WAUKESHA - In the final round of the 2009 WSGA State Amateur Championship at Merrill Hills Country Club, Monroe native Nick Krattiger played both good and bad.
"I played well," he said. "I know I can play. It's just a matter of - I don't know."
Over the course of 16 holes, Krattiger shot even par, which would have tied him for fifth place. However, Krattiger shot 5-over-par on two of the four par-3's.
After knocking down a 30-foot putt on the seventh hole and shooting par on eight, Krattiger's tee shot on the par-three ninth put him 20 yards right of the green in the rough and behind a tree.
"In my head I was feeling good," he said.
Trying to short-hop his chip shot to stay close to the pin instead of conceding the hole and getting the ball on the green, Krattiger flubbed his pitch and was looking at a 10-yard chip for par - he flubbed again.
Krattiger's third shot put him on the green, but a two-putt gave him a triple-bogey and a plus-3 to finish the front nine.
Usually not a guy to remember poor holes, Krattiger let his frustrations stay with him into his drive on the 10th. Opening up the back nine, Krattiger's tee shot went deep into the trees to the left. From there, he was forced to punch out to the fairway and took a bogey. On 11, his tee shot also went left and Krattiger fell five shots in the standings in a matter of three holes.
"I wish I had that chip back on 10. That would have made things so much better if I took a bogey instead," he said. "The frustration stayed with me a little bit. All day my drives have been going from left to right, so I tried to hit it left and it went straight. Same thing on 11. I just got a little more aggressive trying to get a few shots back."
Krattiger's play settled down, and a on the long par-five 13th, his approach left him just four feet to the pin and he carded an easy birdie.
"That birdie was my first birdie on a par-5 all tournament," he said.
After a pair of pars, the 2005 Monroe High School grad hit his 9-iron a bit fat off the tee on the 16th and he wound up in the bunker on the 152-yard par-three. A poor shot out of the sand and a tough hole with the putter put him at 5-over par for the round with two holes to go.
Perhaps the shot of the day also came on 16, as Wisconsin golfer, Craig Cerbins - who has two years of eligibility left - put his tee shot just an inch from the pin.
A par on the par-five 17th helped rise his confidence, and after a monster drive on 18, Krattiger was just a short two-foot putt from a birdie, which he converted without hesitation.
"It was just stupid mistakes all day. The chips, getting out of the sand. I've hit that bunker shot about a million times," Krattiger said.
Former Wisconsin golfer Tyler Obermueller won the tournament with a combined score of 4-over-par. Krattiger finished 12-over and tied for 14th-place and playing partners Ross Wilhelm and Cerbins, who both came into the final round tied with Krattiger for 13th place, finished at 16-over and 9-over, respectively. Cerbins double-bogeyed the 18th.
"It's always fun playing in the fourth round of the championship," Krattiger said.
"I played well," he said. "I know I can play. It's just a matter of - I don't know."
Over the course of 16 holes, Krattiger shot even par, which would have tied him for fifth place. However, Krattiger shot 5-over-par on two of the four par-3's.
After knocking down a 30-foot putt on the seventh hole and shooting par on eight, Krattiger's tee shot on the par-three ninth put him 20 yards right of the green in the rough and behind a tree.
"In my head I was feeling good," he said.
Trying to short-hop his chip shot to stay close to the pin instead of conceding the hole and getting the ball on the green, Krattiger flubbed his pitch and was looking at a 10-yard chip for par - he flubbed again.
Krattiger's third shot put him on the green, but a two-putt gave him a triple-bogey and a plus-3 to finish the front nine.
Usually not a guy to remember poor holes, Krattiger let his frustrations stay with him into his drive on the 10th. Opening up the back nine, Krattiger's tee shot went deep into the trees to the left. From there, he was forced to punch out to the fairway and took a bogey. On 11, his tee shot also went left and Krattiger fell five shots in the standings in a matter of three holes.
"I wish I had that chip back on 10. That would have made things so much better if I took a bogey instead," he said. "The frustration stayed with me a little bit. All day my drives have been going from left to right, so I tried to hit it left and it went straight. Same thing on 11. I just got a little more aggressive trying to get a few shots back."
Krattiger's play settled down, and a on the long par-five 13th, his approach left him just four feet to the pin and he carded an easy birdie.
"That birdie was my first birdie on a par-5 all tournament," he said.
After a pair of pars, the 2005 Monroe High School grad hit his 9-iron a bit fat off the tee on the 16th and he wound up in the bunker on the 152-yard par-three. A poor shot out of the sand and a tough hole with the putter put him at 5-over par for the round with two holes to go.
Perhaps the shot of the day also came on 16, as Wisconsin golfer, Craig Cerbins - who has two years of eligibility left - put his tee shot just an inch from the pin.
A par on the par-five 17th helped rise his confidence, and after a monster drive on 18, Krattiger was just a short two-foot putt from a birdie, which he converted without hesitation.
"It was just stupid mistakes all day. The chips, getting out of the sand. I've hit that bunker shot about a million times," Krattiger said.
Former Wisconsin golfer Tyler Obermueller won the tournament with a combined score of 4-over-par. Krattiger finished 12-over and tied for 14th-place and playing partners Ross Wilhelm and Cerbins, who both came into the final round tied with Krattiger for 13th place, finished at 16-over and 9-over, respectively. Cerbins double-bogeyed the 18th.
"It's always fun playing in the fourth round of the championship," Krattiger said.
