Brett Henry has played hundreds of rounds at Cooke Municipal Golf Course, but it’s the last one on Thursday he’ll treasure most.
Henry was at his best when he needed to be, firing a seven-under-par 65 on the third and final round to win his first Saskatchewan Mid-Amateur Championship
“It’s pretty big,” Henry said after the trophy presentation. “I’ve been waiting for this a long time. I usually don’t play very well when it comes to the big events. It seems like I usually fade away until it comes to the Canadian Am. That’s usually where I get it going. This is the first time I got to put it together, and it’s nice to do it on my home course.”
Henry finished three strokes ahead of fellow Prince Albert golfer Danny Klughart, who was looking for his fourth Mid-Am title. Klughart led heading into the final day, but Henry was able to pull away with four consecutive birdies on the front nine.
“I knew I had to come out low, but I didn’t know how low I was going to have to play,” Henry said with a chuckle. “Last night I messaged him (Klughart) and said, ‘come out firing because I’m coming out hot.
“I told him I wanted him to win his fourth. It was like, ‘I want you to win your fourth, but I’m definitely going to come to play.’ It was a nice feeling to actually not just talk to talk, but walk the walk.”
Henry was almost as dominant down the back nine, putting up two more birdies, including one on hole 18, to secure the win.
“Before then it’s like, ‘I could three-putt this or I could make it. I don’t know.’ A lot can happen, especially with the nerves,” he said.
“I looked back at my dad and (said), ‘just one more birdie,’ and then I ended up actually hitting a great putt and it went in. That was a good feeling because it had a little heat on it. It might have gone four or five feet by.”
Klughart fired an even-72 to finish in second place, while North Battleford’s Scott Thompson fired a one-under-par 71 to secure third place.
Jehremy Ryde finished in fourth after shooting a one-under 71 for a three-round total of 220, while Prince Albert’s Cory Selander rounded out the top for after shooting a one-over 73 for a three-round total of 221.