Kuryvial wins men’s title in dramatic fashion

In one of the most dramatic men’s club championships at the Taber Golf Club in recent years, Brett Kuryvial was able to rally late in the second round on Sunday to earn his fifth title, including fourth in a row.

Kuryvial was Steady Eddy for his two rounds of 72 and 73, needing a two-hole playoff on the final day to defeat Barry Kress, the 2007 men’s club champion.

Kress shot a superb 69 on the first day on Saturday, only to falter late on a second-round 76 on Sunday to force the playoff.

“He was four strokes up on me with four holes to go. I birdied 15 and he bogeyed so I got within two. Then I birdied 16 and he got a par so I picked up another stroke. Then we tied on 17,” said Kuryvial, setting the stage of a tension-filled 18th hole in the final round.

There Kuryvial had a 20-footer for birdie while Kress’s was around eight feet.

“I missed mine so I thought it was over because all he had to do was two putt. But he missed like a foot-and-a-half putt to win,” said Kuryvial. “I was thinking it was done as soon as I didn’t make my putt. I thought it was game over. He had putted well all weekend, it wasn’t until the very end when he didn’t.”

But sometimes the Golf Gods can be cruel as Kress did three putt on the 18th hole in a game of inches on the greens, forcing the playoff. A three putt would snakebite Kress once again on the second hole of the playoff on No. 1 to deliver Kuryvial the men’s title.

“I had a standard game I guess. Nothing was outstanding, but nothing was too bad either. I putted well the first day. On the second day, I had a few three putts on the front nine, but on the back nine I got back on track,” said Kuryvial. “I didn’t make any big numbers to knock me off track with nothing worse than a bogey.”