Crane, Ritchie crack Tamarack final

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This article was published 26/08/2022 (754 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASAGAMING — Jarod Crane just needed a spark and losing the sixth hole to trail a Tamarack semifinal was it.

Crane birdied three straight holes and never trailed again, beating Evan Nachtigall 2 and 1 to reach the final of the 89-year-old golf tournament for the second year in a row.

It all started with two solid strikes and a 25-foot birdie on the tough seventh hole.

“That was key, actually, and again, that was a downhill putt,” Crane said after walking off Clear Lake Golf Course’s signature 17th hole.

“… With these greens, you get a couple of putts that are downhill, then you feel like you can get it on line and get it there. It’s the uphill ones people are struggling with because they are so slow.”

Crane plays medallist Nolan Ritchie in the final after he downed Jason Curtis 3 and 2 in an all-Brandon semifinal group.

Crane nearly holed the fourth ace of his life on the par-4 eighth, rolling a driver over the edge of the cup before Nachtigall was unable to get up and down for birdie. They halved with terrific birdies on the ninth, then Nachtigall hit one four inches over the white painted line the Tamarack uses on two holes to improve the pace of play.

He was forced to take a penalty stroke and lost the hole, falling 2 down and never tying it up after that.

“Evan’s a great player, you can tell,” Crane said. “He hits a ton of good shots and it came down to I hit a couple of extra putts and he maybe missed a couple of extra greens, didn’t get up and down.”

“I’m hitting it still the same (as qualifying) because I’ve hit it good all week,” he added. “Putter was a little bit better during the matches. That was better because the putter was a little cold on the weekend.”

Nachtigall gifted the 15th hole to put Crane 3 up, then got up and down from the front-left bunker on 16 for birdie to extend the match, but couldn’t chip in when he needed to on 17.

Ritchie didn’t even have to hit that treacherous tee shot. He simply laced a four-iron down the 269-yard 16th and lagged it close to bounce Curtis, who downed three-time champ Kody Fawcett on Thursday.

“I like it. I like hitting my four-iron a lot. I’ve been pretty steady with it all week … If I can hit it well, I like my chances,” said Ritchie, who won the 2020 junior Tamarack title and has dreamed of hoisting the men’s trophy for years.

“I’ve watched it my whole life, played in it my whole life so if I can win it, that’d be pretty cool.”

Ritchie opened with an easy birdie and raced ahead 4 up on the front, tearing up the easier nine for a fifth straight round.

The Brandon Wheat Kings alternate captain has yet to see a 17th hole in match play but isn’t worried if Crane, the 2013 champ, puts him behind for the first time this week. He said he won’t change his game plan to chase a deficit.

“Just keeping balls in play, hitting greens regulation,” Ritchie said. “My putter hasn’t been great and it’s usually pretty good so if I make five birdie putts I’ll be pretty good with that.”

“Somebody called him “The Robot,” right?” Crane added. “It’s just down the middle, peppers it down the middle and on the green every single time.

“I can’t keep up to his length but if I can keep it in play and maybe get lucky, make a couple of putts, I might have a slim chance.”

The final is today at 1:09 p.m.

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