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Finally his time: Vermeer takes title at Pro-Am
Published 8/3/2009 in Pro-Am
By BRETT MARSHALL
O n Saturday night, Ryan Vermeer talked about the previous nine months playing golf as something of a one shot wonder.
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Brad Nading/Telegram— Ryan Vermeer, of Lawrence, hits his approach shot onto the No. 17 green Sunday during the final round of the Southwest Kansas Pro-Am at The Golf Club at Southwind. Vermeer won this year's tournament.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Rich Morris chips on to the No. 2 green Sunday at The Golf Club at Southwind during the final round of the Southwest Kansas Pro-Am.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Boyd Summerhays chips out of a greenside bunker on The Golf Club at Southwind's No. 8 hole Sunday during the final round of the Southwest Kansas Pro-Am.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Mark Walker putts on the No. 18 green at The Golf Club at Southwind Sunday during the final round of the Southwest Kansas Pro-Am.
He wondered why (and how) he missed the finals of the PGA Tour Qualifying School by one shot. He wondered why he had missed qualifying for at least two Nationwide Tour events by one shot. He wondered why he missed the U.S. Open qualifying by two shots.
Well, he has no more wonders after a 1-under-par 70 in gusty and swirling winds at The Golf Club at Southwind on Sunday that propelled him to the championship in the 30th anniversary of the Southwest Kansas Pro-Am with a 54-hole 5-under par, 209 (72-67-70).
His victory, among the three biggest of his nine-year pro career, was a come-from-behind story as 36-hole leader Mark Walker and the others in the final group of the day, faltered in the windy conditions that saw it blow from 15-22 miles per hour.
Vermeer stood on the final tee, the 170-yard, par-3, and laced a 7-iron to within five feet and calmly sank the birdie putt to put an exclamation point on his day that included just two birdies and one bogey. He held a two-shot advantage on the field at the final tee, but he was unaware of the extra padding he had to work with.
"I didn't know where I stood because I thought somebody had finished at minus-four," Vermeer said. "I knew where the guys in front and behind me were and knew that I had a couple of shots cushion with those guys."
During the final round, Vermeer could point to any number of critical shots that helped catapult him into the victor's circle.
There was the tap-in birdie on the 5th hole (his 14th of the day). Then, there was the pitch shot from behind the seventh green (his 16th hole) that allowed him to save par and the key tee shot on the eighth hole, his least favorite tee shot on the course, that set him up for a routine par.
"I didn't do anything spectacular, but I didn't do anything stupid either," Vermeer said.
For the rest of the final round leaderboard, it wasn't such a pleasant experience in the once-again final round wind that defines the Southwind golf course. The field had seen it blow hard on Friday.
"It was extremely tough out there," said Mark Walker from Hurst, Texas, the second-round leader.
Walker struggled with a 5-over 76 to finish tied for fifth.
"I just lost it out there and couldn't figure out what to do," he said. "I tried to hit the ball low and keep it out of the wind and I just got out of my normal game plan. It's like I went into a panic mode, trying to steer the ball."
Walker wasn't the only player on the 36-hole leaderboard that faltered. Rich Morris of Fayetteville, Ark., and Ron Vlosich of Lakewood, Colo., both of whom were tied with Vermeer at 139, struggled in with 76s to finish at 1-over 215.
The three players who tied for second at 212 were Zen Brown (71) of Arvada, Colo., Clay Devers (71) of Lake Quiira and Chris Thompson (70) of Lawrence. The low round of the day belonged to Matthew Brunk of Fort Collins, Colo., whose 69 allowed him to finish in tie for fifth with a 213.
Vermeer said the experience for he and his wife, Angie, having their first child (a boy, Ethan) four months ago, has put his golf career in perspective.
"I had played really good golf in 2008 and then we found out that we were pregnant," Vermeer said. "Then I just played fantastic golf after that. It's a pretty cool thing. I've just got a different attitude out on the course 95 percent of the time."
Vermeer said he felt fortunate that none of the leaders held together on the closing nine holes.
"Mark (Walker) is a heckuva player and has won a bunch of times in Texas," Vermeer said. "Tee to green, he's usually rock solid so I was surprised that Mark faltered there at the end."
Find more on the Pro-Am at www.gctelegram.com/Pro-Am.
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