Johnson Wins Individual Title, and NDSU Wins the Team at Torrey Pines
March 27, 2024
WEST ST. PAUL -- Jon DuToit says he isn't really a long hitter. Of course, all things are relative, and the first-year pro from Chaska doesn't think of 280- and 290-yard drives as long. He also notes that there are some days when his drives go farther than on other days.
Friday was one of those days. The former Minnesota State Open (2013), State Amateur (2015) and state high school (2012) champion overpowered the par-5's at Southview Country Club on his way to an 8-under-par 63, and he leads the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am by two strokes after the opening round.
Ross Miller, an assistant pro from Dellwood Country Club is in second place after a 65. Right behind him, mini-tour veteran Cameron White and Bolstad/University pro Eddie Wynne are tied for third with 66's. There is also a foursome at 67 -- Robert Bell, Tim Brovold, Brian Seiwert and three-time champ Ryan Helminen.
The par-5's at Southview aren't monsters. But they're also not as short as DuToit made them look on Friday, as he hit three of the par-5 greens in two with no club more than a 7-iron.
He also played the par-3's about as well as you could possibly play them, and it was at the 166-yard, par-3 second hole that he began his assault on par, hitting an 8-iron to 35 feet and making the putt for birdie. The former University of Minnesota star -- he was Academic All-Big Ten and earned Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-American Scholar honors -- followed that with a wedge to 3 feet for a birdie at No. 3 (374 yards, par 4). After bombing a 300-yard drive at the par-5 fourth (470 yards), he hit 7-iron second-shot onto the green and two-putted for another birdie.
The run continued with a 5-iron tee shot at the 203-yard, par-3 fifth that he converted into another birdie. He blasted a 310-yard drive -- up the hill! -- at the 476-yard sixth hole, hit another 7-iron second shot, and then made the putt for an eagle 3.
"I hit that drive really hard," he said afterward.
For anyone who might have lost count, that made him 6 under in a span of five holes.
"He hits it a mile," marvelled Bruce Haselrud, one of DuToit's playing companions on Friday, "and he made putts from everywhere. That's a pretty impressive combination."
Mixed in with the eight birdies and the one eagle he made were a couple of bogeys. The first of them came at No. 8 (363, par 4), where he pulled his tee shot into the trees and couldn't rescue a par.
Things slowed down a little after that, and DuToit made three pars in a row. But he began lighting up his scorecard again with birdies at the 330-yard, par-4 12th hole and the 152-yard, par-3 13th. There are five par-3's at Southview, and he birdied four of them. The last of them came at the 157-yard 15th, where hit an 8-iron tee shot to 2 feet and tapped in four his fourth 2 of the round.
That got him to 8 under par, and the tournament record is 62, held jointly by the late Mike Zinni and Craig Brischke. A bogey at the 446-yard, par-4 16th (the hardest hole on the course) meant that he would need birdies on the last two holes to equal the record, but 17 and 18 at Southview are both par-5's, and DuToit reached the 490-yard 17th with an 8 iron. He two-putted for his third birdie in as many par-5's that he had played up to that point.
At the 481-yard 18th, however, he pushed his drive into the trees and had to settle for a par -- and 63.
MEN'S PROFESSIONAL GOLF
Tapemark Charity Pro-Am
At Southview Country Club
Par 71, 6,121 yards
First-round results
Professionals
1. Jon DuToit, Chaska Town Course 63
2. Ross Miller, Dellwood CC 65
T3. Cameron White, The Palms (Calif.) 66
T3. Eddie Wynne, Bolstad/University 66
T5. Robert Bell, Pierz 67
T5. Tim Brovold, Bunker Hills 67
T5. Ryan Helminen, Ridgeway CC (Wis.) 67
T5. Brian Seiwert, Burl Oaks, GC 67
T9. Michell Homb, Unattached 68
T9. Chris Meyer, Southview CC 68
T9. Brent Snyder, Troy Burne 68
T9. Casey Vangsness, Minnewaska 68
T13. Craig Brischke, Tanners Brook 69
T13. Scott McDonald, Minnewaska 69
T13. Jon Reigstad, Keller GC 69
T13. Jack Wawro, The Pines 69
T17. Eric Chiles, Chaska TC 70
T17. Clayton Johnson, Dellwood 70
T17. Julian Ramirez, StoneRidge, GC 70
T17. Brandon Sletmoen, Fargo CC 70
T17. Jeff Sorenson, The Minikahda Club 70
T22. Thomas Campbell, Bolstad/Univ. 71
T22. John Cleary, Bolstad/University 71
T22. Scott Cole, RTG Golf 71
T22. Chris Peterson, Delllwood CC 71
T22. Eric Rolland, Augsburg College 71
Amateur leaders
1. Ryan Gallagher, Chomonix GC 68
T2. Mark Thompson, Southview CC 69
T2. Ben Meyer, Austin CC 69
4. Eric Hayne, Dellwood CC 70
5. Tony Vincelli, Unattached 72
6. Scott Fenwick, Southview 73
Team leaders
1. Homb, Hapka, Lesch, Glass -25
2. Cole, Odell,Phythian, Skjold -24
March 15, 2024
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