AUSTIN, Texas — LSU junior and U.S. Amateur participant Brian Noonan drained an eight-foot birdie putt to defeat TCU sophomore Robby Ormond on the first playoff hole and capture the 2006 Austin Men’s City Championship on Sunday at the Jimmy Clay Golf Course.
Noonan entered the final round trailing by four shots but sank a 35-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole to fire a 5-under par 67 and force a sudden-death playoff with Ormond for the championship. The Austin native birdied the par-five 10th to win the tournament on the first playoff hole and finish the tournament with a four-day total of 15-under 271.
“It was a lot of fun playing with Robby in that final round,” Noonan said. “It was really a two-horse race between the two of us in the last couple of rounds since third place was eight shots back. I’m just happy to play the way I did against a player like him because he’s also going to be playing in the U.S. Amateur. I’m playing with a lot of confidence right now.”
Noonan said he couldn’t contain his excitement when he rolled in his birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff in front of a crowd of more than 150 people surrounding the 18th green.
“I hit a wedge from only 108 yards but left it about 35 feet short,” Noonan said. “Robby chipped up to about a foot, and I knew he had a par. There wasn’t much to think about. I had to make the putt. It wasn’t going to do a lot, and I just saw the line and made sure to get it there.”
The 72-hole event was held at four courses in the city of Austin with each round being played at a different course. Noonan opened with a 1-under 70 at Lions Municipal Golf Course and followed that with a tournament best 7-under 64 in the second round at the Morris Williams Golf Course and a 2-under 69 in the third round at the Roy Kizer Golf Course.
Noonan is set to begin his preparations for the 106th United States Amateur Championship, which will be held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., from Aug. 21-27. He joins fellow LSU junior Beck Troutman in making his first appearance in the most prestigious amateur championship sanctioned by the United States Golf Association.
“I just want to go up and have a good tournament and have a lot of fun playing in an event like that,” Noonan said. “It will be a new experience for me, but one I’m looking forward to. I’m looking to build my game and confidence up for the college season more than anything. That’s probably what I’m looking forward to the most.”