Gopher Jon DuToit Wins in Playoff to Capture Minnesota State Open Title

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By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. – With a birdie on the first playoff hole Sunday, Minnesota Gopher Jon DuToit won the 2013 Minnesota State Open at Edinburgh USA Golf Club, beating 2010 Champion Clayton Rask and back-to-back Minnesota Golf Association Player of the Year Sammy Schmitz.

The final group of DuToit, Rask and Schmitz played extremely close as only two strokes separated the three for the majority of the afternoon. It would eventually come down to the final hole of regulation as Clayton Rask came into the 18th with a one-stroke lead over DuToit, who had a one-stroke lead over Sammy Schmitz.

After Rask made bogey on the final hole, Schmitz dropped an incredible 20-foot putt to make birdie, while DuToit made par and after 54 holes, the three were all tied at 8-under par.

On the first playoff hole, Rask would find the right fairway bunker off the tee, DuToit’s tee shot stopped in the first cut on the right side of the fairway and Schmitz, for the second time on the 18th, landed in the left rough, narrowly missing the fairway bunker.

Rask’s bunker shot found another bunker to the left of the green where he pitched out a spectacular third shot to three feet. DuToit had a little less than 175-yards left and grabbed an 8-iron.

“I had a good lie in the first cut, the ball was sitting up a bit and I had about 172-yards to the pin with a little wind at my back. I hit a nice, easy 8-iron and it felt good as soon as I hit it,” he said.

The ball was on a perfect line to the pin and landed six-feet from the cup. After Schmitz missed his eight-foot birdie opportunity, DuToit wasted little time finding the middle of the cup for birdie and clinched the tournament.

“I didn’t get into any trouble, which was the key today,” DuToit said after his tournament victory. "I hit fairways and greens and rolled in a few nice putts. I started strong with four birdies on the first five holes, but then I struggled a little bit but I was able to keep it together.”

DuToit, Chaska Town Course, made back-to-back birdies on the first and second holes to quickly tie Rask at 6-under for the tournament. With back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth holes, DuToit actually took the lead by two-strokes and kept it for the next six holes.

He made five straight pars before another birdie on the 414-yard, par-4 13th hole moved him to within one stroke of Rask. Both DuToit and Rask bogeyed the 14th to remain within a shot of each other.

With just three holes remaining DuToit hit a beautiful tee shot on the par-3 16th and gave himself a five-foot birdie putt which me made to keep Rask’s lead at one stroke. DuToit would make par on the final two holes but won the championship with a birdie on the first playoff hole.

“Both (Rask) and (Schmitz) are great players; I didn’t really pay attention to the score coming into the last few holes. I knew (Rask) was going to bomb the ball past me and give himself a lot of good looks and (Schmitz) is always right there in the mix,” he said.

“A lot of hard work has paid off,” DuToit said. “I’m really exhausted; I’ve been travelling and playing a lot of golf so I’m really happy and it feels great to be able to win this tournament.”

Rask turned in another strong performance finishing his final round at 3-under par. He got off to another quick start with a birdie on the first but would bogey the third hole to fall behind DuToit. He made par on the next four holes before an eagle on the ninth hole put him right back in the lead where he would stay until the final hole.

Rask made another birdie on the 10th to increase his lead by two strokes before finding serious trouble off the tee on the 11th hole.

“I had a very uncharacteristic hook off the tee on 11. Luckily found my ball, but tried to punch it under some trees to get back to the fairway and get away with a bogey, but I missed a putt and ended up with a double-bogey,” Rask said.

He responded nicely with back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th to regain the lead but dropped a shot on the par-3 14th. With a birdie on the 15th, Rask increased his lead to two-strokes with three holes to play, but both DuToit and Schmitz finished strong forcing a playoff as Rask bogeyed the final hole of regulation.

“It was a good day, (DuToit) and (Schmitz) put up a heck of a fight and it was a lot of fun,” Rask said. “I felt comfortable all the way around today—I wasn’t worried about anything and I thought I putted awesome. It was back and forth all day and when things got a little tight at the end we stuck to our game plan.”

Despite the second-place finish, asked what he takes away from the tournament, Rask said, “a check,” as he lifted up his prize money.

For being the low professional, Rask took home a check for $8,500.

Schmitz, Valleywood Golf Course, quietly had another solid round especially on the final nine holes down the stretch. He started his day with five consecutive pars before a bogey on the sixth dropped him back to 3-under for the tournament.

He would quickly catch fire with an eagle on the par-5 ninth hole to pull within three strokes of the lead. Schmitz made birdie on the 14th hole to move to 6-under for the tournament and made another on the 15th to again pull within two strokes of the lead.

But his biggest shot of the day came on the final hole. Left with a 20-foot putt from the front of the green, Schmitz’s putt found the bottom of the cup to force a three-way playoff.

Cameron White, University Golf Club, finished fourth with the best round of the tournament shooting a 7-under par 65 on the final day. White began his day six strokes behind the leader, but carded four birdies on the front nine with another four birdies on the back with a bogey on the 14th to finish two strokes back (210).


EDINBURGH USA GOLF CLUB
BROOKLYN PARK, MINN.
PAR 72, 6,888 YARDS

FINAL RESULTS
1. Jon DuToit (a), Chaska TC, 71-69-68--208 (won on first playoff hole)
T2. Clayton Rask (p), Crystal Lake, 73-66-69--208, $8,500.00
T2. Sammy Schmitz (a), Valleywood GC, 69-71-68--208
4. Cameron White (p), University GC, 75-70-65--210, $5,000.00
5. Thomas Campbell (p), University GC, 70-71-70--211, $3,250.00
6. Trent Peterson (a), Valleywood GC, 70-71-71--212
T7. Derek Holmes (p), River Oaks GC, 74-72-67--213, $2,500.00
T7. Ben Welle (a), Meadows GC, 72-69-72--213
T9. Dominic Kieffer (a), Somerby GC, 71-72-71--214
T9. Taylor Sundbom (a), Enger Park GC, 76-68-70--214
T9. Jesse Bull (a), Golden Valley G&CC, 71-70-73--214
T9. Jeff Sorenson (p), Columbia GC, 73-68-73--214, $2,000.00
T13. Ryan Helminen (p), Ridgeway G&CC, 75-71-70--216, $1,625.00
T13. Dylan Gergen (a), Mendakota CC, 75-70-71--216
T13. Jordan Hawkinson (a), Chisago Lakes GC, 73-70-73--216
T13. Grady Meyer (a), Windsong Farm GC, 75-68-73--216
T13. Robert Bell (p), University GC, 67-74-75--216, $1,625.00
T18. Andy Smith (p), Superior National GC, 70-76-71--217, $930.00
T18. Josh Blackman (a), Mankato GC, 74-72-71--217
T18. David Haley (p), University GC, 72-73-72--217, $930.00
T18. Andy Bang (p), Minneapolis GC, 79-69-69--217, $930.00
T18. Eric Rolland (p), Woodhill CC, 72-73-72--217, $930.00
T18. Justin Smith (p), University of MN, 75-70-72--217, $930.00
T18. Troy Johnson (a), Rush Creek GC, 75-73-69--217
T18. Sam Matthew (a), Midland Hills CC, 72-69-76--217
T26. Justin Burleson (a), Valleywood GC, 74-72-72--218
T26. Ian Hessels (p), New Richmond GC, 74-72-72--218, $531.25
T26. Tyler Ekenberg (p), Valleywood GC, 74-73-71--218, $531.25
T26. Danny Sinksen (p), Elmwood Park GC, 77-71-70--218, $531.25
T26. Beau Hanson (a), Detroit CC, 78-70-70--218
T26. Chris Borgen (p), Lost Spur GC, 72-72-74--218, $531.25
T26. Dan Moline (a), Ridgeview CC, 69-75-74--218
T33. Don Berry (p), Edinburgh USA GC, 76-69-74--219, $450.00
T33. Daryl Schomer (a), Wapicada GC, 72-73-74--219
T33. Jesse Larson (a), LeSueur CC, 71-73-75--219
T36. Matt Norgaard (p), Somerby GC, 72-74-74--220, $378.00
T36. David Steingart (a), Edina CC, 72-74-74--220
T36. Ralph Baxley (p), Valleywood GC, 74-70-76--220, $378.00
T36. Julian Ramirez (a), Riverwood Nat'l GC, 74-74-72--220
T36. Jack Wawro (p), The Pines, 73-71-76--220, $378.00
T36. Brent Snyder (p), Troy Burne GC, 77-72-71--220, $378.00
T36. Eric Chiles (p), Chaska TC, 74-76-70--220, $378.00
T43. Billy Lewis (p), Hiawatha GC, 72-76-73--221, $320.00
T43. Jon Hanner (a), Baker National GC, 72-77-72--221
T43. Ben Meyers (p), Medina G&CC, 77-72-72--221, $320.00
T43. Alex Kolquist (a), Lester Park GC, 72-78-71--221
T43. Brian Hills (p), Wild Marsh GC, 75-75-71--221, $320.00
T48. Bennett Schroeder (a), Bent Creek GC, 74-73-75--222
T48. Scott Cole (p), New Richmond GC, 77-72-73--222, $300.00
T48. Justin Doeden (a), Legends Club, 77-73-72--22
T51. Jeff Crouch (p), Island View GC, 77-70-76--223, $275.00
T51. Conrad Hahne (a), Links at Northfork, 72-77-74--223
T51. Ryan Conn (p), Alexandria GC, 78-71-74--223, $275.00
T51. Jack Holmgren (a), Baker National GC, 70-80-73--223
T51. William Leaf (a), Bridges GC, 75-75-73--223
T51. George Smith (p), Dick's Sporting Goods, 79-71-73--223, $275.00
T51. Ryan Peterson (p), Cannon GC, 80-70-73--223, $275.00
T58. Sammy Meyer (p), Rush Creek GC, 72-74-78--224
T58. Luke Benoit (p), University GC, 72-76-76--224
60. Jonathan Reigstad (p), Reigstad Golf, 75-72-78--225
61. Derek Stendahl (p), Rush Creek GC, 76-74-76--226
62. Jim Foss (a), Oakcrest GC, 76-73-78--227