The 2011 Wisconsin State Golf Association (WSGA) Amateur Championship was held last week and the winner was Mike McDonald (interviewed above) with a one-over par 285 for the four rounds. It was a test of power vs. strategy (which you can read about here and here). In the end, strategy won.
I followed the leaders in the fourth round. The first hole at Maple Bluff Country Club, a 290 yard par 4, pretty much set the stage for the entire day. Mike McDonald teed off with a 7 iron. The two leaders from the third round, Chris Meyer and Jack Schultz, both drove the green, Meyer with a driver and Schultz with a three wood (Meyer was actually slightly over the green with his drive).
While Meyer and Schultz attempted to over power the course (Maple Bluff is an old, tree-lined, beautifully maintained 6400 yd layout supposedly too short for championship golf), McDonald played the course the way it was intended to be played. Both Meyer and Schultz had double bogeys in their final rounds; McDonald had none. Par golf turned out to be good enough.
Here is a video of Chris Meyer on the 186 yd. 4th hole:
And, a video of Jack Schultz on the same hole:
They both have great, powerful golf swings (each is hitting an eight iron). Their games were just not suited to this particular golf course.
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