Growing up on the family farm in Canwood, Trevor Bloom would frequently make the trek up to Prince Albert National Park to play at the Waskesiu Golf Course.
However, the Fountain Tire Men’s Lobstick tournament was a title that had proved to be elusive.
Bloom, who has called Kelowna, B.C. home for the last 20 years, was finally able to capture the trophy on Saturday afternoon as he drained a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-four 18th hole to defeat Prince Albert’s Ashley Ziegeman.
“I’ve been playing here since I was a kid, so it’s a very sweet feeling to win this,” Bloom said.
“I had never done all that well in the Lobstick. I’d usually win the first match or lose it, and if I ever got out of the first round I would usually be done shortly afterward.”
Bloom, who reached the final with wins over Katlin Larlham, his brother Curtis, Martin Ring and low qualifier Michael Smith, made many key putts on his way to the victory, including a lengthy one for birdie on the par-four 14th.
“My putting and my short game were amazing this week,” Bloom said. “I think I only had one or two three-putts through the entire tournament.
“That birdie on 14 was huge and then on the 18th I was just trying to lag it close to the hole as I knew Ashley was in a bit of trouble.”
Ziegeman, who reached the final back in 2005 but lost to six-time champion John Walsh, had a chance to take the lead on the par-four 17th but missed a short par putt.
His tee shot on the 18th ended up behind a tree, which forced the Prince Albert product to punch his way out into the fairway on his second shot.
“Coming home all square and hitting into the trees there was pretty rough,” Ziegeman said. “I was going to make bogey at best after that and that’s not going to win you the Lobstick.
“At the end there, I just couldn’t get the ball into the hole. If I could have made a couple of two-footers in the last hour, it’s a totally different story.”
The 2007 Lobstick Open champion qualified for the final by defeating Doug Braaten, Shawn Loney, Landon Emberley and Shaun Dunphy.
“I’ve been coming up here since I was in juniors and this is one of the events I really want to win,” Ziegeman said.
“I felt like I played some good golf today, but I was way too scratchy out there to win the title.”
This year’s Lobstick final was the first to go the distance since 2016, when Saskatoon’s Ty Campbell edged out Warren Gnam of Medicine Hat.
Defending tournament champion Tyler Zaba of Regina qualified for the championship flight but lost in the second round to Dunphy.
The full results from Saturday’s other finals were as follows:
- Championship Flight Consolation: Doug Kozak over Taylor Afseth
- First Flight: Brent Ryan over Justin Blackwell
- First Flight Consolation: Ron Swan over Ken Gordon
- Second Flight: Landon Klassen over Tanner Olson
- Second Flight Consolation: Cole Jenkins over Dan Oliynyk
- Third Flight: Mark Robinson over Jordan Magnuson
- Third Flight Consolation: Jamie Harris over Dwayne Johns
- Fourth Flight: Darryl Czuy over Brad Rookes
- Fourth Flight Consolation: Mitch Zaba over Mitch Venne
- Fifth Flight: Ben Findlay over Jake Schlosser
- Fifth Flight Consolation: Ian Harnett over Mark Kulbida
- Sixth Flight: Jeff Krafchuk over Kelly Franks
- Sixth Flight Consolation: Jordan Biggins over Ian Harris
- Seventh Flight: Nolan Kuz over Chris Frohlick
- Seventh Flight Consolation: Greg Simpson over Brian Topp
- Eighth Flight: Rylan Isaac over Tanner Shultz
- Eighth Flight Consolation: Kelly Benson over Jaden Paquette
- Ninth Flight: Lee Tetrault over Ben Hodson
- Ninth Flight Consolation: Tyrell Wees over Barry Rowley
- Tenth Flight: Lee Meyer over Neal Sendecki
- Tenth Flight Consolation: Shaun Banman over Quinn Sully
- Eleventh Flight: Triant Steuart over Max Nyssen
- Eleventh Flight Consolation: Jeff Hearn over Dan Hunter
