Brownfield Earns First Win at Newman
By: Austin Reel
June 13, 2022
The 2022 inaugural season of the BLGA has been a very unpredictable year. There have now been six different winners through the first six tournaments, with Anthony Brownfield shooting 5 under (net) and winning at Newman this past week. Brownfield joins Rudy Munter, Tyler Graves, Hayden Clements, David Dietrich, and Jacob Donald as the league’s growing list of winners so far this season
“The whole point of the league was to give EVERYONE the opportunity to play and compete. We couldn't be happier with six different winners over six events so far, with handicaps ranging from +1 to 30 in the league,” BLGA Commissioner, David Dietrich, stated. He went on to say, “Newman was a great course for us, this course worked hand in hand with our long hitters and it was no surprise to see Anthony come away with his first win.”
Brownfield came into Newman at 8th in the standings, but his victory catapulted him to 4th overall. “The key to my victory this week was honestly my approach shots. I gave myself a chance at par on just about every hole and I’ve kind of changed my swing with my irons, which seemed to be working,” Brownfield said. After a tough front 9, Brownfield knew it would take a big shot to net him the victory, and he was able to do just that as he was able to sink a 30-foot shot for birdie on hole 17 that put him ahead of Jacob Donald.
When asked about how he sees the rest of the season going, Brownfield said, “I definitely feel that if I play the way I did at Newman this past week, I have a GREAT chance to win this whole thing. Just gotta keep my composure and treat every round like the championship!”
The BLGA Commissioner gave his take on what he thinks the championship could come down to., “When we get to the last round of the championship I’m going to lean towards the higher skilled players like Trent, Rudy, and Jacob Donald. Those guys have played plenty of golf and they know what it takes to put together a championship round,” Dietrich said. But if we have learned anything from these past six tournaments, it is that the league championship is truly wide-open.
Here’s a look at the top 10 players, per the latest standings.
Jacob Donald (1,183)
David Dietrich (1,152)
Rudy Munter (1,142)
Anthony Brownfield (1,091)
Hayden Clements (860)
Tyler Graves (812)
Britt Harshbarger (767)
Trent Rarick (693)
Isaac Kirtley (676)
Blake Hunter (618)
Player to Watch: Britt Harshbarger
Britt Harshbarger is currently sitting in 7th place, according to the latest league standings, but sits atop the list of players that have not yet won a tournament this year. Harshbarger has played in 5 of the 6 tournaments so far and has continued to be in the mix. He has finished inside the top 10 four times out of the five tournaments he has participated in, and has finished inside the top 5 three of those times. His best finish came at Coyote Creek when he finished in 2nd place. He also shot 6 under at Quail Meadows and finished in 3rd. With these strong finishes, it seems to be only a matter of time before Harsbarger finishes at the top of a tournament, so keep an eye out for him moving forward this season.
The Future of the BLGA
The growing league has found plenty of success this year, which has the BLGA Commissioner extremely excited about the future of this league. “I think next season is going to be just as wide open as this season has been thus far. The beauty of golf, along with our handicap system, is that anyone can grab 1st place or fall outside the top 10 in the matter of a couple mistakes,” Dietrich said. “I'm very excited to expand, not only the field for next year but the prizes, events, and giveaways as well,” he continued.
Next Course
The BLGA moves to Weaver Ridge Golf Course in Peoria this week, as players prepare to play in the rising temperatures across our country. Temperatures should dip below 90-degrees, according to The Weather Channel’s current 10-day forecast, but either way the heat could have an impact on players.
Weaver Ridge, designed by Hurdzan-Fry, plays host to 18 holes of “championship-caliber golf.” The course is exactly 7000 yards, with a USGA Rating of 73.1 and a Slope of 140.
Comments