Closing 70 Gives Polland 4-Stroke Victory in Guatemala

National

FUEGO MAYA, ANTIGUA, Guatemala -- Professional golfers talk a lot about the importance of getting off to good start. But that doesn't seem to apply to Ben Polland.

He got off to an indifferent start on Saturday in the third round of the Guatemala Stella Artois Open, playing the first three holes at La Reunion Golf Resort in 1 over par. Polland played the next 12 holes in 9 under and finished with a 65, his second 65 in a row, which gave him the 54-hole lead. 

On Sunday, he bogeyed the first hole. For him, that was almost a good omen, and he proceeded to play both the front and the back nines in 1 under each. The resulting 2-under 70 on a tough course gave him a 72-hole aggregate of 268 (20 under, a tournament record) and 4-stroke victory.

Matt Gilchrest was the only player in the field to match Polland's weekend total of 135. Gilchrest did it with a 67 on Saturday and a 68 on Sunday. But he started the weekend four behind, and that was where he finished, tied for second with Skyler Finnell, who closed with a 69. 

There was a three-way tie for fourth at 203. Curtis Yonke and Michael Davan both arrived at that number with Sunday 67's. Tyler McCumber shot 71. 

The top six finishers were all Americans. 

This was the first event on the 2018 PGA Tour LatinoAmerica schedule. The victory was worth $31,500 to Polland -- and a lot more. 

He had only partial status on the LatinoAmerica tour previously and had to Monday qualify just to get into the field in Guatemala. Now he has full status for the rest of the year. Polland can choose whatever tournaments he wants to play in. No more Monday qualifiers. 

And if he finishes the year in the top five on the money list, he will be eligible to play on the Web.com Tour next year. That would give him a chance to move up to the PGA Tour for the 2019-20 season.

Polland played high school golf at Bloomington Jefferson. He finished eighth in the Class AAA part of the 2008 Minnesota state high school tournament, then entered the Golf Management Program at Campbell University. He has been an assistant at Deepdale Golf Club in Manhasset, N.Y., since getting his degree from Campbell in 2013, and has established himself as one of the most accomplished tournament players among the club pros. In 2015, he finished second in the PGA National Club Pro Championship, and 16 months later, he won the National Assistant Club Pro Championship.

After starting with a bogey on Sunday, Polland birdied the 391-yard, par-4 fifth hole and the 394-yard, par-4 sixth, both for the second day in a row. He bogeyed the 159-yard, par-3 eighth, but bounced back with a birdie at the long, 491-yard, par-4 ninth, also for the second day in a row. He also birdied the 200-yard, par-3 11th for the second day in a row, so that by the time he bogeyed the par-5 15th, it really didn't matter.

The 27-year-old capped off his victory with a birdie at the 510-yard, par-5 18th.   

MEN'S PROFESSIONAL GOLF

PGA LatinoAmerica Tour

Guatemala Stella Artois Open

At La Reunion Golf Resort

Par 72

Fuego Maya, Antigua, Guatemala

Final results 

1. Ben Polland, USA             $31,500    68-65-65-70--268

T2. Skyler Finnell, USA        $15,400     68-68-67-69--272

T2. Matt Gilchrest, USA       $15,400     74-63-67-68--272

T4. Tyler McCumber, USA    $7,233      68-65-69-71--273

T4. Curtis Yonke, USA          $7,233      67-68-71-67--273

T4. Michael Davan, USA      $7,233       66-70-70-67--273


.