DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Decatur resident and Bellmont HS graduate Winston Brown shot the round of the tournament at this weekend’s Indiana Amateur Championships at the Ackerman-Allen Course in West Lafayette, finishing the third and final day with an incredible 64 (-7) to jump from 26th place to third, leading a strong local contingent in the tournament that included several Cross Creek members.
Brown, who just finished up his sophomore year at Tiffin in Ohio, finished -1 on the opening day, then lost ground to some of the leaders with a 73, but stormed back with the best round of the day Sunday to finish five shots from the title.
The 54-hole tournament featured a field of over 100 players from around the state of various ages. 64 players made the cut after two days of competition, with individuals needing to stay below +7 on the opening 36 holes to play on Sunday.
The event was won by Bishop Dwenger standout Alex Holder. The soon-to-be senior for the Saints would have been a contender for the IHSAA state title if not for a poor first day at the IHSAA championships. He overcame an opening-day 75 by shooting 67 to still finish sixth in the high school state finals. Holder shot 68-65 to position himself as the favorite heading into the final day and won the tournament with a 69, beating out Sean Rowen of Greenwood by a stroke.
Brown was joined in the tournament by his former coach, Keith Blythe, who also made the cut for the final day. One of the best players to ever come from Decatur, Blythe finished tied for 35th with a 72-74-72.
Norwell’s Augie Mann, who competes at Marian University in Indianapolis, also made the cut. He finished +8 and in 49th place.
Luke Ainsworth was six strokes away from making the final day, finishing at +14, while brother Alex Ainsworth was at +19. Taylor Imel of Bluffton also shot +19 over the first two days.
About the Author
