by Alan Hoskins
Mark Browne picked a good time for his best competitive round of golf – an even par 72 in the 2015 Sunflower Hills Club Championship Saturday.
The 72 was two shots clear of runnerup Brian Shatto and four in front of Rich Laing and Stuart Hunt for Browne’s first ever tournament win.
“I didn’t hit the tee ball real well but my iron play was good,” said Browne, 28. “I hit 14 greens which is the most I’ve ever hit. And I putted decently.”
A 2005 graduate of Bishop Ward who has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from the University of Kansas, Browne has been a regular in WyCo Open and Sunflower Hills Men’s Club events for several years but never a serious challenger.
“I think my best was a 75 or 76,” he said.
Browne knocked two shots off par the front nine by knocking the ball inside four feet on Nos. 2 and No. 9 and stretched it to three under on the par 5 No. 11 albeit the hard way.
“I hit my tee ball over the bunker into trees on the right,” Browne said. “I was going to hit a low shot and get it up the hill but I chunked it over the trees to about 130-135 yards.” However a 9-iron got him close for his third birdie “Not pretty but I’ll take it.”
His first bogey came at the par 4 12th and one he was glad to take.
“I had to punch out from some trees and made about a 15-20 footer for bogey,” Browne said. “That was really big because it saved me from a double.” Another bogey followed at No. 14. “I had a 20-25 foot putt for birdie and left it about six feet short and missed. It was my only bad putt all day.”
His final bogey came on No. 18 after an errant tee shot into trees but he still had plenty to spare.
“I didn’t know what others were doing but the course was playing good and I figured everyone else was playing good,” Browne said. “Getting the lead I just held on the rest of the way out.”
Married, Browne is employed at Deloitte Accounting in Kansas City, Mo. – and ready to take a shot at the 2015 Wyandotte County Open to be held at Sunflower Hills Aug. 8-9.
2015 Sunflower Hills Club Championship
Championship – 1. Mark Browne, 72; 2. Brian Shatto, 74; 3. (tie) Rich Laing and Stuart Hunt.
A Flight– 1. Bob Chatterton, 75; 2. K.C. Chung, 76; 3. Brett Ricky, 77; 4. Brad Burton, 78.
B – 1. Rick Richardson, 78; 2. Greg Loethen, 79; 3. (tie) Chris Sirridge, Steve Sirridge, 81.
C – Rick Egnatic, 81; 2. Moe Ryan, 83; 3. Jerry Verbeck, 84; 4. Bob McNellis, 85.
D – 1. Doug Winkelbauer, 81; 2. Dave Klein, 87; 3. Len Zimmerman, 88; 4. Mike Tobin, 91.
E – 1. Dan Ksiazek, 93; 2 (tie) Phil Hoffman, John Sutton and Carl Roach, 95.
Proximity prizes – Chris Sirridge, closest to pin on No. 4; Alex Sirridge, longest putt on No. 9; Michael Kessler, longest drive on No. 10.