Defending champion Chris Clemens of Indianapolis shot a 4-under-par 67 in the final round of the Indiana Golf Association Tournament of Champions to defend his title and claim his third Tournament of Champions win. The competition was held May 9-10th at Fox Prairie Golf Course in Noblesville. Any male amateur who won an IGA-PGA member club’s championship in the past five years or claimed a Tournament of Champions title was eligible to compete in this 36-hole, stroke-play tournament.

Clemens has won three of the five Tournament of Champions in which he has competed. Besides his success this year, Clemens’ previous victories came last year in 2007 and in 2004. He was first eligible for the tournament in 2003 after winning The Links Golf Course Club Championship in 2002.

After a solid first round score of 1-under-par 70, he found himself three shots behind the leader, Dan Hood of Elkhart, and with an uphill battle to defend his title. A bogey on the 356-yard, par-4 hole 2 put him at even for the tournament and five shots behind Hood who opened the final round with a birdie. The third player in the lead group, Andrew Varner of Marion, also began the round with a birdie to go to four under par for the tournament.

On the par-4 sixth hole, Clemens drove the ball in the fairway and landed his approach shot to within five feet of the flag. He made the short putt for birdie and to get back under par. His next birdie came on hole 11 when he holed a 35-foot putt. This took him to two under par while Hood and Varner made pars to remain at four under. “I never thought I was out of the tournament, but after the turn and the closer I got to the lead, the more I settled down and focused. When I see that I have a chance to win, I play better,” said Clemens.

Another birdie on the par-5 12th hole put him only one shot behind his fellow-competitors. Hood chipped in from the greenside-bunker on No. 13 to regain the lead by himself, but this was matched by Clemens’ birdie on 14. A three-putt bogey by Hood on 15 resulted in all three players at four under par with only three holes left.

Hood held off his opponents until the 16th hole when his lead slipped away for good. Both he and Varner bogeyed the 183-yard, par-3 16 after hitting tee shots into a bunker, and Clemens’, with a par, took the lead. At the 18th, Clemens landed his drive in the middle of the fairway and placed his approach shot to within five feet of the hole. He made the putt to shoot a final round 67, secure the win and defend his title. “Today meant more to me than the previous wins because I had to play well down the stretch and come from behind. I felt better on 18 than in years past,” said Clemens. “I had to come back from six down and I don’t remember having to ever come from that far behind to win.”

Clemens’ third Tournament of Champions victory puts him in good company with Doug Fischesser who has also won three times. He is chasing Randy Nichols of Brookville and Jerry Nelson’s record, who have each held the title four times.

Hood finished with a 67-72=139 and Varner carded a 68-71=139 to tie at the runner-up position.

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Club champions from across Indiana competed in the opening round of the Indiana Golf Association Tournament of Champions at Fox Prairie Golf Course in Noblesville.

After shooting a 4-under-par 67 in the first round, Dan Hood of Elkhart leads the field heading into Saturday. Hood earned a spot in the tournament after winning the 2007 Christiana Creek Country Club Championship.

Any male amateur who has won an IGA-PGA member club’s championship in the past five years or who holds a Tournament of Champions title is eligible to play in this 36-hole, stroke-play tournament. This is the 34th year for the championship, and Fox Prairie G.C. has hosted the event since its inception.

Hood’s sub-par round was an impressive beginning to his golf season. “It was only the second round I have played this year, so I had no expectations coming into this round. The lack of expectations took the pressure off on the front,” said Hood. After starting on hole 10 and making a par, he made two consecutive birdies on holes 11 and 12. A third birdie came on the 313-yard, par-4 15th hole, and a birdie on the 408-yard, par-4 18th hole lead to a 4-under 31 on the back nine.

“I started out on the back nine playing well, but then after hole 4, my 13th hole, I got a little out of my comfort zone,” stated Hood. The nerves came because this was his best competitive round in over 10 years. He made bogey on the par-3 fifth hole but managed to shake the nerves and regain his composure to finish with four pars and shoot an even-par 36 on the front nine.

Andrew Varner of Marion is in second place with a round of 68. Andy Skillman of Muncie, Ross Cosat of Carthage, 2006 past champion Dave Vlasic of Valparaiso, and defending champion Chris Clemens of Indianapolis all shot 70 to finish the first day tied for third.

The second round at Fox Prairie G.C. begins at 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning.

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