By Patrick Newell

Sun Sports Editor

pnewell@evesun.com

PLYMOUTH – Paul Brunick recently reclaimed his amateur status, and in his first attempt, captured the Canasawacta Country Club scratch championship Sunday afternoon.

Brunick finished the 54-hole event – 36 of those holes played on Sunday – at 9-under-par to displace defending champion Bob Branham. Branham was alone in second at 2-under-par, while Tom Muserilli was third at 4-over-par.

Also winning titles Sunday were Casey Marson, women’s scratch; Doug Wilson, men’s senior scratch; Dennis Rifanburg, men’s handicap; Colin Fraser, senior men’s handicap; and Krista Porter, women’s handicap.

Brunick blew away the field with a barrage of birdies. He had eight birdies in his morning round Sunday include a pair of three-hole birdie streaks, and birdied three of four holes between the fourth and eighth holes during his second 18 holes to extend his margin.

Brunick led by three over Branham and Muserilli to start the final 18 holes, and by the ninth hole, that margin had swelled to eight strokes.

That Brunick shot under par in all three rounds was no surprise - he does it regularly in recreational play. That he put it all together in tournament competition and avoided any loss of focus – once a bane of his youth – was a big turnaround from the guy who grew up playing on Canasawacta. “More than anything, I’m thankful for my kids (three daughters),” Brunick said. “They make me better, more calm, and they help me keep things in perspective. My mental game has improved by leaps and bounds the past few years.”

Brunick had a minor road bump in his final loop of the course with a three-putt bogey on the par-three 12th, and ran into trouble on the par-five 13th when his second shot rolled along side a tree to the right of the green. Brunick had less than two feet for a backswing, and he rehearsed his stroke several times before wedging his shot to within eight feet. He rolled in the birdie to erase the memory of his three-putt.

“Thirteen was phenomenal,” Brunick said. “Bob was in there tight, and if I bogey that hole, things could turn around in a hurry. That shot took a lot of focus and concentration, then I rolled in the putt. It was huge to get it up and down, and it was the first time in the tournament I thought, ‘I’ve got this, let’s finish it off.’”

For Marson, a summer job has taken precedence the last three months over her golf game, but despite the infrequent play, she was able to pull it together quickly this weekend. She unseated defending champion Amy Spittler, mainly on the strength of her opening-round 79. She finished with an 83 in her second round to win by 11 shots over Spittler.

“I was pretty pleased with the way I played this weekend,” Marson said. “I was super happy to break 80, and I (played) a lot better than I expected.”

Wilson was four off the pace in the men’s senior scratch division behind Monday Night league partner Tim Mirabito. Mirabito, who opened with an even-par 71 on Saturday, came back to the field during his second round. Wilson, meanwhile, put together back-to-back 75s to eke out the win. Wilson, over the final three holes – a par-four, and par-three, and a par-four – finished 3, 3, 3 to sew up his win.

Stu Hughes nudged past Mirabito to place second in the senior men’s scratch division.

Rifanburg and Fraser had to work overtime for their victories.

Rifanburg, a first-year member at the course, shot a career-low 75 in his opening round, one that worked out to a net 62. He led by five over a trio of competitors, but saw that lead evaporate as Aiden Hannan rallied for a net 63 in his second round leaving the two squared at a net 12-under-par.

Each player parred the first playoff hole, and Rifanburg’s two-putt par on the par-three second hole gave him the win over Hannan.

Fraser won in a playoff for the second straight year. Tied with Lou Guzzetta after two rounds, Fraser got up-and-down for par on the first playoff while, while Guzzetta settled for bogey to give Fraser the repeat.

In the women’s handicap event, Krista Porter had matching net 3-over-par rounds to best Dianne Lewis.

Scoring

Men’s Scratch

P. Brunick 70-66-68-204

B. Branham 68-71-72-211

T. Muserilli 67-72-78-217

S. Hughes 77-76-74-227

J. Golden 76-78-74-228

Men’s Senior Scratch

Doug Wilson 75-75-150

S. Hughes 77-76-153

T. Mirabito 71-83-154

S. Upton 78-77-155