Kris Yardley closed a three-shot gap on Andrew Robb to storm back and capture the 2013 Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
The event was hosted by Ledgeview Golf Club in Abbotsford last week.
Yardley, a resident of Maple Ridge, started his final round of the championship not the way he wanted to, carding two consecutive bogeys.
However, his resiliency on the par 70, 6,131-yard course proved to be the deciding factor, as he was able to get his final round back to even-par 70 and post a 212 total (69-73-70), one clear of the field.
Vancouver’s Andrew Robb, the 36-hole leader and Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club member, started the day three strokes ahead of Yardley, only to give all of them back after a double bogey seven on the difficult par-5 476-yard fifth hole.
Yardley was able to birdie the hole, making it an even race from that point on.
“I just wanted to come out and have fun. Bogeys and birdies – it really doesn’t matter what we are shooting. We are out here for a good time,” said Yardley.
“I was able to capitalize on a few good shots after a poor start. Until I got to number 12, and made a bogey. I hit a couple bad shots back-to-back and ended up making a double bogey on 13. I ended up going from having a lead to having to come from behind.”
Yardley would par holes 14 through 16 and after a bogey by Robb on the 16th hole, he would make birdie on the par-3 17th hole, giving himself a one-shot cushion.
After witnessing a Robb birdie attempt slide wide of the cup, Yardley putted from eight feet and tapped in for his win with a big smile on his face.
Pitt Meadows resident Greg Bismeyer shot rounds of 73-69-78 to finish tied for a respectable 10th-place finish.
