Whittaker Defeats Anderson at Bent Creek to Claim Second Senior Players' Title

By Nick Hunter
nhunter@mngolf.org


  EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – With each passing golf season, Steve Whittaker receives more and more reminders of what time and age will do to a person’s body.

A reconstructed knee last fall was his ninth procedure in recent years, but it was put on hold after he earned a spot in the 2015 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at Hidden Creek Golf Club in Egg Harbor Township, N.J.

At 63, Whittaker keeps piling up trophies, refusing to listen to what his body may be trying to tell him. He won the 2015 Minnesota Public Golf Association Mid-Public Links Championship with a field of players half his age.

On Thursday Whittaker faced a 2-down deficit to John Anderson through 11 holes before winning five of the next six holes to defeat Anderson with a 20-foot birdie putt to win his second Minnesota Golf Association Senior Players’ Championship in four years.

“It’s very emotional for me. I’ve struggled to walk since November and I’ve been in a lot of pain so this is a big deal for me,” Whittaker said. “It’s worth it—I love the game and I love to be out here with the other gentlemen. It doesn’t get any better than this for me.”

Falling behind early to Anderson Thursday, Whittaker rolled in his birdie look at the par-4 seventh to pull within one before giving back a shot with a bogey at the ninth, turning 2-down to Anderson once again.

Whittaker’s consistency late in the round paid off as Anderson found the water hazard three times in a matter of four holes as Whittaker would pull even through 15 holes. Putting his second shot short of the par-5 16th green, Whittaker chipped to within three feet and converted birdie to take his first lead of the final match.

After missing the green at the par-3 17th, Anderson chipped perfectly to a few feet and looked as though the two would move on the 18th with pars as Whittaker’s tee shot landed 20 feet beyond the flag. Sporting his side-saddle putting style, Whittaker’s birdie putt dropped to clinch his second Senior Players’ title, 2-up.

“This is a great course and it has great greens—you’ve got to have the speed and line perfect to make it, you’re going to make some but you’re going to miss some. You have to be patient and you can’t get frustrated. There are so many holes that you can’t press and have to wait it out until you have a chance and try and take advantage.”

Asked the motivation behind his resiliency each season, Whittaker said, “First off, my wife is extremely supportive and tells me each day to go out and do your best, I believe in you and you belong out there. There’s been many times where I would’ve quit if I didn’t have her.

“I’m also a man of faith and I believe that things happen. As long as I can make it around, I’m going to keep playing.”

Whittaker edged John Sexton, 1-up, to begin the championship before cruising to a 6 and 5 victory over Joe Eichten during the Round of 16. He slipped past Jim Lehman, 2 and 1, during the quarterfinals before rolling to another 6 and 5 victory over David Rehfeldt in the semifinals.

“I had all good matches against some really fun, nice guys and I just really enjoy being out here. One of the things I like most about senior golf is that you meet so many men that are good sports and play to have fun and keep golf in perspective. At the end of the day we play hard, but it is a game,” he said.

“There are 32 guys here and any single guy can beat any of the other 31 guys. You can’t control what the other guys shoot, you can only control how you handle the game mentally." 

Anderson has now finished as runner-up in back-to-back seasons as he lost to Todd Hillier during the final match a year ago at Wayzata Country Club. Also coming off of knee surgery this spring, Anderson said he’s starting to get back to where he can walk and play more golf.

“I was able to make a lot of birdies three rounds ago—pretty ho-hum,” Anderson said Thursday. “This morning was a struggle, but Donny [Howe] struggled worse, so I was able to get through and this one I was doing well and it was almost a repeat of last year where every putt that they had to make, they made.

“It’s frustrating to get to the end and it’s a repeat of last year, but I hung in there. I didn’t play very well on the back and hit three balls in the water, which is never good, but that’s the way it goes—you keep plugging along."