ChAmpionShipS mediA GUide - USGA

The gigantic smile on Bryan Norton’s face told the entire story.
Twice a USGA runner-up — once as an individual at the 2003
U.S. Mid-Amateur and again in September 2009 at the Men’s
State Team Championship — the 51-year-old from Mission
Hills, Kan., was longing to take home a national title.
Norton’s quest finally ended at the 2010 USGA Men’s State
Team Championship at Mayacama Golf Club in Santa Rosa,
Calif. Carding a 3-under-par 68 in the final round, Norton
guided Kansas to a four-stroke victory over Rhode Island,
Florida and North Carolina.
Kansas, which started the day tied with Georgia for the
36-hole lead, shot an even-par 142 on the 6,726-yard Jack
Nicklaus design to finish the 54-hole competition at 2-under
423. Charlie Stevens, of Wichita, and Tyler Shelton, of Fairway,
each posted 74s, with one being discarded in the threecount-two
format.
“This means a lot,” said the 41-year-old Stevens. “I’m excited
for Bryan. He’s done a lot for Kansas golf.
“I don’t know if it’s vindication or justification, but we showed
we can play. It’s a neat deal. It’s going to be really neat for the
Kansas Golf Association. [Executive Director] Kim Richey did
not make it [to Mayacama]. He’s going to be pretty excited.”
Georgia, meanwhile, struggled on the final day, posting a
10-over 152 to share ninth place. The disappointment was
shown on the faces of all three players entering the scoring
area adjacent to the 18th green. David Noll Jr., of Dothan,
who had a course-record 65 in round two, carded a 77 and
Adam Cooper added a 75.
Florida, which started the day five strokes back, made an early
run at Kansas on the first nine, shooting four under par. But
only Don Bell managed to finish with a sub-par score (67).
Jon Veneziano added a 74. It was Florida’s best finish since the
inaugural event in 1995 at Lake Nona, where they were solo
second to champion Virginia.
“We’re excited about that for sure,” said Bell, coming off a
second-round 80. “Of course it’s disappointing not to win.
Congratulations to the winners, they played great. I think for
our association, we are very pleased to finish second.”
North Carolina, which also tied for second in 2003, posted a
1-under 140 behind a 70 by Scott Harvey and Uly Grisette’s
71.
Kansas Wins the 2010 Championship
USGA Men’s State Team 5
Rhode Island produced its best finish ever in the State Team
after sharing fourth last year with South Carolina. Charlie
Blanchard rallied with a second-nine 33 for a 71 and Bobby
Leopold posted a 70.
With the course baked in sunshine all day and just a gentle
breeze, conditions were ideal for scoring. Eight teams managed
under-par totals, doubling the totals (four) from the
first two rounds. Eighteen individuals broke par, equaling the
number of sub-par rounds over the first 36 holes.
Kansas appeared it was going to run away from the field early
on the second nine, with Shelton and Norton under par. But
things can change rapidly in a team event, and when Shelton
doubled No. 17 and knocked two in the water on 18 for a
triple-bogey 8, things became a little precarious.
Norton, playing in the final group, only saw on a scoreboard
that his team was six under and never heard about Shelton’s
travails on the last two holes. He managed to birdie both par-
5s coming in, reaching the 18th in two and two-putting for a
closing birdie to offset a bogey at the par-3 17th.
The victory was especially sweet for Norton. At the 2003
U.S. Mid-Amateur, he pulled a calf muscle 8½ holes into the
championship match and had to concede to Nathan Smith. At
the 2009 Men’s State Team conducted at The Country Club of
St. Albans in suburban St. Louis, Norton, competing with two
different players (Jon Troutman and Dodge Kemmer), watched
his team open with a 9-under 133, matching the championship
18-hole scoring mark. Caught in a heavy downpour in round
two, the team struggled to a 152 and couldn’t recover enough
in the final round, placing three strokes behind champion
Pennsylvania, and ironically Smith.
Norton vowed 2010 would provide a different outcome, urging
the Kansas Golf Association to change its selection criteria
to focus on hot players, not overall points. The process seemed
to work.
“As soon as they selected the team, I sent an email to these two
guys that we’re going to win,” said Norton, a veteran of two
previous State Team Championships. “We’re not going there
to play good. We had a good team for this course. We had
guys who could keep it in play and good decision-makers.”
Men’s
State Team