A one-under-par 71 isn’t the best score Whitehorse’s Landon Kulych has carded in his career, but it contains the best nine of it.
In the first round of the Mountain View Golf Club Championships on Saturday, Kulych finished the front four-over before piecing together a personal-best back.
“That is by far the best nine of my life,” said Kulych. “I had a mediocre front nine, to say the best, and something clicked on the back nine. Before I knew it, I was more under par than I’ve ever been before.”
Kulych finished the round with a four-stroke lead that held through Sunday, as he followed up with a 74, to win the club championship for his sixth time.
The 27-year-old posted three pars, four birdies in Saturday’s back, ending with an eagle on 18. The one blemish was a bogey on 17 when the head gremlins began to creep in.
“I was standing on the 17th’s tee box and I was five under par for the back nine and the thoughts that aren’t supposed to creep into your head started creeping into my head,” said Kulych. “I made a good shot, but I made a three-putt bogey.
“After the bogey I felt the pressure was gone and I hit a good driver and a good three-wood and made a 15-foot putt down the hill for eagle.”
The club win caps Kulych’s best competitive season. He won his second Yukon Golf Championships early July, earning a spot at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in Toronto a couple weeks ago, where he missed the cut.
He was also on the winning team at the Skookum Asphalt Charity Pro-Am Golf Tournament at the end of July.
“To get the season sweep was a goal once I got the first one,” said Kulych.
“To win the club and the Yukons and to qualify for nationals, through some stroke of luck and some hard work - I accomplished all those goals.”
Six-time Yukon champ and defending club champ Phil Mullin hit a combined 149 for second. 2014 Yukon champ Dan King finished third with a 153, hitting the lowest on Sunday with a 73.
Bryce Anderson was the only one to defend a title at the championships. The 14-year-old put together an 89 and 79 to defend in the junior category. Luke McGrath came second with 87 and 90 penciled in.
Ken Taylor, who is coming off his first Yukon senior men’s title last month, regained the senior men’s club title with 82 and 83. Tom Amson, last year’s winner, placed second 10 strokes back.
Natasha Bilodeau tied together a 110 and 111 to claim the women’s title. Elaine Sumner combined for 223 and second place.
Graham Irving notched a 166 for the men’s second flight title, Vance Hutchinson a 173 for the men’s third flight, and Terry Aschacher a 181 for the senior men’s second flight.
“Golf in the Yukon is really good right now,” said Kulych. “Aside from all the media interest we’re getting from you guys, (Mountain View pros) Jeff (Wiggins) and Graham (Frey) are doing an outstanding job, (superintendent) Derek (Wirth) has the course in incredible shape ... The overall scores in our tournaments are coming down, which means golf is getting more competitive up here and it’s a lot of fun.”
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com