Submitted by CanTour Communications John Berkovich
SASKATOON, Sask. – Andres Gonzales eagled the 18th hole for a bogey-free 63 and captured the Saskatchewan Open by one stroke over Hugo Leon and Scott Gibson.
Gonzales finished at 14 under par 274 and earned $24,000 for his first Canadian Tour title.
Third round leader George Coetzee managed a 71 to finish fourth, three shots back, while Brent Schwarzrock’s 66 gave him solo fifth at nine under par 279.
Both Jeffrey Rangel and Zach Shriver shot 68 to share sixth at 281 alongside J.C. Deacon (69) and Liam Kendregan and Yohann Benson who each had a 70.
Playing with precision all day, Gonzales picked up four birdies on the front side and kept his foot on the gas, birdieing 13, 14 and 16 before his final hole dramatics.
“It’s a reachable par-5 and was downwind today,” explained Gonzales.
“I hit my second shot over the green and had to fly my third about ten feet onto the green with a 60-degree wedge.
“It landed perfectly and just rolled down into the hole.”
But with Gibson still on the course, he had to play the waiting game.
Gibson birdied two, three and six but a bogey at seven tripped him up.
He rallied with three straight birdies starting at No. 11 but a costly bogey at 17, combined with Gonzales’ eagle, left him two back standing on 18.
His concluding birdie left him one short.
“I fully expected to be in a playoff,” said Gonzales. “The 18th wasn’t all that difficult today and I figured Scott would probably force a playoff one way or the other.”
“Today was one of those days where everything went well. I think most of my putts were from around 15 feet.
“I give a lot of credit to my playing partner Hugo Leon,” concluded Gonzales. “We get along well, keep each other loose, and fed off each other.”
Indeed they did.
If not for Leon’s lone bogey of the day at No. 17, they would have gone to a playoff.
Starting the day with a two shot lead, George Coetzee double-bogeyed No. 2 to lose the lead to Gibson who birdied.
He never got it back.
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