Braxton Kuntz is continuing to make big waves this summer.
The talented 20-year-old Winnipegger, fresh off becoming the first men’s golfer in provincial history to win four straight Manitoba Amateur championships, is now in the hunt for a prestigious national title.
Kuntz is tied for second halfway through the Canadian Amateur, which is being held this year in Saskatoon. The Breezy Bend member followed up an opening round of three-under 69 Monday with a sizzling five-under 67 on Tuesday. He’s made nine birdies, an eagle and just three bogeys through 36 holes so far.
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Braxton Kuntz
“I have no complaints,” he told the Free Press with a chuckle in a phone interview shortly after his final putt of the day. “I’ve been hitting the golf ball really well here the last couple days.”
A total of 264 golfers are participating in the event, which includes top amateurs from across the country along with players from countries including the United States, England, Wales, Ireland, Columbia, Mexico, Australia, South Africa and China.
Tyler Mawhinney of Florida leads the way at 10-under (65-69), while Kuntz joins a pair of Ontario athletes and a British Columbia product who are just two shots back.
“It’s not just the best Canadian golfers, but the best from around the world. Obviously, it’s a great field to test where my game is at,” said Kuntz.
He made his Canadian amateur debut last summer, missing the cut and finishing 103rd. Funny enough, he didn’t like where his game was at over the past couple weeks but believes a quick lesson at home straightened things out before he hit the road.
Now, a chance to make some more sporting history.
Previous winners of the Canadian Amateur include current PGA Tour stars such as MacKenzie Hughes and Nick Taylor. The last Manitoban to win was Rob McMillan back in 1996 when it was held in his backyard at Pine Ridge.
“Whether I win or not, if I can go out these next two rounds and play around the course like I have, I know I’ll finish high up on the leaderboard,” said Kuntz. “But at the end of the day I don’t want to start thinking about the results and just focus on the process.”
Kuntz made it to the final U.S. Open qualifying stage in June, will tee it up later this month at the Manitoba Open under a sponsor’s exemption, then head back to Ball State University to finish up his senior season. He plans to turn pro after finishing up in the NCAA Division 1 program next spring.
Ten Manitobans were in the field, which has now been cut to the top 70 and ties at the midway mark. 2020 Manitoba Amateur champion Marco Trstenjak of Winnipeg is the only other local who will play the final two rounds. He is at two-under and in a tie for 31st after shooting 73-69.
Evan Nachtigall of Brandon (74-72), Drew Jones of Brandon (75-77), Ryan Blair of Winnipeg (75-77), Grady Chuback of Winnipeg (75-81), Eric Prokopowich of Dauphin (77-79), Hudson Hunnie of Winnipeg (78-78), Brad Pardy of Brandon (83-76) and Adam Blair of Winnipeg (77-85) were the others who finished below the cutline, which was set at even par.
Jones and Ryan Blair joined Kuntz as part of Team Manitoba after finishing second and third in the provincial Amateur. In terms of team competition, which ends after two rounds, Manitoba finished third behind British Columbia and Ontario. The 36-holes of the top two qualified players are combined to form an overall score in the quest for the Willingdon Cup.
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Mike McIntyre
Sports reporter
Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike.
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