Strong finish gives Christner first-round lead in 100th Men’s Metro golf tourney

SOUTH BEND — Mishawaka’s Austin Christner birdied two of his last three holes at Elbel Park Golf Course to grab a two-stroke lead after Saturday’s opening round of the 100th Greater South Bend Men’s Metro Golf Tournament.

The 28-year-old Christner, who graduated from Fairfield High School and played collegiate tennis at Indiana Wesleyan, birdied the 382-yard, par-4 16 ^th hole and the 435-yard, par-4 18 ^th hole and finished with four birdies against two bogeys in his walk around the par-72, 6,890-yard Elbel Park layout.

Jonah Kumfer, a 21-year-old from Mishawaka who played his high school golf at Penn and will be a senior this fall on the Bethel University men’s golf team, also had four birdies to offset four bogeys in his even-par round.

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With last year’s champion Satchel Pierce and runner-up Kyle Meihofer not in this year’s field, Christner and Kumfer were expected to among the favorites in the tournament which continues today at Knollwood East in Granger and concludes next weekend with two rounds at Erskine Park. Christner has finished fifth, fourth and fifth in the last three Men’s Metros, while Kumfer finished third a year ago.

Alone in third place after a one-over 73 is 43-year-old semi-truck driver Leo Goss of Osceola. He was a stroke ahead of 32-year-old Chris Shaw and two-time past Men’s Metro champion Kevin Wiseman, a 42-year-old orthodontist from Chicago. Wiseman, a former Riley High and Notre Dame golfer, won his titles in 2003 and 2005.

Brandon Thomas (75), Mark Harman (76), Ben Szklarek (77), Rick Hardesty (77) and John Hahn (79) follow. Szklarek, a former Penn High standout and Notre Dame graduate, won consecutive Men’s Metro titles in 2018 and 2019.

100 ^th GREATER SOUTH BEND MEN’S METRO GOLF TOURNAMENT

SOUTH BEND — Results after Saturday’s first round at the par-72 (36-36) Elbel Park Golf Course.

Championship Flight (6,890 yards)

70 (-2): Austin Christner 36-34

72 (E): Jonah Kumfer 37-35

73 (+1): Leo Goss 36-37

74 (+2): Chris Shaw 36-38; Kevin Wiseman 36-38

75 (+3): Brandon Thomas 37-38

76 (+4): Mark Harman 36-40

77 (+5): Ben Szklarek 39-38; Rick Hardesty 39-38

79 (+7): John Hahn 42-37

81 (+9): Justin Crook 41-40

82 (+10): Andrew Katona 41-41

84 (+12): Ryan Glover 41-43; Benjamin Mattingly 38-46

85 (+13): Sean Egan 41-44; Campbell Jones 41-44

87 (+15): Brandon Roman 45-42

88 (+16): Stan Gebo 45-43

A Flight (6,441 yards)

75 (+3): Andrew Kowalewski 38-37

76 (+4): Robert Rogers 38-38

77 (+5): Evan Smith 40-37; Jeff Oltmanns 38-39

78 (+6): Joseph Daigle 40-38

80 (+8): Matt Schiele 41-39; Dallas Shultz 41-39

81 (+9): Doug Fedore 38-43; Taylor Urbanski 41-40

82 (+10): Andy Vavul 43-39

83 (+11): John Sevison 42-41; Scott Frederickson 38-45; Earl Nickell 42-41; Ben Padrnos 42-41

84 (+12): Ben Brewers 41-44; Mark Colpaert 44-40

85 (+13): Jim Shaw 42-43

86 (+14): Zack Cripe 42-44

87 (+15): Max Christianson 41-46

90 (+18): Nicholas Johnson 40-50

91 (+19): CJ Superczynski 43-48

97 (+25): Jerry Haeffel 53-44

B Flight (6,441 yards)

77 (+5): Jim Van Fleit Sr. 38-39

80 (+8): Jacob Padrnos 41-39; Kenny Bishop 38-42

81 (+9): Carlos Loaiza 38-43

83 (+11): David Krizman 43-40

84 (+12): Thomas Butler 44-40

85 (+13): David Fulcher 39-46; Craig Eggers 43-42

87 (+15): Quinlan Armstrong 47-40; Andy Williams 44-43

88 (+16): Alan Smith 44-44; Jamie Lucas 47-41

89 (+17): Matt Potter 45-44; Nick Bishop 43-46

90 (+18): Brian Carver 44-46; Carl Daniels 43-47

91 (+19): Brian Patterson 46-45

92 (+20): Jason Quimby 45-47

93 (+21): Jeff Steele 47-46

94 (+22): Mark Haab 46-48; Adam Urbanski 43-51

95 (+23): Joey Garcia 48-47

98 (+26): James Potter 50-48

C Flight (6,109 yards)

79 (+7): Fred Williams 39-40

80 (+8): Tony Bailey 40-40

84 (+12): Donn Bedock 44-40

86 (+14): Bartolo Marquez 41-43; William Gaideski 42-44

88 (+16): Gary May 44-44

89 (+17): Geoffrey Davidson 45-44; John Garcia 47-42; Travis Truex 46-43

90 (+18): Scott Tafelski 49-41; Jeffrey Barouska 44-46; Christian Pottschmidt 45-45

91 (+19): Duke Bailey 47-44; James Parker 46-45

92 (+20): Ricky Entzian 42-50

94 (+22): John Parakowski 49-45; Roger Moreno 48-46

95 (+23): Alexander Walters 46-49; Aaron Rhame 48-47

96 (+24): Vincent Barnette 52-44; Andrew Mars 48-48

97 (+25): Alex Sexton 48-49

98 (+26): Keith Hodgson 49-49; Jerry Barnette 51-47

99 (+27): Mike Strausborger 49-50

102 (+30): Chase Nichols 48-54

103 (+31): Shawn Pinnyei 50-53

105 (+33): Jake Brentlinger 51-54; Geordan Presley-Griffin 54-51

106 (+34): Coen Coen 50-56

SUNDAY’S SECOND-ROUND TEE TIMES

At the par-72 Knollwood Country Club East Course (first-round scores in parentheses):

NO. 1 TEE

B flight

8 a.m.: Kenny Bishop (80), Jeff Steele (93), Mark Haab (94)

8:08: Nick Bishop (89), Brian Patterson (91), Carlos Loaiza (81)

8:16: Jim Van Fleit Sr. (77), Jacob Padrnos (80), Thomas Butler (84)

8:24: Alan Smith (88), Andy Williams (87), Jamie Lucas (88)

8:32: Adam Urbanski (94), David Krizman (83), Craig Eggers (85)

8:40: David Fulcher (85), Carl Daniels (90), James Potter (98)

8:48: Matt Potter (89), Brian Carver (90), Jason Quimby (92)

8:56: Quinlan Armstrong (87), Joey Garcia (95)

A flight

9:04: Andrew Kowalewski (75), Ben Padrnos (83), Jeff Oltmanns (77)

9:12: Jim Shaw (85), Evan Smith (77), Mark Colpaert (94)

9:20: Max Christianson (87), Matt Schiele (80), Scott Frederickson (83)

9:28: CJ Superczynski (91), Earl Nickell (83), Robert Rogers (76)

9:36: Dallas Shultz (80), Zack Cripe (86), John Sevison (83)

9:44: Nicholas Johnson (90), Taylor Urbanski (81), Andy Vavul (82)

9:52: Doug Fedore (81), Ben Brewers (84), Joseph Daigle (78), Jerry Haeffel (97)

NO. 10 TEE

C flight

8 a.m.: Christian Pottschmidt (90), Andrew Mars (96), Alexander Walters (95)

8:08: Tony Bailey (91), Chase Nichols (102), William Gaideski (86)

8:16: Roger Moreno (84), Travis Truex (89), Duke Bailey (80)

8:24: Jeffrey Barouska (90) Ricky Entzian (92), James Parker (91)

8:32: Mike Strausborger (99), Fred Williams (79), Alex Sexton (97)

8:40: Keith Hodgson (98), Vincent Barnette (96), John Garcia (89)

8:48: Bartolo Marquez (86), Shawn Pinnyei (103), Geoffrey Davidson (89)

8:56: Aaron Rhame (95), Don Bedock (84), Gary May (88)

9:04: John Parakowski (94), Scott Tafelski (90), Jerry Barnette (98)

9:12: Jake Brentlinger (105), Geordan Presley-Griffin (105), Chase Coen (106)

Championship flight

9:20: Austin Christner (70), Jonah Kumfer (72), Andrew Katona (82)

9:28: Sean Egan (85), Stanley Gebo (88), Ryan Glover (84)

9:36: Leo Goss (73), Campbell Jones (85), Brandon Roman (87)

9:44: Benjamin Mattingly (84), Jerry Thomas (75), Ben Szklarek (77)

9:52: Chris Shaw (74), John Hahn (79), Justin Crook (81)

10 a.m.: Mark Harman (76), Kevin Wiseman (74), Rick Hardesty (77)

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Strong finish gives Christner first-round lead in 100th Men’s Metro golf tourney