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Brett Shewchuk knocks off defending champion to win Strathcona Invitational

After missing chances to put the match away on the 15th and 16th holes, Brett Shewchuk wasn’t about to let opportunity No. 3 slip past.
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Brett Shewchuk tees off on the back nine Monday at Strathcona Golf Course. The 2013 District Amateur champion would go on to capture his second local major and first Strathcona Invitational crown. (Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com)

After missing chances to put the match away on the 15th and 16th holes, Brett Shewchuk wasn’t about to let opportunity No. 3 slip past.

The 23-year-old calmly rolled in a 20-foot putt on a rainy Monday afternoon on the 17th hole at Strathcona Golf Course, capturing a 2&1 victory over defending champion Joe Scharf in the final of the Strathcona Invitational.

It was Shewchuk’s first Strathcona win -- and second local major title --  and it felt great, he said.

“Really, it’s an honour to be up there with those other guys. It’s just in the past couple of years I felt I was able to compete at the highest level against them. I’m happy about how the day went, obviously,” Shewchuk said.

“We had a good match. He kind of struggled early and I had a bit of a lead for most of the match. I just tried to hang on to my lead, basically.”

In the early going it was a combination of brilliant shots by Shewchuk and miscues by Scharf. Shewchuk stuck an eight iron to three feet on the opening hole and made the birdie putt to go one up. On the third hole Scharf overshot the green and was forced to take an unplayable lie, giving his opponent a 2-up lead. Two holes later Scharf lost a ball and Shewchuk led 3-up at the turn.

It was then the eventual winner decided to change his approach.

“I was just trying to make pars out there. I have no problem losing to birdies if I’m making pars. I hit three-iron off the tee a couple of times and on 13 it kind of cost me. But after that I decided to be a little more aggressive and hit driver,” Shewchuk said.

His second shot on 13 went out of bounds. Scharf made par to pull within two holes.

But his elation lasted all of one shot.

Scharf’s drive on the short par 4 14th drifted right and dribbled just in front of a tree, leaving him no shot at the green.

“I struggled with my driver all weekend and that one hurt,” said Scharf, who knocked off former champion Robert Cumming earlier in the day in one of two semifinal matches.

“I knew that one was going to be a difference-maker.”

And it was.

Shewchuk missed a two-foot par putt on the next hole, but instead of being down one hole with three to play, Scharf was down two.

Scharf had a tricky six-foot birdie putt to win the16th, but both golfers settled for par.

Shewchuk, who edged Evan DeGrazia in his semifinal match, credited his play off the tee and on the green for his success.

“I was driving it really well and I made pretty much every putt I needed to out there. The difference in putting from yesterday to today was just ridiculous,” he said.

Tony Stokaluk, the only man to win all three divisions at the Strathcona Invitational, did it again on Monday, edging Glen Fossum 3&2 to win the super senior title.

Rick Danielewski edged Ryan Untinen 2&1 to capture the senior crown.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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