By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Brian Walker started Sunday's final round of the Topeka Golf Association City Stroke Play championship with a two-stroke advantage and never looked back, shooting a 73 to take a four-stroke victory at Topeka Country Club.
Brian Walker captured the second TGA City Stroke Play title of his career Sunday at Topeka Country Club, closing the 54-hole event with a 73 to win by four strokes. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
City Stroke Play champion Brian Walker executes a chip during Sunday's final round at Topeka Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Walker, a former Hayden and Washburn University standout, earned his second City Stroke Play title to go with a pair of City Match Play crowns while Jason Buessing closed with a day's best 69 to finish second at 213.
Walker trailed Seth Kelley by three strokes after an opening-round 67 at Lake Shawnee but shot a 69 in the second round at Cypress Ridge to take the tournament lead and his top spot was never in serious jeopardy on Sunday.
"Each day I got off to a good start,'' Walker said. "The first day I was 3-under though 5 (holes). The second day I was 2-under through 3 and today not so much, but I made a long putt on 1 to kind of settle my nerves because Gavin (Wilhelm, City Match Play champ) had made birdie and it was not an easy two-putt for me on 1 but I made a couple of good putts on the first nine.
"I just didn't hit it good at all today but just left it in the spots I needed to be with uphill chips and uphill putts just so I could make pars and I kind of parred the course to death basically.''
With his final-round playing partners, Kelley, Blake Buessing and Wilhelm having up-and-down days, Walker sensed that he was in good shape to finish off the championship and said he just concentrated on trying to play a solid final round.
Brian Walker holds his daughter and his TGA Stroke Play championship trophy after Sunday's win at Topeka Country Club. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
"You think about being up 4 or 5 but it doesn't take much, one bad swing and you could double bogey and they birdie and that's three shots right there,'' Walker said. "So you kind of have to stay aggressive but aggressive to the safer spots.
"As soon as you start getting tentative and kind of play scared bad things happen so I tried not to do that. I knew I didn't need to do anything special, just really make your pars and keep moving on.''
Hayden Beck, who carded a 72 on Sunday, and Kelley (77) tied for third place at 215 while 2022 champion Addison Alonzo and Blake Buessing tied for fifth at 216.
TGA CITY STROKE PLAY TOURNAMENT
Final results
1. Brian Walker - 67-69-73 -- 209
2. Jason Buessing - 71-73-69 -- 213
3. (tie) Hayden Beck - 75-68-72 -- 215
3. (tie) Seth Kelley - 64-74-77 -- 215
5. (tie) Addison Alonzo - 70-72-74 -- 216
5. (tie) Blake Buessing - 69-70-77 -- 216
7. Luke Leonetti - 70-73-74 -- 217
8. (tie) Alex Valdivia - 75-71-72 -- 218
8. (tie) Gavin Wilhelm - 67-71-80 -- 218
10. (tie) Jeremiah Nelson - 72-75-72 -- 219
10. (tie) Bryce Cowan - 74-68-77 -- 219
12. (tie) Mark Elliott - 74-68-78 -- 220
12. (tie) Jacob Diehl 77-70-73 -- 220
14. (tie) Adam Head - 71-75-75 -- 221
14. (tie) James Monson - 74-72-75 -- 221
16. (tie) Jerry Kruger - 72-72-79 -- 223
16. (tie) Jayson Duncan - 74-74-75 -- 223
19. Myles Alonzo - 73-70-82 -- 225
19. Justin Reamer - 68-77-82 -- 227
20. Justice Valdivia - 76-74-78 -- 228
21. (tie) Tyler Baumchen - 74-78-77 -- 229
21. (tie) Josh Maike - 79-73-77 -- 229
23. Jack Hillman - 77-79-77 -- 233
24. Alex North - 75-74-85 -- 234
25. Justin Jacquinot - 74-82-79 -- 235
26. Ty Duncan - 79-81-76 -- 236
27. (tie) Jay Summers -- 74-81-82 -- 237
27. (tie) Chris Berroth - 76-81-88 -- 237
27. (tie) Andrew Burdett - 78-79-80 -- 237
30. Max Neale - 84-77-77 -- 238
31. (tie) Ty Peterson - 78-76-86 -- 240
31. (tie) Scot Duddy -- 74-79-87 -- 240
31. (tie) Drew Calderwood - 78-76-86 -- 240
34 (tie) Kyle Latendresse - 78-82-81 -- 241
34. (tie) Kevin Boyle - 78-79-84 -- 241
36. Jayson Mroz - 78-75-89 -- 242
37. Raub Kirkwood - 79-80-84 -- 243
38. (tie) Eric Kolean - 80-84-80 -- 244
38. Mac McFarland - 75-79=90 -- 244
40. Kevin Matayka - 83-75-88 -- 246
41. Lance Smith - 83-78-86 -- 247
42. James Kuta - 81-83-84 -- 248
43. Tyler Lincoln - 80-81-88 -- 249
44. Brad Foster -- 78-85-87 -- 250
45. Patrick Golden -- 84-81-87 -- 252
46. Chris Bishop - 88-76-91 -- 255
47. Ryan Eldridge - 90-83-85 -- 258
48 Jeff Quintin - 89-79-92 -- 260
49. (tie) Hunter Esquibel - 84-90-90 -- 264
49. (tie) Tyler Wheat - 89-86-89 -- 264
51. Danny Kostelecky - 87-85-99 -- 271
52. Steve Swatsenberg - 98-93-101 -- 292
