New champs at tight tourney
Williams, Anderson 4th of July titleists
The summer holiday golf season is turning out to be a memorable one for Marcus Williams.
The Missoula native used a short tap-in for par on the first playoff hole Saturday to win the 72nd annual 4th of July Golf Tournament at Whitefish Lake Golf Club.
Williams and last year's champion, Robb Bergeson of Billings, were tied after 54 holes in the three-day event at 214. Bergeson shot an even par 72 for the final 18 on the North Course, 6,797 yards, while Williams was two under with a 70.
"I love the pressure," Williams said of having the event decided by a playoff.
"That's what I practice for; why I play - to put myself in those situations. You gotta embrace it and not let it get you down."
And that's exactly what happened.
Williams embraced it.
Bergeson's drive on the playoff hole - No. 1 on the North Course - hit a tree in the left rough and left him with a long, tricky second shot to the par 4 green.
Williams, on the other hand, hit a perfect drive down the right side of the fairway, leaving him with an easy, straight shot to the pin. He hit a pitching wedge for the next 120 yards, leaving him 12 feet below the cup for two easy putts.
Bergeson's second shot just cleared a bunker on the left side of the green, but his ball bounced and sailed off the green, leaving him on the fringe, about 30 yards from the pin.
His third shot was well short of the pin, and his putt for par just missed.
"It feels awesome," Williams said.
"A win is a win. Any way you get it done … it doesn't matter.
"I don't hit it real long, but I hit it straight," Williams said of the secret to his success.
"I keep it in play. That's what you have to do on this course."
Williams, who has two years of golf eligibility left at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., was playing in this event for the first time. He won the Don Barnett Memorial Golf Tournament in Missoula in May.
"I heard it was a great tournament, and I know a lot of the competitors," Williams said.
"I thought I would give it a shot."
Kylie Anderson of Great Falls won the women's title, closing with a 76 on the par 72 South Course, 5,361 yards.
Anderson was a wire-to-wire victor.
Rachel Warren of Billings, last year's wire-to-wire winner, finished third and was nine shots off the pace.
Kelly Gillum of Fort Collins, Colo., had the best round of the day for women with a 73. She finished second.
Anderson, one of nine current or former Montana State University golfers in the field, chipped in from 20 yards on the 15th hole to take what seemed like a comfortable lead with three holes to play. After a par at 16, she bogeyed 17 and then stumbled to an eight on the par 4 18th hole.
"I went out of bounds," Anderson said on 18.
"A bad shot, a bad bounce."
But it did not derail her chances of winning.
"It was fun," she said.
"I was confident. I had a bad drive, but I knew I could make up for it."
Kalispell's Tess Stevenson closed with a 79 and finished in 10th place. Jill Burtt of Whitefish shot an 84 on the final day and tied for 12th. Chelsea Ray of Whitefish had a final round 86 and wound up 14th.
Williams started the day two shots behind the leaders - Bergeson and Jake Wagner of Portland, Ore.
Williams was up one shot on Bergeson after the turn. Bergeson used a couple birdies on the back nine to take a two-shot lead heading to the 16th hole.
Then it all turned around.
Williams chipped in from 10 yards off the green for an eagle, and Bergeson settled for a par. So with two holes to play, they were tied.
Both golfers parred the final two holes, forcing a playoff.
"Robb is a great player, a fantastic player," Williams said.
"If you keep giving Robb a chance, he will beat you. I'm glad it was only one (playoff) hole."
Wagner, who shared the second-round lead with Bergeson, shot a final round 73 and tied Chris Goldan of Manhattan for third place. Goldan had the best round of the day, a 68.
Marty Mehl of Seattle was fifth and four shots back, and Mike Watson of Columbia Falls, sixth, was five behind the winner.
Kalispell's Larry Iverson III, sitting third and one shot off the pace after Friday's play, closed with a 78. He finished tied for seventh.
72nd Annual 4th of July Golf Tournament
Saturday's Final Round
Whitefish Lake Golf Club
Men
*Marcus Williams, Missoula 76-68-70-214
Robb Bergeson, Billings 71-71-72-214
Jake Wagner, Portland, Ore. 68-74-73-215
Chris Goldan, Manhattan 75-72-68-215
Marty Mehl, Seattle 79-69-70-218
Mike Watson, Columbia Falls 71-75-73-219
Larry Iverson III, Kalispell 72-71-78-221
Bill Dunn, Missoula 75-73-73-221
Shawn Tucker, Whitefish 71-75-76-222
Mark Mance, Santa Fe, Calif. 71-81-72-224
Brett Woods, Phoenix, Ariz. 75-74-76-225
Tyler Kalberg, Tacoma, Wash. 77-73-75-225
Brett Bennyhoff, Great Falls 74-77-74-225
Steve Williamson, Shelby 76-75-74-225
Tyler Atwood, Whitefish 72-78-75-225
Rich Boswell, Calgary, Alberta 72-77-77-226
Dave Morberg, Whitefish 80-73-73-226
Jon Johnstone, Havre 71-75-80-226
Jason Johnstone, Whitefish 75-74-78-227
Justin Miller, Phoenix 85-74-68-227
Kyle Mossfeldt, Calgary, Alberta 75-77-76-228
Lindsay Wolley, Miles City 76-77-75-228
John Moscrip, Issaquah, Wash. 78-75-76-229
* Williams won in a playoff
Women
Kylie Anderson, Great Falls 70-73-76-219
Kelly Gillum, Fort Collins, Colo. 72-75-73-220
Rachel Warren, Billings 74-78-76-228
Ashley Griffith, Missoula 73-76-81-230
Kate Steffanich, Billings 76-75-80-231
Jennifer Orcutt, LaQuinta, Calif. 75-78-82-235
Shannon Donegan, Denver 83-71-81-235
Brianne Woods, Peoria, Ariz. 78-80-79-237
Marcy Holt, Spokane, Wash. 79-76-83-238
Tess Stevenson, Kalispell 85-76-79-240
Amber Griffith, Hermiston, Ore. 82-80-80-242
Hillary Folkvord, Three Forks 76-86-85-247
Jill Burtt, Whitefish 80-83-84-247
Chelsea Ray, Whitefish 79-83-86-248
E. Nelsen, Albuquerque, N.M. 86-77-86-249
N. Drysdale, Calgary, Alberta 81-87-81-249
Harring, Brush Prairie, Wash. 84-81-89-254
Karen Jacobsen, Whitefish 87-84-87-258
Ellen O'Hara, Mesa, Ariz. 88-84-87-259
Bobbie Lacklen, Libby 91-85-87-263