As he finished up his round in Regina on Sunday, Colby Friedrich had to pinch himself.
The 14-year-old from Battleford rattled off six birdies in an eight-hole stretch on the back nine as he won the Bantam Boys division title at the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour tournament at the Wascana Country Club.
“I was pretty nervous at one point because I had never been on a run of birdies like that before,” Friedrich said. “My putting is always pretty solid but I was just sinking them from everywhere.
“There was a level of excitement to though as I was making those putts. I think it all started on the ninth hole when I made a birdie putt after two double bogeys. That put me two shots off of the lead going into the back nine and that ended being a really good spot to be in.”
Friedrich shot rounds of 74 and 72 on the weekend as he defeated Estevan’s Jayden Dudas by two shots to win the title.
It was his second win on the tour this year. His previous win came in Red Deer, Alta. on June 12.
“I would have to say that my driving played a huge part in my play this weekend,” Friedrich said. “It hasn’t been as consistent as I would like it to be this year but it was on point for me in both rounds.
“I also made some adjustments with the course. Wascana is fairly open for the most part and I made some changes by hitting some longer irons off of the tee. That allowed me to be in better positions to go after the flags.”
With the win, Friedrich now holds an 82-point lead over Dudas for the top spot the Saskatchewan Under 15 boys order of merit standings.
The two golfers will be battling it out once again at the final tour event of the season at the Willows Golf and Country Club in Saskatoon next weekend.
“Being on the tour has given me a lot more confidence,” Friedrich said. “I’ve become more comfortable in tournaments and it’s really making me a better player in the long run.
“I’m more used to the pressure when I’m in a situation like I was in Regina and I hope to build off of that going forward.”
Thanks to his play this year, Friedrich will also have a chance to compete at the Boston Pizza National Championship from Nov. 11-13 in Phoenix, Ariz.
“I’m really looking forward to that,” Friedrich said. “Right now though the main focus is on Saskatoon and doing well there.”
