s once again the man to beat in the field of 147, as he prepares to defend another title in the 111th Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur at Elmhurst Golf and Country Club.

“I obviously really work hard leading up to the (Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur) and it’s on my mind going into the golf season,” he said.

“I think I definitely view it as an important tournament and one that I especially want to play well in, but at the same time, I don’t want to overthink it. I still want to be relaxed going into it and just have some fun and stay loose and I think that’s the key to performing well.”

Kuntz estimates he’s played Elmhurst about a dozen times in his life, his most recent visit in competitive play coming at the end of June in the Elmhurst Invitational, where he had a chance to win but made a few costly errors.

“I was able to play a couple of rounds of competitive golf and kind of get to know the course well. I was in contention there and I made a couple of bad mistakes that I definitely won’t be making if I’m in the same position this week. So I think having that experience will definitely help me perform a little better this week,” he said.

Elmhurst, about 10 minutes north of Winnipeg, will not only feature some of Manitoba’s best golfers for 54 holes, but it could also be the site for a repeat of an epic battle between Kuntz and his Breezy Bend Country Club counterpart, Ryan Sholdice.

The two settled last year’s championship in a playoff, which saw Kuntz sink a mile-long putt to win the title.

Like Kuntz, Sholdice is playing good golf, coming off a win two weeks ago in the Manitoba men’s mid-amateur at Granite Hills Golf Club.

“I can’t say it’s just going to come down to me and him for certain. I know last year it did, but there’s a lot of guys in this province that can win golf tournaments,” Kuntz said.

“And for a lot of guys, (Elmhurst) is their home course, too. So I think they’ll have a little bit of an advantage in that sense. But I think as long as we focus on our own game and we try to play our best, we’ll hopefully finish up there and see how things work out.”

One of those host-course members is Marco Trstenjak.

The 23-year-old has been a member at Elmhurst for eight years and won the 2020 Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur at Minnewasta. He said he plans to lean on his experience in what will be another tense environment.

“It’s going to be awesome. Not just for me being able to play my course, I think for everyone to play what I think most would say is the best and toughest golf course in Manitoba.”

“I think it’ll be really exciting and it really will be a true test of golf and who can hang In there for the three days.”

Elmhurst demands the best from a player’s course management ability and short game, Trstenjak explained. It’s a course that will require competitors to be patient and refrain from attacking every pin.

“You can never be upset just making par… I’ve played here eight years and I still struggle to read (the greens) just because they’re very, very confusing,” he said.

While many of those in attendance could be enthralled by the play of Kuntz, Trstenjak’s past success, combined with his comfort at his home course and a win in the Manitoba men’s match play earlier this year, have set up the young amateur to contend in another provincial tournament.

“It’s nice that I’ve been in those situations and when you’re playing in the third round, in the final group, there start to be crowds. I know me, Braxton and Ryan have all been in that situation. They know this course not as well as I do but they’ll be good in the big moments.”

The Nott Autocorp Men’s Amateur will run from Thursday to Saturday.

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jfreysam