Medley goes birdie, eagle to win Fourth tourney

Saturday will be remembered as one of the most extraordinary final rounds in the 80 years Whitefish Lake Golf Club has hosted the Earl Hunt Memorial Fourth of July Tournament.

Trailing by three strokes going into the day on the North Course, Andrew Medley closed with a birdie on No. 17 then drilled a 40-foot putt to score eagle on the final hole of the three-day tourney. Medley’s heroics gave the Scottsdale, Ariz., golfer a one-stroke victory at 2-under-par 213.

“It was very unexpected,” Medley told the Daily Inter Lake. “I knew what I had to do. I had to make birdie (on 17) and at a minimum I thought I’d have to make birdie on 18. Then I hit a putt that was very fortunate to hit the hole. I made three and the outcome was kinda beyond what I expected.

“It was nice. This was a week with zero expectations because I haven’t been playing a lot. I came out here and tried to have a good time. The result was better than expected.”

It was Medley’s second time hoisting the Fourth trophy, having won the tourney in 2012 as well.

Whitefish’s Mark Mance had a chance to tie after Medley’s impossible putt, but sent his four-foot birdie putt right of the cup. He finished at 1-under-par 214.

Fireworks came earlier in the day when Billings golfer Rob Bergeson dunked a hole-in-one on No. 4. Bergeson used a 4-iron on the 208-yard par 3. The ball never hit the green.

The ace came just four days after he spread the ashes of his father on the fourth tee box. He was greeted with hugs, high-fives and fist pumps as he made his way around the front nine.

“We’ve been coming up here for 26 years,” Bergeson told the Inter Lake. “He passed in early April. This is the first time I’ve been up here without him. On Tuesday we had a little memorial for him. There was eight of us that spread his ashes on the four tee that day. And bingo. It’s pretty cool. It flew in the hole.”

The ace gave Bergeson a chance to claim his second Fourth title, but he closed at even par to tie for third place with Libby’s young phenomenon Ryggs Johnston.

Whitefish golfers dominated the final top-10.

Sam Krause took fourth with a 217. Krause held the first-round lead after firing an impressive 67.

Whitefish’s Conor Rooney and Kyle Mossfeldt tied for fifth with a tourney total of 218, while former Whitefish Bulldog standout Art Doorn placed in the top-10 at 220.

On the women’s side Missoula’s Sadie Crippen held off her sister Maggie and Butte’s Hailey Hoagland to post a one-stroke victory at 7-over 221.

Recent Lady Bulldog graduate Coral Schulz finished in the top-10 with a 234. She’s headed to Carroll College on a golf scholarship. Whitefish’s Kathy Dodd and Karen Jacobson both closed with strong rounds to finish at 243 and 244, respectively.

Carol Lilly was never threatened in his dominate run to the mens senior title, going 71-69-69 for a 209.

80th Earl Hunt Memorial

Fourth of July Tournament

Saturday

Whitefish Lake Golf Club

MEN

North Course (Par: 72; Yardage: 3,429)

Final Round

Name City Score

Andrew Medley Scottsdale, Ariz. 72-71-70—213

Mark Mance Whitefish 70-71-73—214

Rob Bergeson Billings 72-73-70—215

Ryggs Johnston Libby 74-71-70—215

Sam Krause La Quinta, Calif. 67-77-73—217

Sean Benson Billings 74-73-70—217

Ryan Porch Kalispell 70-73-75—218

Craig Hurlbert Hamilton 71-76-71—218

Conor Rooney Whitefish 71-76-71—218

Kyle Mossfeldt Whitefish 73-71-74—218

JT Bloomer Boise, Idaho 71-79-69—219

Art Doorn Whitefish 73-72-75—220

Byron Olson Houston, Texas 74-74-73—221

Joseph Potkonjak Bigfork 78-68-76—222

Jim Bob Coleman Billings 74-74-75—223

Justin Miller Phoenix, Ariz. 71-70-83—224

Kyle Sheppard Havre 73-75-76—224

Sean Ramsbacher Missoula 74-77-73—224

Connor Hausauer Bozeman 73-72-80—225

Cory Mehl Seattle, Wash. 73-74-79—226

Bob Hasquet Missoula 74-74-78—226

Tate Tatom Gallatin Gateway 74-78-77—229

Brad Cox Lethbridge, Alberta 79-74-78—231

Darren Rowell Castle Rock, Wash. 80-70-84—234

Loy Sullivan Calgary, Alberta 74-79-82—235

SENIOR MEN

South Course (Par: 71)

Final Round

Name City Score

Carroll Lilly Whitefish 71-69-69—209

Keith Woznesensky Columbia Falls 74-75-70—219

Baker Montgomery Dallas, Texas 74-75-77—226

Rich Boswell Calgary, Alberta 75-79-76—230

Rod Brady Kalispell 76-80-75—231

Waldemar Maya Plano, Texas 75-77-81—233

Jim Schaible Kalispell 77-76-80—233

Frank Sutton Calgary, Alberta 79-78-77—234

Dave Streeter Whitefish 81-79-77—237

Ramer Holtan Mercer Island, Wash. 74-83-82—239

Kevin Linsey Whitefish 79-79-81—239

Chris Vidulich Kalispell 80-81-79—240

Larry Schwenke CdA, Idaho 75-86-81—242

Brian Cripe Whitefish 79-86-79—244

Dan Lieberg Helena 82-84-78—244

John Zaiss Whitefish 78-82-86—246

Bob Sandman Columbia Falls 82-84-85—251

Dann Rohrer Libby 82-84-86—252

Bob Slaven Polson 82-89-89—260

Brent Appelgren Whitefish 84-88-91—263

WOMEN

South Course (Par: 71; Yardage: 2,541)

Final Round

Name City Score

Sadie Crippen Missoula 72-71-78—221

Maggie Crippen Missoula 68-78-76—222

Hailey Hoagland Butte 75-69-78—222

Teigan Avery Kalispell 80-74-69—223

Haylee Folkvord Bozeman 73-79-75—227

Marcy Holt Spokane, Wash. 77-81-74—232

Carly McNaughton Lethbridge, Alta. 74-81-77—232

Coral Schulz Whitefish 79-76-79—234

Shealyn Hafer Butte 78-79-78—235

Kasia Kazmierczyk Santa Monica, Calif. 82-82-76—240

Morgan O’Neill Laurel 79-82-80—241

Kathy Dodd Whitefish 79-89-75—243

Karen Jacobson Whitefish 82-85-77—244

Katherine Wills Missoula 80-86-79—245

Donna Wehlage Milk River, Alta. 84-77-86—247

Bobbie Lacklen Libby 82-87-86—255

Jody Fee Kalispell 83-95-84—262

Marcia Reimers Missoula 86-90-87—263

Sandy Haydu Edmonton, Alta. 84-91-95—270