Conrad Returns Home To Win Championship
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Conrad Returns Home To Win Championship
By Anthony [email protected]
Leaving his home near Phoenix, Ariz. to visit family in Syracuse the 2003 Wawasee graduate also took part in the four-day tournament in French Lick, winning it Thursday night.
“I had not played since January and did not have much expectation,” Conrad said via cell phone Thursday night.
Played at the French Lick Golf Resort, rounds one and three of the tournament were played on the Donald Ross Course, with two and four taking place on the Pete Dye Course.
“I really had to get adjusted to the courses,” he said. “They’re beautiful and long, and playing on a mountain in Indiana is different.”
The Ross course is a par-70 and the Dye is par-72, but neither was easy to navigate, according to Conrad.
“They can play as long as 8,200 yards, which is about 900 longer than majors,” he said.
They could have played longer, but they were plenty tough enough as Conrad was the lone golfer to finish under par, shooting one-under for the tournament, with a 283.
“I only hit two bunkers the entire tournament,” he said. “I was able to avoid trouble and avoid double-bogeys.”
Conrad finished the tournament with the second most pars, achieving that feat 83.3 percent of the time, while also posting the second-best par-3 performance, averaging a three on those holes.
Staying out of trouble, it was his second-day performance that proved to be the difference.
After shooting two-over Monday, Conrad found himself tied for 35th going into the second day, played at the Dye Course.
On the par-72 course, he shot a 69 with six birdies, vaulting him into fifth place.
“That was a huge jump,” he said.
“An even par there is like shooting a 65 (somewhere else). I actually thought I had done better than that.”
An even par back at Ross Course in the third round sent him into the final day in a tie with Carmel’s Jeff Cook, a four-time Open winner, for first place.
Starting in the last group Thursday, Conrad pared his first two holes, then posted birdies on Nos. 3, 4 and 5 giving him a cushion.
“I jumped up to four-under and that put a wave out to the other guys, where they were kind of shocked,” Conrad said.
A weather delay caused the tournament to be halted for nearly two hours, but once he was back on the course, he cruised to the win.
“Usually I’m the one that comes from behind,” he said about leading the tournament going into the final round. “It was just one of those things where I stuck with my game plan.”
Winning the Indiana Open, Conrad has now championed all three of the state’s top tournaments, having won the Boys State Match Play in 2003 and the Indiana Amateur in 2005.
“They told me it was only the second time the same person had won all three,” he said. “(1962 Open champion Sam Carmichael) also did it and was actually there watching, as they were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the accomplishment.”
After graduating from Wawasee, Conrad played golf at Division-II Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., before heading west to work at the Anthem Country Club near Phoenix, Ariz.
Working at the course, he packs quite a busy schedule, but takes time to visit the area during the course’s “down time.”
“It’s nice to get out here and see my family and get away from the city,” he said.
His job may have also benefitted him by keeping him on the course, but out of tournaments.
Not expecting much going into this week’s competition, he came away with his best result at the Indiana Open.
“I’ve tied for third before, but I’ve never been able to seal the deal,” he said.[[In-content Ad]]
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Leaving his home near Phoenix, Ariz. to visit family in Syracuse the 2003 Wawasee graduate also took part in the four-day tournament in French Lick, winning it Thursday night.
“I had not played since January and did not have much expectation,” Conrad said via cell phone Thursday night.
Played at the French Lick Golf Resort, rounds one and three of the tournament were played on the Donald Ross Course, with two and four taking place on the Pete Dye Course.
“I really had to get adjusted to the courses,” he said. “They’re beautiful and long, and playing on a mountain in Indiana is different.”
The Ross course is a par-70 and the Dye is par-72, but neither was easy to navigate, according to Conrad.
“They can play as long as 8,200 yards, which is about 900 longer than majors,” he said.
They could have played longer, but they were plenty tough enough as Conrad was the lone golfer to finish under par, shooting one-under for the tournament, with a 283.
“I only hit two bunkers the entire tournament,” he said. “I was able to avoid trouble and avoid double-bogeys.”
Conrad finished the tournament with the second most pars, achieving that feat 83.3 percent of the time, while also posting the second-best par-3 performance, averaging a three on those holes.
Staying out of trouble, it was his second-day performance that proved to be the difference.
After shooting two-over Monday, Conrad found himself tied for 35th going into the second day, played at the Dye Course.
On the par-72 course, he shot a 69 with six birdies, vaulting him into fifth place.
“That was a huge jump,” he said.
“An even par there is like shooting a 65 (somewhere else). I actually thought I had done better than that.”
An even par back at Ross Course in the third round sent him into the final day in a tie with Carmel’s Jeff Cook, a four-time Open winner, for first place.
Starting in the last group Thursday, Conrad pared his first two holes, then posted birdies on Nos. 3, 4 and 5 giving him a cushion.
“I jumped up to four-under and that put a wave out to the other guys, where they were kind of shocked,” Conrad said.
A weather delay caused the tournament to be halted for nearly two hours, but once he was back on the course, he cruised to the win.
“Usually I’m the one that comes from behind,” he said about leading the tournament going into the final round. “It was just one of those things where I stuck with my game plan.”
Winning the Indiana Open, Conrad has now championed all three of the state’s top tournaments, having won the Boys State Match Play in 2003 and the Indiana Amateur in 2005.
“They told me it was only the second time the same person had won all three,” he said. “(1962 Open champion Sam Carmichael) also did it and was actually there watching, as they were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the accomplishment.”
After graduating from Wawasee, Conrad played golf at Division-II Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., before heading west to work at the Anthem Country Club near Phoenix, Ariz.
Working at the course, he packs quite a busy schedule, but takes time to visit the area during the course’s “down time.”
“It’s nice to get out here and see my family and get away from the city,” he said.
His job may have also benefitted him by keeping him on the course, but out of tournaments.
Not expecting much going into this week’s competition, he came away with his best result at the Indiana Open.
“I’ve tied for third before, but I’ve never been able to seal the deal,” he said.[[In-content Ad]]
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