RAPID CITY - Rapid City golfer Mike Brummer quickly erased a five-shot deficit and then cruised to his record third consecutive SDGA Senior Championship victory on Sunday at Arrowhead Country Club.
Brummer's tournament-low, 1-under-par 70 in the final round gave him a 7-over 149 total and a four-shot victory over Rapid City's Marv White. In addition to finishing runner-up, the 72-year-old White also claimed his second career 70-and-over title with an 11-over 153 total, including a 77 Sunday.
Brummer said it felt great to overcome an opening-round 79 and take home the first-place hardware.
"After (Saturday), I went home going 'oh my goodness, what did you do?,'" Brummer said of his first round. "It was just one of those rounds where somebody says, 'what'd you do wrong?' - I said 'everything.'"
Brummer, playing in the third-to-last group, opened with seven straight pars Sunday, before getting a birdie on the par-4 eighth hole and another par on the ninth.
"I played really good on the front," Brummer said. "I hit my driver really well - it was in play. And, I finally made a putt on No. 8 that broke the ice.
"And then on the backside, I thought I hit a great shot on 10 … I bogeyed it. But then I played consistent the rest of the way around."
Brummer birdied the 11th and 15th holes, but also made a couple big par saves on his way in. His second shot from 185 yards on the par-5 14th found the water, however, he was able to get it up-and-down for par after his drop. Brummer hit two bunkers on the par-4 16th hole but still managed par.
"My game today was solid," added Brummer, who entered the 18th hole with a five-shot lead before making his second bogey of the day.
First-round leader Ray Spellman of Spearfish saw his five-shot lead over Brummer turn into a two-shot deficit by the time he reached the 10th tee. Spellman (80) wound up in a tie for third at 12-over 154 with 2003 champion Lee Brandt (75) of Sioux Falls.
White started the day in a tie for second with Custer's Dale Schaffer, two behind Spellman.
"I didn't play very well on the frontside, but I played good on the backside," White said. "I would have liked to have played a little better to give Mike a little better run, but that's alright.
"He (Brummer) is the best player around by a long ways. Don't let anybody kid you, he's a good player."
David Howard (76) of Dakota Dunes rounded out the top-5 with a 14-over 156 total.
Sioux Falls' Steve Dietrich (79), who will be representing South Dakota at the USGA Senior Amateur on Sept. 1-6 at Flint Hills National Golf Club in Andover, Kan., tied for seventh at 16-over 158.
Rapid City's Ray Strand, the 2004 winner, wound up in 10th with a 17-over 159 total.
Since turning 55 in the summer of 2005, Brummer in 4-for-4 in SDGA senior events - he also won last year's Senior Two-Man Championship with Aberdeen's Steve Pelzl. Sunday was also Brummer's 12th career SDGA title, which is fourth all-time, two behind Sioux Falls' Anne Borgman (14).
The Mid-Amateur and Senior Two-Man Championships will be on Sept. 7-8 at Brandon Golf Course.
Note: Entering this year's tournament, five players had won back-to-back SDGA Senior Championships - Sioux Falls' Phil Donohue (1969-70 and 1972-73), Marv Widness (1983-84 and 1986-87) and Ray Laird III (1998-99), and Rapid City's Wayne Young (1976-77) and Brummer (2005-06). Donohue and Widness have won the tourney a record five-times each.
