Medley eagles to win Fourth of July tourney

WHITEFISH — Andrew Medley closed with a flourish, holing an eagle putt from 40 feet out to finish the last two holes 3-under-par and win the 80th annual Earl Hunt Memorial Fourth of July Tournament by one stroke on Saturday at Whitefish Lake Golf Club.

Medley, from Scottsdale, Arizona, entered the day trailing by two strokes and still trailed after 16 holes. He shot birdie on the par 4 17th and roped his drive on the 601-yard par 5 18th to set up a 200-yard 7-iron to the right edge of the green. With the pin tucked in the back left corner, he had to hit his putt firm to get it close.

The putt, while on line, was so firm, much of the gallery pleaded for it to slow down.

“When I hit it, the way I read it, I thought that it was going to hit the center of the hole,” Medley said after the round.

“From 15 feet away I thought I made it. But, I knew it had to hit the center of the hole to go in. When it went in, I was elated.”

Whitefish’s Mark Mance had an opportunity to send the tournament to a playoff, and chipped his third shot from just off the front of the green to within four feet of the hole. Last to putt, he pushed the birdie chance right and had to settle for par, finishing the tournament at 1-under-par 214, one stroke back of Medley.

It is the second tournament title for Medley, who also took the trophy in 2012.

“It was very unexpected,” Medley said. “I knew what I had to do. I had to make birdie (on 17) and at a minimum I thought I’d have to make birdie on 18. Then I hit a putt that was very fortunate to hit the hole. I made three and the outcome was kinda beyond what I expected.

“It was nice. This was a week with zero expectations because I haven’t been playing a lot. I came out here and tried to have a good time. The result was better than expected.”

Billings’ Rob Bergeson had a chance to close in on his second title after a miraculous final round, but closed at even par in a tie for third place with Libby’s Ryggs Johnston.

Bergeson, the sentimental favorite at the tournament after losing his father earlier this year, sent whispers around the course earlier in the day. Four days after spreading the ashes of his father on the fourth tee box, he took to the 208-yard par 3 and dunked a 4-iron directly in the cup for a hole-in-one.

“We’ve been coming up here for 26 years,” Bergeson said. “He passed in early April. This is the first time I’ve been up here without him. On Tuesday we had a little memorial for him. There was eight of us that spread his ashes on the four tee that day. And bingo. It’s pretty cool. It flew in the hole.”

First round leader Sam Krause finished in a tie for fifth with Billings’ Sean Benson.

Missoula’s Sadie Crippen fought off a tough final round to close with a one-stroke victory at 7-over 221. Trailing Butte’s Hailey Hoagland, a teammate at the University of Montana, for most of the day, Crippen closed strong in the final four holes to win the tournament. Both shot 7-over 78 in the final round.

“I didn’t hit very many good shots, but I held it together, I guess,” Crippen said. “Overall, I’m pretty happy with how I played. I put together two solid rounds to start, so that did it for me.”

Maggie Crippen, first round leader and Sadie’s older sister, closed with a 76 to tie Hoagland for second, one stroke back. Kalispell’s Teigan Avery, who will join Sadie Crippen and Hoagland at UM in the fall, shot a round low 2-under 69 to finish in fourth place.

Whitefish’s Carroll Lilly won the inaugural men’s senior title at the tournament, holding his lead wire-to-wire by closing with a 69 to finish at 5-under 209 for the tournament, winning by 10 strokes over Columbia Falls’ Keith Woznesensky.

80th Earl Hunt Memorial

Fourth of July Tournament

Saturday

Whitefish Lake Golf Club

MEN

North Course (Par: 72; Yardage: 3,429)

Final Round

Name City Score

Andrew Medley Scottsdale, Ariz. 72-71-70—213

Mark Mance Whitefish 70-71-73—214

Rob Bergeson Billings 72-73-70—215

Ryggs Johnston Libby 74-71-70—215

Sam Krause La Quinta, Calif. 67-77-73—217

Sean Benson Billings 74-73-70—217

Ryan Porch Kalispell 70-73-75—218

Craig Hurlbert Hamilton 71-76-71—218

Conor Rooney Whitefish 71-76-71—218

Kyle Mossfeldt Whitefish 73-71-74—218

JT Bloomer Boise, Idaho 71-79-69—219

Art Doorn Whitefish 73-72-75—220

Byron Olson Houston, Texas 74-74-73—221

Joseph Potkonjak Bigfork 78-68-76—222

Jim Bob Coleman Billings 74-74-75—223

Justin Miller Phoenix, Ariz. 71-70-83—224

Kyle Sheppard Havre 73-75-76—224

Sean Ramsbacher Missoula 74-77-73—224

Connor Hausauer Bozeman 73-72-80—225

Cory Mehl Seattle, Wash. 73-74-79—226

Bob Hasquet Missoula 74-74-78—226

Tate Tatom Gallatin Gateway 74-78-77—229

Brad Cox Lethbridge, Alberta 79-74-78—231

Darren Rowell Castle Rock, Wash. 80-70-84—234

Loy Sullivan Calgary, Alberta 74-79-82—235

SENIOR MEN

South Course (Par: 71)

Final Round

Name City Score

Carroll Lilly Whitefish 71-69-69—209

Keith Woznesensky Columbia Falls 74-75-70—219

Baker Montgomery Dallas, Texas 74-75-77—226

Rich Boswell Calgary, Alberta 75-79-76—230

Rod Brady Kalispell 76-80-75—231

Waldemar Maya Plano, Texas 75-77-81—233

Jim Schaible Kalispell 77-76-80—233

Frank Sutton Calgary, Alberta 79-78-77—234

Dave Streeter Whitefish 81-79-77—237

Ramer Holtan Mercer Island, Wash. 74-83-82—239

Kevin Linsey Whitefish 79-79-81—239

Chris Vidulich Kalispell 80-81-79—240

Larry Schwenke CdA, Idaho 75-86-81—242

Brian Cripe Whitefish 79-86-79—244

Dan Lieberg Helena 82-84-78—244

John Zaiss Whitefish 78-82-86—246

Bob Sandman Columbia Falls 82-84-85—251

Dann Rohrer Libby 82-84-86—252

Bob Slaven Polson 82-89-89—260

Brent Appelgren Whitefish 84-88-91—263

WOMEN

South Course (Par: 71; Yardage: 2,541)

Final Round

Name City Score

Sadie Crippen Missoula 72-71-78—221

Maggie Crippen Missoula 68-78-76—222

Hailey Hoagland Butte 75-69-78—222

Teigan Avery Kalispell 80-74-69—223

Haylee Folkvord Bozeman 73-79-75—227

Marcy Holt Spokane, Wash. 77-81-74—232

Carly McNaughton Lethbridge, Alta. 74-81-77—232

Coral Schulz Whitefish 79-76-79—234

Shealyn Hafer Butte 78-79-78—235

Kasia Kazmierczyk Santa Monica, Calif. 82-82-76—240

Morgan O’Neill Laurel 79-82-80—241

Kathy Dodd Whitefish 79-89-75—243

Karen Jacobson Whitefish 82-85-77—244

Katherine Wills Missoula 80-86-79—245

Donna Wehlage Milk River, Alta. 84-77-86—247

Bobbie Lacklen Libby 82-87-86—255

Jody Fee Kalispell 83-95-84—262

Marcia Reimers Missoula 86-90-87—263

Sandy Haydu Edmonton, Alta. 84-91-95—270