Applebrook GC's Brubaker captures Caddie Tournament

  PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Applebrook GC’s Erik Brubaker and Stonewall’s Nathan Dougherty each carded a 4-over-par 72 to head Monday’s Caddie Tournament at Bala GC (par 68, 5,430 yards).

  In a match of cards, Brubaker prevailed, thanks to a spectacular 4 under on the back nine.

  “I wanted to win it,” Brubaker, of Ephrata, Pa., said. “It’s nice. It’s my first tournament win of the summer. I almost feel like I really don’t deserve it just because of the way the front nine was. I just happened to be blessed with the win.”

  Brubaker’s front nine wasn’t particularly pleasant. The two-year caddie at Applebrook posted five over par figures. With a hanging lie in the No. 3 (par 4, 321 yards) fairway, Brubaker, 24, bumped his wedge 107 yards. It ricocheted off tree limbs and fell into tall rough. Brubaker fled the troublesome terrain, but his chip chugged 30-feet past the cup. He then missed a four-footer to save bogey. Brubaker’s 5-iron tee shot on the par 3, 201-yard No. 4 caught the greenside bunker. He blasted out and watched his six-footer for par scoot past the cup. Brubaker’s struggles continued on No. 5 (par 4, 390 yards). He launched his tee-shot out-of-bounds, pierced his 7-iron 170 yards and rolled in an 8-footer for bogey.

  A slow bleed soon became an uncontrollable hemorrhage on No. 7 (par 4, 392 yards). Brubaker hooked his 3-wood out-of-bounds. He then attempted to clear tree limbs with a 9-iron from 128 yards out, but it clipped branches and plummeted into the rough. Brubaker went on to card a triple bogey and to finish his outward tour at 8 over.

  “I was just looking at the scorecard and was like, ‘if I’m going to do anything at all, then I need to start making some birdie,’” he said.

  Mission accomplished. Brubaker laced his 5-iron 214 yards on No. 10 (par 5, 498 yards) and drained a right-to-left breaking 25-footer for birdie. He cleaned up an 8-footer after hitting his lob wedge 70 yards. Standing 35 yards from the No. 12 (par 4, 327 yards) flagstick, Brubaker stuck his wedge to four-feet and posted his third straight birdie. Even a three-putt bogey on No. 13 (par 3, 181 yards) couldn’t extinguish his surge. Brubaker smoked his drive on No. 14 (par 4, 339 yards), whacked his wedge 54 yards and converted an uphill 25-footer for birdie. Brubaker capped his sensational surge with a birdie on No. 18 (par 4, 362 yards) after nailing his pitching wedge to four-feet. That’s five birdies in nine holes.

NATHAN DOUGHERTY

  “My swing started to feel better,” he said. “Something clicked when I was taking my practice swings on (No.) 11. I felt better about it.”

  Like Brubaker, Dougherty, of Downingtown, Pa., didn’t get off to a strong start. His “worst swing of the day” on No. 1 (par 4, 355 yards) led to an eventual two-putt from 25-feet for bogey. He also carded a bogey on the par 4, 390-yard 5th hole to make the turn at 2 over. Dougherty’s first red figure came on No. 10 when he stopped his 20-yard wedge at two-feet. However, on the very next hole, a poor tee shot, two-putt from 25-feet combination gave Dougherty another bogey. He hooked his 8-iron right on No. 13 (par 3, 181 yards), pitched onto the green and missed a 20-footer for par. Dougherty, 29, again scrambled on No. 14 (par 4, 339 yards) to make bogey after missing the green with his approach.

  Key par saves allowed Dougherty, who’s served as a caddie at Stonewall for 12 years, to maintain a 4 over on the scorecard. He sprayed his drive on No. 17 (par 4, 294 yards) into the left-side trees and attempted to dissect though with a 7-iron, but nicked a branch. Dougherty’s 54-degree wedge did clear Mother Nature’s obstacles, and he sunk a 10-footer to preserve par.

  “I was able to play a couple days beforehand and I kind of had an idea of where my ball was going, which on this course is pretty crucial,” Dougherty said.

  Originating in 1928, the first Caddie tournament was held at Whitemarsh Valley CC.