TUCSON, Ariz. - A veteran of AZ GOLF tournaments, Mike Brenneman medaled at the 2001 and 2003 Arizona Amateur Championships, but never secured an AZ GOLF tournament win. That streak came to an end when he delivered rounds of 68-70 to capture the 2024 Southern Amateur at Omni Tucson National’s Catalina Course.
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Brenneman’s first round featured some blunders, including three missed putts inside six feet and a shot that went in the water. Despite that, he was just two strokes out of the lead at the end of the round. With an eagle on eight and a birdie on the fifteenth hole in round two, he found himself with a two-stroke lead late in the day.
Knowing he was in a good position to win, Brenneman watched the leaderboard as Cody Massa and Jacob Medina mounted runs. Massa went on a run of seven birdies in nine holes, while Medina made up ground with three birdies on each side of the course. Despite their best efforts, it was Brenneman’s steady play and bogey-free second round that prevailed.
With a storm looming over the course, Brenneman sank a 20-footer for birdie on the 17th hole and extended his lead to three strokes; that made the fairway on the final hole- which is guarded by water on both sides- seem much wider as he closed out the round.
Mike Brenneman's wife and daughter watch as he approaches the final hole of his 2024 Southern Amateur win. (Photo by Alex Johnson)
“I was keeping an eye on it,” Brenneman said about watching the leaderboard throughout the round. “There were a lot of good players out there and a lot of good rounds today, so I feel privileged to have held on and made it through.”
The Southern Amateur also saw trophies handed out in the Senior and Legends Divisions. The Senior Division was won by Eric Rustand (-2), who edged out Steve Geesling and Joseph Cabrera by one stroke to secure the wire-to-wire victory.
Tim Blau (-4), AZ GOLF’s Legends Division Player of the Year, made back-to-back birdies late, as Tom Sweigart faltered with two bogeys down the stretch, including one on the 18th hole which decided the contest.
Eric Rustand (Senior Division winner) & Tim Blau (Legends Division winner) pose with their Southern Amateur trophies. (Photo by Alex Johnson)