Keene Wins Brainerd Invitational By 7

Before he teed it up in the final round of the Brainerd Invitational on Sunday, Richard Keene came up with an aggressive game plan.

At 46, and with a baby on the way, Keene figures his days to win golf tournaments are getting numbered. Tied for the lead with Walt Moffitt after a 5-under-par 67 on Saturday, Keene wanted to come out aggressive and stay that way.

"I wanted to come out and make as many birdies as I could early in the round," Keene said. "If I’ve learned one thing in my 46 years, it’s that birdies come a whole lot easier early in the round than late."

Keene didn’t exactly follow his game plan. He made birdies early in the round all right, but he also threw in a birdie at No. 17 and an eagle at No. 18. When his 30-foot eagle putt at the final hole dropped, Keene’s scorecard added up to a 7-under-par 65. His two-day total of 132 was a whopping seven shots clear of Moffitt, who shot 72 on Sunday, and eight ahead of UTC sophomore Bryce Ledford who finished with a 69.

Andrew Black, Gary Ferguson, Ricky Honeycutt, John Lambert, Tyler Lane, David McKenna, Kyle Cothran and Lex Tarumianz all finished at 141.

Asked when was the last time he’d won an individual tournament, Keene scratched his head. He couldn’t remember until someone reminded him it was the 2000 Chattanooga TPC.

"That’s been a long time ago," said Keene, who won his fifth Brainerd title. "It feels good to finally win again. This really helps my confidence. I’m 46 years old. I don’t know how many more times I’ll get a chance to win with all these kids running around."

On Sunday, Keene had plenty of game for the bevy of talented high school and college players in the field. He got off to the great start he wanted, knocking in an eight-foot birdie putt at No. 2 and a 10-footer at No. 3. Coupled with a bogey by Moffitt at No. 2, Keene suddenly found himself with a three-shot lead.

Even a bogey at No. 6 didn’t derail Keene. He birdied No. 7 to atone for the bogey and No. 8 to grab a four-shot lead. Keene parred No. 9, but stayed hot on the back nine, making birdies at Nos. 10 and 11.

"At that point I’m thinking I’m in pretty good shape," Keene said. "If I could keep from tripping over my own two feet, I thought I could bring it on home."

No one in the field put much pressure on Keene, at least that he knew of. The long-hitting Ledford got to 5-under for a time, but by the time Keene heard about that, Ledford bogeyed No. 18.

Keene put his game on cruise control heading to the clubhouse. He bogeyed No. 15 after he caught a flyer lie and knocked a pitching wedge over the green, but that didn’t hurt him a bit. Proving it was his day, Keene aimed left of the pin at the par-3 17 and would have been content if the ball had stayed straight. But he was hoping the shot would cut, and cut it did—to within about four feet. Keene made the put and was back to 10 under for the tournament.

Keene finished things off—as though he needed to—with a 7-iron approach at the short par-5 18^th to about 30 feet. The putt went in the heart, and Keene had won for the first time in four years.

He’s not sure he’ll win again, but with a mantle full of trophies already and his first child on the horizon, Keene isn’t too worried. He’s adopted a new attitude about his game.

"Bad shots just don’t worry me as much as they used to," Keene said. "I figure I’ll hit three or four of them a round and just go on about my business. It’s just a game, isn’t it?"