You had to look pretty low on the leader board to find the name Tim Holland on Sunday morning as the final round of the Cloquet Invitational golf tournament was set to begin. Holland started the day eight strokes behind the leader Tony Marchio, but by the time the tournament ended, Holland had taken the win.
The tournament was played in extremely windy conditions which caused the scores to soar nearly as high as the temperatures, but Holland, of Owatonna, Minn., shot the lowest score of the day on Sunday to take the tournament in a playoff.
Four players including Holland, Marchio, Reed Kolquist and Wes Salo were tied at 233 through 54 holes and a two-hole playoff ensued. After all four golfers parred the first playoff hole, it was Holland who drove his second shot to within six feet of the pin on the second hole. Holland made the birdie putt to secure the win.
The big story through the first two days of the tournament was the play of 18-year-old Marchio, who graduated in June from Mounds View High School.
Marchio led after the first two rounds and appeared to be on the verge of becoming the youngest champion in Cloquet Invite history. That all changed with the blustery winds on Sunday.
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Kolquist had a chance to win the tournament for the seventh time in his career, but a bogey on the 18th hole created the tie and eventual playoff.
With the ball lying just off the green, Kolquist had a short chip and a chance to win the tournament, but instead, he flew the ball by the green and had a tough time making bogey coming back.
The opening allowed Holland, who played collegiate golf at Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter, to finish his nearly miraculous run to the finish.
