As Michael Pruitt walked off the third green Sunday, a friend reminded him of Pruitt’s own words – that pars can be the difference between winning a losing a golf tournament as much as birdies.
The Lubbock golfer’s playing partner, Zach Atkinson, had just drained a par putt (see photo at left) after both were in trouble off the tee and they avoided a two-shot swing for David Bolen and Scott Rundell, who missed birdie putts.
Six holes later, Pruitt won his first Par Buster Championship Flight title after a handful of previous tries, but his first pairing at the annual Lubbock Country Club tournament with his former North Texas golf teammate who lives in Colleyville.
The pair shot 195 over three days in the best ball tournament.
Bolen and Rundell tied for second with J.D. Dickinson and Brady Shivers, who posted the best round of the day, a 63, sparked by Dickinson’s ace on the 17th hole.
Pruitt said Atkinson’s par save on the third hole and his on the 14th were important along with the six birdies they carded Sunday.
“We had two bogeys all week,” said Pruitt, about how he and Atkinson avoided trouble.
Atkinson added: “The first day we didn’t hit it well and made putts. Saturday we hit it solid and didn’t make many putts. Today was a mix.”
The pair struggled Saturday, one over after five holes, but played 8-under the next 12 holes, including two eagles.
One of those was when Atkinson drove the ball just onto the fringe on the par-4 14th and chipped in for a two.
On Sunday, Atkinson birdied three of the first four holes to get his team off to a good start and give them a cushion.
“It helped to get a lead,” said Pruitt.
Pruitt has played with Ross Tyler in past Par Busters. Tyler teamed up with Steven Watters to win the President’s Flight.
“It turned out to be a good trade for both of us,” said Pruitt.
Pruitt and Atkinson, a former Texas Amateur champion, have won events in Midland and Odessa.
Bolen (plucking his birdie putt out of the fourth hole at left) and his partner started the day one off the lead, but struggled on the greens.
“We hit it good, but didn’t make any putts – we just didn’t make those 10-12 foot putts,” said Bolen, who won the West Texas Amateur at LCC last month while setting a record round on his home course.
“We played the par 5s pretty well. But to win you have to make some putts,” he said.
Bolen said he hit a good putt on the third hole Sunday when Pruitt and Atkinson were in trouble, but it broke hard and didn’t drop.
Dickinson’s team had the hot round of the day.
“We didn’t do anything flashy besides the ace,” said Dickinson, (putting on the ninth hole at left). “We didn’t make a bunch of putts, but we hit it close. I’m happy considering (where we started the day) … not happy being six back heading into the last round.”
Dickinson hit a 5-iron on the 204-yard 17th for his hole-in-one.
Meanwhile, Justin Sharbutt barely made his Fourth Flight tee time, arriving five minutes late, but his group had not teed off.
He hit his tee shot in bare feet, got his shoes on and birdied the par-5 first hole anyway.