Sunday 62 Caps off $50,000, 52-Under-Par, 10-Day Stretch for Constable

MINOT -- Donald Constable has had his share of success as a golfer. He won the Minnesota state high school tournament during his junior year at Minnetonka (2006), and went on to win the MGA Players (State Match Play) Championship, the State Amateur, and the Minnesota Golf Champions. He also made it through the old PGA Tour Q-School on his first try (although he lost his card after one year on the big tour). But he's never before had a run like the one he's been on in the last two weeks.

Having shot a 21-under-par 195 and earned $20,000 for a victory at The Country Club of Sioux Falls the previous week, the former University of Minnesota star lit up Vardon Golf Club in Minot during the last four days to the tune of 257 (31 under) to win his second straight Dakotas Tour event -- by nine strokes -- and add another $30,000 to his rapidly increasing bank account. He capped off the victory with birdies on seven of his last nine holes on Sunday afternoon for a closing 62 (10 under).

As a result, Constable leads the 2017 Dakotas Tour money list with $53,005 in only four events. Andre Metzger, whose base of operations is Sioux Falls in the summer (he spends most of his winters in Phoenix), is second with $49,245 in 10 events, and he's $20,000 ahead of the guy who's third, Doug Quinones, another Sioux Falls resident. Quinones has $29,389 in 12 tournaments. 

To appreciate just how well Constable has played the last 10 days, consider this: he's shot 64 or better five times in seven rounds. His two "bad" rounds in that stretch were both 68's. 

That was what he started with on Thursday in Minot at Vardon GC. But he came back with a 63 on Friday and was within a stroke of the lead. He took control of the tournament on Saturday with a 64, which put him three in front of Floridian Jack Newman, who was in second place. 

On Sunday, Constable played the front nine in 33 (3 under) and birdied the 493-yard, par-5 10th hole. But Newman eagled it, and he was still only three behind. They both parred the 11th. Then Constable took off in a sprint to the finish that saw him birdie six of the last seven holes. It started with a birdie at the 191-yard, par-3 12th, followed by birdies at the 409-yard, par-4 13th and the 337-yard, par-4 14th. He caught his breath with a par at the 15th, then took off again on another birdie run that carried the 28-year-old, long-hitting lefty all the way to the clubhouse, as he made a 4 at the 500-yard, par-5 16th, a 2 at the 208-yard, par-3 17th and a 4 at the 505-yard, par-5 18th.

So he was 10 under for that final round 62, and he averaged nearly 8 under (minus 7.75 per round) for each of the four rounds in the tournament!

For the 10-day period ending Sunday, he was 52 under for seven rounds, an average of 7.43 strokes under par per round. And he collected a combined $50,000 for his efforts. 

Newman posted a final-round 68 and claimed second -- worth $17,000 -- with a four-day total of 266. (That's an average of 66.5 strokes per round -- and he lost by nine!) Metzger was another two back, in third, with a 268, having shot 67. He made $12,000.    


DAKOTAS TOUR

Minot Tournament

Thursday-Sunday

At Vardon Golf Club

Par 72, 6,565 yards

Minot, N.D. 

Final results 

1. Donald Constable, Excelsior    $30,000    68-63-64-62--257 (-31)

2. Jack Newman, Clearwater, Fla.    $17,000    66-69-63-68--266

3. Andre Metzger, Sioux Falls        $12,000    69-62-70-67--268

4. Tim Kunick, Bismarck                     $9,000    61-69-69-70--269

5. Michael Nagy, Manistique, Mich.    $7,000     67-65-69-69--270

T10. Neil Johnson, River Falls         $3,000     67-66-69-71--273

16. Chris Meyer, Edina                      $1,300     67-68-71-69--275

T17. Cameron White, Wayzata         $1,250      68-71-67-70--276

T17. Jon Trasamar, Blue Earth         $1,250      68-69-68-71--276

T27. Thomas Campbell, Minnetonka $1,133      68-70-70-71--279


Previous Event

Sioux Falls Tournament 

Aug. 11-13

At The Country Club of Sioux Falls

Par 72, 7,017 yards

Sioux Falls

Final results 

1. Donald Constable, Excelsior    $20,000   64-63-68--195 (-21) 

2. Andre Metzger, Sioux Falls       $11,000   63-68-69--200

3. Dylan Baker, Eden Prairie          $7,000   71-66-66--203