Close call only deepening Kuntz’s resolve

It’s been said “close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” With respect to the classic idiom, you might want to add golf to the list.

Just ask Braxton Kuntz, one of the most decorated amateur players in Manitoba history, who narrowly missed a major accomplishment early in his professional career on Monday.

The 22-year-old Winnipegger came one shot short of qualifying for next week’s U.S. Open, finishing the 36-hole event at eight-under par, but still found plenty to celebrate.

“As painful as it was, I’m still pretty proud of myself,” Kuntz said on Tuesday.

“It was a great learning experience and a big confidence booster for me. A lot of PGA Tour players were in that event, and to go head-to-head with some of them, and beat a lot of them, I’m really happy with where my game is at. It’s easy to get down on myself for missing by one, but I learned a lot out there.”

Kuntz qualified earlier this spring for the final stage, known as the “longest day in golf.” A total of 51 golfers teed off Monday morning at the Lakes Golf & Country Club in Ohio with just four spots on the line.

Georgia’s Davis Thompson finished on top at 11-under, while four golfers tied for second at nine-under. A playoff ultimately determined which three got in: J.B. Holmes of Kentucky and amateurs Vaughn Harber of Ohio and Arni Sveinsson of Iceland.

Right behind them was Kuntz, who won four straight Manitoba Amateur titles from 2021-24 before turning pro last summer after completing his studies and collegiate career at Ball State University in Indiana.

“I was never leading, so I was always chasing. I was always trying to put my foot down,” said Kuntz. “In that sense I wasn’t really needing to pinch myself. I was needing to push myself.”

Some early nerves led to plenty of scrambling before he settled into a groove. He rattled off birdies at 15, 16 and 17 in his second round, then narrowly missed a 25-foot uphill birdie putt on 18, knowing it needed to drop to get him into what would have been a five-player playoff for the final three spots.

“I read it well and made sure not to leave it short. I missed it a little bit high, it was a good effort,” said Kuntz. “I was really proud of how I closed it out.”

He was left to lament a couple of missed opportunities earlier in the day where a stroke — or more — could have been saved.

In the first round on the par-five seventh hole, Kuntz hit an ugly pull draw that sailed out of bounds. He ultimately settled for bogey. Then, in the second round, he reached the par-five third hole in two shots but proceeded to four-putt for another bogey.

“If I could go back and change those… but golf is like that. Everyone makes mistakes. PGA Tour players are just better at limiting those,” said Kuntz. “But I really respect how I bounced back from them.”

His 36 holes actually turned into 38 — and ended on a high note.

Minnesota’s Sam Udovich was the player at nine-under who lost in the playoff, earning the first of two alternate spots. That left Kuntz and Oklahoma’s Austin Eckroat — a two-time PGA Tour winner with more than US$10 million in career earnings — in a showdown for the second alternate position.

Both players parred the first playoff hole before Kuntz secured the spot with a birdie on the second.

“That was a pretty sweet ending to the day,” said Kuntz. “I was able to pick (Eckroat’s) brain a little bit, just having so much experience on the PGA tour and being a PGA tour winner as well.”

Now he waits and hopes for a miracle, with what he estimates is about a 1 per cent chance enough qualified players will be unable to compete next week to open a spot for him.

“It would be amazing just to be on site and ready if someone pulls out. We’ll see how the cards fall,” said Kuntz, who was striving to become the first local golfer since Adam Speirs (2007) to qualify for the U.S. Open.

Kuntz was originally scheduled to play in a group with J.T. Poston — who was a last-minute scratch after winning the Memorial Tournament a day earlier, which earned him an automatic berth into the U.S. Open. That left Kuntz in a twosome with Tyler Watts, one of the top amateur golfers in the United States, who ultimately finished at even par.

He is slated to play next week at the Glencoe Invitational in Calgary, an annual event for Canadian professionals.

Kuntz also has four tournaments later this summer on the Dakotas Tour and hopes to qualify for the Manitoba Open in late August after receiving a sponsor’s exemption last year and making his professional debut at his home course, Breezy Bend.

This incredible close call will only deepen his resolve.

“It hurts, but I’d rather have the pain of missing by one than shooting myself out of it, for sure,” he said. “I’ve seen my game trend in a good direction over the past few months and I’m excited to see where it ends up by the end of the year.”

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