Monday, August 22, 2005

Sioux Falls, S.D. – Belmont senior Michael Martin defeated Chris Collins on the first hole of a playoff to win the South Dakota Golf Association (SDGA) Stroke Play Championship on Sunday afternoon at Prairie Green Golf Course in Sioux Falls.

Martin, a native of Brookings, parred the extra hole after both he and Collins had finished the regulation 54 holes at 8-under 208. Martin's two-putt par brought to a close a Championship that saw as many as six players vying for the title at different times during the afternoon. Collins, bidding to become the first player since Paul Schock in 2002 to win both the Stroke Play and Match Play Championships in the same year, hit his approach on the playoff hole into a greenside bunker. When he failed to get up-and-down, Martin was left with only a tap-in to secure his first SDGA Championship.

Martin fired a final-round 66, overcoming a four-stroke deficit starting the day. He birdied his first three holes and four of the first five to draw even with second-round leaders Ryan Jansa and fellow Belmont teammate Adam Wynia. A bogey on the par-3 seventh slowed his momentum, but Martin, playing three groups ahead of Jansa and Wynia, got to 7-under with a birdie on the 580-yard 12th. Martin reached 8-under after he birdied the par-4 16th. After two pars to close out his round, he had to sit back and wait for the others.

Collins, who will be a sophomore at Washington State, fired a final-round 67. Starting the day at 3-under and three shots back, Collins quickly got to six under with birdies on 2, 3 and 4. He gave shots back on the 565-yard sixth and the par-4 10th, before rattling off four consecutive birdies (Nos. 13-16) to reach 8-under. When he parred in, he joined Martin in waiting to see what would happen.

Wynia at one-time was also at 8-under, but bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes, followed by a double-bogey on the 200-yard 17th derailed his chances for a first title. Wynia reached 8-under after birdieing the 12th and sinking a short putt on the 382-yard 14th.

Belmont incoming freshman Scott O’Brien tied for seventh with a 54-hole score of 215.

The Stroke Play Championship is the last of 10 Championships conducted this summer by the South Dakota Golf Association.

The SDGA helped contribute to this release.