UMBRELLAS provided additional color to the New Ulm Invitational golf tournament Sunday as intermittent rain brought out the rain gear among the hardy followers. Above action took place on the seventh green. Eventual champion Brian Schmucker is on left and runnerup Terry Lynch is also on the green. Details are on sports page. (Photo by Ron Grieser)

Brian Schmucker’s four-foot putt for par on the 27th hole gave the former New Ulm High graduate the New Ulm invitational golf title by one stroke over last year’s defending champ Wayne Breck and Terry Lynch.

The cold, wind and rain caused scores to balloon after perfect conditions on Saturday and Schmucker’s 27-hole total of 113 was seven over par. Terry Lynch finished second with 114, as did Wayne Breck. Fourth and fifth went to George Cliff and John Diedenhofen with 117.

It was almost a miracle that Schmucker,now a teacher at Cold Spring Rocori High School, was up among the leaders. He went out with a 43 on the front nine, eight over par, but then stormed back into contention with a two-under 34 on the back nine. That nine included an out of bounds and one three putt green.

Heading in the final nine, Breck of Waseca and Lynch of St. Paul were tied with 74’s, Diedenhofen of Edina was at 76and Schmucker was at 77.

The four parred number one, but Lynch and Schmucker fell one more back of Breck with bogies on two. Schmucker picked up a stroke on three, parring it, while the other threesome bogied the par three hole.

Breck birdied the par five fourth, while the other three parred and the golfer for Waseca pulled two in front of Lynch and four ahead of Schmucker and Diedenhofen.

Diedenhofen’s double bogey on the fifth put him out of contention, but no one could move on Breck because Schmucker and Lynch all bogied the par three fifth.

But Schmucker made his move on the sixth. After a drive that left him a sidehill lie, he hit an iron 15 feet from the cup and popped in the putt for a birdie three. Lynch parred, but Breck ran into trouble.

His second shot landed on the back fringe, 15 feet from the cup. He chipped poorly, landing 15 feet on the other side of the cup. From there he three putted for a double bogey six.

All of a sudden Lynch and Breck were tied and Schmucker was one shot back.When Schmucker parred the short par four seventh and Breck and Lynch bogied, the three were tied into the eighth.

Schmucker and Breck both two putted the eighth for pars, while Lynch three putted for a six, falling two strokes behind.At nine, a 479 yard par five, Breck’s second shot hit the right trap, while Sch-mucker was short, about 60 yards from the green. Schmucker hit the front of the green with his approach, leaving himself a 30footer.Breck went over the green from the trap and pitched back on,10 feet from the cup.

Meanwhile, Lynch rolled in a nice eight-footer for a birdie and Diedenhofen, after a super chip, rolled in a two footer for a birdie also.

Schmucker hit his birdie attempt a little hard,landing four feet past the cup. When Breck two putted for a bogie, Schmucker needed the putt for the win. If he missed, he, Breck and Lynch would have been deadlocked. However, he rolled it in for the win.

It was the second win for Schmucker over Breck in two weeks. Two weeks ago,Schmucker won the New London open beating Breck on the last hole.

Schmucker, who plays out of Cold Spring, starred for the New Ulm High School golf team a few years ago. He also participated in the state golf tournament.He graduated from New Ulm High School in 1965 and from Mankato State College in 1969.

Schmucker’s brother Jeff caddied for the Cold Spring-Rocori teacher.

The final three holes were played in a steady downpour.

New Ulm Daily Journal

June 10, 1974