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Schwabe holds on for Hawthorn Ridge Am title
By Tom Johnston, tjohnston@qconline.com ALEDO -- On Saturday, Steve Schwabe was making apologies
for playing early in calmer weather conditions to take the lead in the
Hawthorn Ridge Amateur golf tournament. Sunday, there were no excuses necessary on another cool, blustery day. Playing in the final foursome with fellow front-runners, all Schwabe did was fire an even-par 72 at the Hawthorn Ridge
Golf Club to finish with a two-day total of 143, one under par, and win his
second event on the National City Bank Amateur Tour in the last two seasons. This victory was especially gratifying, since Schwabe
was the target of plenty of good-natured ribbing from fellow tour players for
Saturday's early effort. "I've got pretty thick skin; I wasn't worried about catching
grief," said the 41-year-old Schwabe, smiling
wryly after a round that included five birdies, four bogeys and an insignificant
three-putt double bogey on 18. "Schwabe was just too much," said
Sunday playing partner Brian Hall, who finished second, three strokes back
after rounds of 76-70. Mark Drenth, who was just two shots behind Schwabe coming into the final round, shot a 75 to finish
five shots back, tying for third with Dan Fisher (78-70--148). Chris Wilkins
(76-73--149) rounded out the top five. Hall, a 37-year-old former Seaton resident now residing in O'Fallon, "I wanted to shoot a couple under and see what happened," he
said after doing just that with a 2-under 70. What Hall saw was Schwabe not let him get close
despite the roller-coaster round. "Every time I'd birdie, he'd make a birdie," said Hall, who had
three birdies in front of a final-hole bogey. Hall drew as close as three strokes when Schwabe
bogeyed No. 10. Both birdied 11 and 12, but Schwabe,
who said he still drove the ball poorly but hit better irons on Sunday, took
control with a birdie on the par-4 14th. Dave Waugh, a fellow member at Pinnacle Country Club, respectfully called Schwabe a "mudder,"
saying that the tougher the weather conditions, the better Schwabe shoots. Schwabe didn't exactly agree with that, but said
that the blustery conditions probably played into his hands a bit. "The closer to par (scores are), I've got a better shot," said Schwabe. "Some of these guys can go out and shoot 5-
or 6-under and I usually can't do that. I don't know if you call it a mudder, but maybe I'm a little more consistent." Schwabe didn't have a nine over 36 in the two
days and that was enough. On Sunday, only Hall and Fisher were under-par with
35s on both the front and back nine. Kevin Kilstrom,
who finished 10th, had the only other under-par nine, with a back-side 35. -- Seniors: Dan Dalziel picked up right
where he left off last season when he won three times on the NCBAm Tour's Senior Division. Playing the shorter senior
tees, he carded a 4-under 68 for a two-day, 2-under
total of 174. Fellow Salaber had the shot of the day, acing the
145-yard 4th hole. With the hole playing down wind,
he used only a pitching wedge for his seventh career ace. He was playing in
the final seniors group with Dalziel and Trine. |
