EVANSVILLE — Heading into the back nine of the final round of last year’s Romain Buick Senior City golf tournament, Robin Rubrecht bogeyed four holes to fall out of contention. This year was a different story. Rubrecht bogeyed just one hole on his way to winning his first Senior City tournament championship at Helfrich Hills.
Rubrecht, who was playing in only his third Senior City tournament since moving to Evansville in 2006, shot a 3-under 68 on Sunday to finish at 6-under for the tournament, giving him a two-stroke victory over 2006 champion Paul Gentry. “I played steady golf,” Rubrecht said. “I hit good drives and hit the greens regularly. The field was very tough this year, so that makes me feel a lot better about the win. ”The leaders remained bunched up for the duration of the tournament, making for what Rubrecht called a “grind-it-out type of win.” He and Gentry were tied at 5-under on the back nine until Gentry, whose group was one hole ahead of Rubrecht’s, ran into trouble on hole No. 16. He hit a ball to the left of the green that landed in the rough, then had a tough time recovering from the shot and had to settle for bogey. Meanwhile, Rubrecht drove the green on No. 15, a par four, and birdied the hole to gain a two-stroke lead that he never lost.
He parred the next hole and said that he was able settle in from there. “That was a critical hole for me,” he said. “When I made that putt, I just thought to myself, ‘Just keep doing what you’re doing,’ which was playing smart, conservative golf. “I just picked my spots where I wanted to go for it, and other places I felt better off playing it safe.” Gentry came into Sunday’s round tied with Rubrecht and just one stroke behind the first-round leader, Ken Schreiber, and said he felt if he shot under par that he’d win. However, he said he simply didn’t make enough putts.
Gentry, who missed last year’s Senior City tournament because of injuries to his knee and ankle, said he was still happy with how he played and wasn’t disappointed with a second-place finish. He tried to make it interesting on No. 18 when he nearly sank a 20-foot birdie putt, only to leave it a few inches short of the hole. He ended up settling for par. “I left it on the lip,” he said. “It looked like it was going in until it didn’t go in.” Schreiber couldn’t capitalize on his 68 from Saturday and shot a 77 on Sunday to finish with a 145 for the tournament and fifth-place finish. “I played some pretty rotten golf,” he said. “I lost some confidence on hole No. 6. I just wasn’t hitting the ball in the middle of the club. “ I just wasn’t very good at all today.” John Kaposta followed up a 72 from Saturday with a 68 on Sunday to finish with a 140 and third place. Tony Hill finished fourth with a 142, and Tim Heath tied with Schreiber with a 145 for fifth.
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