From the Archives: The Stories You Didn’t Hear from the KFT Championship
This story was originally published on September 30, 2020.
As the host of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, Victoria National and Dormie Network are honored to have had the inside scoop since 2019. Here are four stories you haven’t seen anywhere else.
The Caddie Who Commutes Three Hours to Vic
Michael Brockman has been longing to be “inside the ropes.” When the Korn Ferry Tour Championship made its annual visit to Victoria National, Mike let it be known he was available to share his understanding of Victoria National with any player willing to give him a go.
Englishman Daniel Sutton did just that. Sutton, whose fourth place finish at the Price Cutter Charity Championship secured his 2020 Korn Ferry status, kept Brockman guessing about working the weekend deep into the back-nine of round 2. But birdies on the par 3 fifth and par 3 seventh put him inside the cut and put a smile on Brockman’s face. The weekend brought even more excitement as Sutton posted a final round 66.
For the past three years Brockman has been commuting from St. Louis to follow his passion. He says he loves being not only around but “in the game” and says there is no better place to share that passion than Victoria National.
The Pro Who Looks Forward to Vic’s Specialty Sandwiches
Omaha, Nebraska native Scott Gutschewski was one of two Dormie Network Ambassadors who competed in the championship tournament. “Gooch” shot 8 under for the week to finish 29th, his 11th top 40 finish of the season.
"The thing I always keep coming back to when I recall this tournament experience — and every other experience at a Dormie Network course — is the welcome feeling that I get when I’m there,” Gutschewski said. “Course conditions were off-the-charts good, even with the rotten weather.”
“It’s always a treat to be at a Dormie property,” Gutschewski said. “One particular highlight for me are the best peanut butter, granola, and jelly sandwiches! The food and service are always first class and never disappoint. The hospitality and professionalism of the staff is always welcoming and genuine.”
“It’s always a pleasure to meet more people at the different Network courses,” Gutschewski said. “I’ve enjoyed all my encounters and I look forward to getting to the Network course I haven’t visited yet!”
The Grounds Crew Who Set the Scene
Maintaining the #43 [in 2022, Victoria National was named #47] course in America to championship caliber is equally challenging and rewarding year-round, and the agronomy team takes it to the extreme for Golf Channel’s coverage.
In the month leading up to the tournament, the team nearly doubles overtime hours and works dark to dark. Each bunker is fully detailed, receiving far beyond the USGA’s requirement of daily ranking; agronomists re-level and depth-check each trap to maintain the correct amount of sand. They also add a second mow, with the morning cut removing dew and the afternoon cut encouraging a finer leaf blade that increases greens speed. Following the mow, the team top-dresses with sand to firm up and smooth out the course, producing a true ball roll rather than a bounce. Spot-spraying native grasses is the finishing touch that ensures the course is weed-free and pristine on camera.
Victoria National typically measures 10.5’ speeds on the Stimpmeter, and with additional course maintenance, reaches 12’ speeds for tournament play.
Following the trophy ceremony, the club closes for a few days, allowing much-deserved rest for both course and staff. Upon return, the agronomy team walks the course with multiple tournament-recovery sprays: nutrients, fungicides, and wetting agents.
The Ambassador Who Played His Last Tournament as a Single Man
Brandon Crick celebrated his COVID-delayed wedding on September 12, 2020, in his hometown of McCook, Nebraska – just two weeks after battling infamous Victoria National.
“I thought the week went great!” Brandon said. “The golf course was in fantastic shape but a bit soft, due to the rains, which made it a little more gettable.”
Brandon enjoyed his best round of the week during Friday’s heavy rain — remnants of Hurricane Laura — shooting a 67, en route to a T-50 finish for the week. “Playing Friday in that rain was no joke, though,” he said. “Right when they blew the horn and told us to stay in place the rainstorm came through and soaked us all. It took a day or so to dry off after that one.”
Every year, Victoria National rates among the Korn Ferry Tour’s sternest tests, particularly the finishing stretch of holes 14-18, ominously referred to as the Gauntlet.
“Unfortunately, the Gauntlet got me a few times,” Brandon said. “Those holes are so well-designed and forces you to hit great shot after great shot — and if you make a bad swing, you will pay for it.”
“I can’t complain about the week. I hit the ball extremely well; just didn’t get a whole lot of putts to go,” said Brandon, who fired a second-round 66 at the Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass in June, en route to a T-10 finish — one of three Top-25 finishes during 2020. His most recent competitive round, in early September, was a 66 in the final round of the Lincoln Land Championship, catapulting him into a T-22 finish.
“I’m excited going into these last three events to hopefully make something happen to finish the year off strong,” Brandon said.
