Adam Krebs hadn’t played in the city golf tournament since he was in high school at Columbus East, but this week, his former coach, Tom LaBarbera, and former teammate, Austin Proffitt, talked him into playing.
Krebs is glad he took the challenge. He followed an opening-round 65 Saturday at Greenbelt with a 74 Sunday at Otter Creek to win the title by two shots.
A senior at Purdue, Krebs plans to graduate in December with a degree in mechanical engineering. He doesn’t play on the team at Purdue, but plays most Wednesdays and Sundays at Otter Creek when he is home for the summer.
“I really don’t have much time when I’m up at school, so I try to play as much as I can when I’m back home,” Krebs said.
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Going into Sunday’s final round, Krebs led Tony Wilks by one shot. After Wilks carded a 37 on the front nine to Krebs’ 39, Wilks had a one-shot advantage.
Krebs retook the lead on No. 14 and never looked back.
“I didn’t hit a lot of fairways, but I was able to just find greens and my putter was really good,” Krebs said. “My putter saved me — that’s for sure.”
Wilks, whose father Tom Wilks was the pro at Otter Creek in late 1970s and early 1980s before the family moved to Indianapolis, finished with a 76 Sunday and a two-day total of 142.
“(Krebs) started making putts, and I didn’t,” Wilks said. “That’s kind of how the round went. I played decent golf; I just didn’t make putts. He took over, and I never could come back.”
Meanwhile, recent Columbus North graduate and incoming Hillsdale (Michigan) freshman Drew Smith had the round of the day. Smith fired a 1-under-par 71 to move into second place with a 141.
Smith was coming off back-to-back rounds of 81 in last week’s Indiana Open at Otter Creek.
“That’s kind of the reason I decided to play in the city — because I played so poorly in the Open,” Smith said. “I wasn’t planning on it, but I wanted a little bit of redemption, and I sure got it. It’s the first time I’ve gone under par in a two-day tournament, so I’m pretty happy.”
Bryce Turner, a North graduate who will be a junior at St. Francis, also bounced back from a subpar Indiana Open performance. He shot 74 Sunday to finish fourth at 144, one shot ahead of his college teammate, Proffitt, who will be a senior at St. Francis.
Eric Grider, who was tied for third after the first round and played in the final group Sunday, shot 78 and finished in a tie for sixth at 148 with Ike Brinson, who had a 77 in the final round.
Tanner Bennett, last year’s runner-up, was placed in the First Flight after an opening-round 75. He came back with a 73 Sunday to win the First Flight by four shots over Ross Pushor.
Scott Ousley carded a final-round 75 to finish with a 157 and win the Second Flight by seven shots over William Davis.
In the Senior Division, Ed Settle shot 77 Sunday to win with a 153. Larry Pushor finished second with a 164.
For the first time this year, championship and flight winners earned a free one-year membership to Otter Creek and Greenbelt.
