Travis Fredborg captured the 2017 Manitoba Men's Amateur Golf Championship Thursday and he ended his day by watching the most memorable putt of his golfing career find the bottom of the cup.

Fredborg rolled in a 25-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole at Elmhurst which put a impressive exclamation mark on his final round four-under par 67.

"As soon as I hit it I knew it was perfect. It looked good the whole way. When I saw it rolling I thought I had a pretty good chance."

The 21-year-old-Selkirk product, who had a one stroke lead on Devon Schade of Elmhurst playing the 18th hole, finished with a 72-hole total of four under par 280 which was three shots better than the 2015 & 2016 champion.

"It's a pretty cool feeling I'm not going to lie," said Fredborg. "I won the Junior twice back in the day and the way Devon's been playing the past couple of years, I didn't know if he was going to be beatable in this event. Everytime he came out he was just lights out - fairways, greens and making everything. I knew I had to come out here today and put a good number together. Funny enough...I said to my parents, to my caddie and to my brother - If I shot 67 tomorrow I'll win and sure enough I went out and shot 67."

Schade, who entered the final round with a one shot lead over Fredborg and Eric Johnson of Breezy Bend, saw his quest to become the first golfer since Todd Fanning accomplished the feat in 1990, '91 & '92, to win back-to-back-to-back Manitoba Men's Amateur Championships come to an end.

"Didn't make any putts today," said Schade. "That was a big problem for me. Hit the ball okay. It just wasn't a good day for putting for me. It came down to the final hole so it was a pretty exciting finish."

 

 

Josh Neufeld of the Minnewasta Golf Club in Morden was six-over par 77 Thursday.

The 19-year-old Altona native was tied for the lead at the midway point with Fredborg and Schade at minus three but had a disastrous nine-over par 80 at Elmhurst after two solid rounds at Selkirk.

"Off the tee was the biggest trouble," said Neufeld. "Missing fairways and missing greens puts a lot of pressure on your short game and putting which it couldn't quite stack up. That was the issue off the tee."

Neufeld, who will enter his third year with the University of Manitoba Bisons golf team this fall, did qualify of the Canadian Men's Amateur Championship which will be held at the Toronto Golf Club & the Islington Golf Club in Mississauga, Ontario thanks to his T7 finish.

"A goal I set for myself at the beginning of the year was to qualify for the Canadian Amateur, so accomplishing that feels good but after the start I had to the tournament it's a little bitter sweet. I know I was right in contention and could've had a better finish."

Spencer Norrie of Minnewasta, who will be competing at the 2017 Canada Summer Games from August 8th to 11th at Southwood, was 79 and finished at plus 22.

Tyson Ehnes, formerly of Morden, who plays out of Lorette was 77 and was plus 24.

Bobby McNair of Carman was 84 and plus 39.