Scholtz bombs his way to Junior Open golf title

Nicholas Scholtz fired a five-over-par opening round 77 and hung on in the final 18 to hold off a hard-charging Daron Bruintjes by one stroke to capture his first Smithers Junior Open title on Wednesday.

The tall, lean 17-year-old used his overwhelming distance off the tee to full advantage down the stretch at Smithers Golf and Country Club forcing Bruintjes to play his second shots from another postal code.

Weighing in at only 150 pounds, the six-footer, averages nearly 330 yards off the tee, 50 yards ahead of Bruintjes.

Despite the distinct disadvantage off the tee, Bruintjes’ superior short game allowed him to rally from an opening round 80 and down four strokes at the turn to claw his way back to within one at the 16th.

“[Bruintjes] made a miraculous shot out of the trees on 16 and made his up and down, and I missed mine... it was a nailbiter,” Scholtz said.

Although Scholtz had given up his comfortable four-shot lead going into the final two holes, he said the key for him was to not make a mistake.

“I told myself, ‘you’re up by one shot,’ make your two pars and force him to make a birdie to force a playoff,” Scholtz said.

On 17, both Bruintjes and Scholtz holed 10-footers to save par.

“We both played that hole fantastic,” Scholtz said. “Those were very good pars.”

On 18, Scholtz’s gameplan came to fruition as both tapped in for regulation pars.

“I was waiting for a break and when the door opens you really have to pounce [when playing Scholtz],” Bruintjes said. “He gave me a couple of chances but I didn’t take advantage of them.”

For Bruintjes, who was seeking his third straight Junior Open title, four double bogies in the opening round was the turning point.

“I was a little frustrated. I wasn’t hitting the ball great,” he said. “All day I was scrambling just trying to make the most out of it.

“The [second round] I was really good out of the gate, but I just couldn’t put things together.”

For Scholtz, the 36-hole total of 157 was enough to give him his first and last Smithers Junior Open title.

“I’ve tried three times and this was my last chance,” he said. “But I must say of all the juniors I’ve played in that was the most sportsmanship [from Bruintjes and Grant Maskiewich] I’ve ever witnessed.”

Maskiewich finished third three shots back at 160.

Ashley Stavast captured the Low Net title carding a 134 with Blayne Herkel in second with 139 and Braeden Taekema taking third with a 144.

In the B Flight, Michael Lynch fired a 189 to edge Brendan Howe by one stroke. Riley Coish cleared Brendan Moore by four strokes to take the B Flight Low Net title.