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Martens, Nelson, Thompson win T of C Titles

Podcasts, Sports

August 14th, 2023 by Jim Field

Ross Martens

All three winners at the 65th Annual Tournament of Champions this weekend have had the experience before.

Ross Martens of Harlan won his second Open Division crown, shooting an even par 69 in the final round Sunday to capture a 4-stroke win.  Martens was challenged just a few times in the final day but made enough key shots to hold his lead.  Martens also won the title in 2021.  Zach Christianson, who held the day-one lead after an opening round 64 fell just short of the title, finishing second for the third straight year.

Martens started with a -1 round of 68 on Friday, then carded a 5-under 64 on Saturday, and finished with an even par 69 on Sunday to finish at -6, 201 for the weekend. He was thrilled to have the great round on Saturday to grab the title again.

Ross talked about his approach to the final day and how he felt about his game.

Ross had his parents walking with him when he won in 2021 and they were with him again on Sunday.

Chris Nelson

In the Senior Division, Chris Nelson of Atlantic built a six-stroke lead heading into the final round and shot an even par 69 to win by six strokes over Bret Taylor.  Nelson also has an Open division title to his credit.

In the Super Senior Division, Rick Thompson of Fairfield continues to dominate.  He finished the tourney with a four over par 211 total, beating John Willmore by 5 strokes, to capture his fourth straight crown.

Listen to the full interview with Open Division Champion Ross Martens below.

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