Michael F. Stieler, GCSAA certified golf course superintendent at Riverbend Golf Club in Madera, Calif., battled through a tense back nine stretch to capture his first Golf Course Superintendents Association of America National Championship Feb. 26 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. The 16-year GCSAA member finished with a two-day total of 1-under-par 143.
Stieler had come close in several previous editions of the GCSAA tournament without taking home the top prize. He finished in third place in 2011 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., finished fourth in 2010 in Palm Springs after leading the tournament on the back nine in the final round, and was a runner-up finisher in the 2008 tournament played in Orlando, Fla.
But there would be no second place this time around for Stieler. Entering the back nine with a one-shot lead over three-time champion Seth Strickland, GCSAA Class A member from Miami (Fla.) Shores Country Club, Stieler maintained that advantage through the 12th hole, but fell back into a tie with Strickland after double bogeying the par-4 13th hole.
It stayed that way until the par-5 15th and the par-4 16th, when Stieler carded back-to-back birdies to push his advantage to two shots with two to play. That proved to be enough to weather another bogey on the par-3 17th hole, and he ultimately secured his one-shot victory over Strickland with his par on the par-4 finishing hole.
Strickland, the tournament's first-round leader, finished second, carding back-to-back rounds of even par 72 to finished at 144. Robert Harper, GCSAA superintendent member at the Club at Emerald Hills in Hollywood, Fla., and Robert Roy, GCSAA Class A member at The River Club at Suwanee, Ga., finished tied for third at 2-over-par 146. Harper's performance earned him the senior title in the National Championship Division.
The GCSAA National Championship and Golf Classic, presented in partnership with The Toro Co., is held in conjunction with the GCSAA Education Conference (Feb. 27-March 2) and Golf Industry Show (Feb. 29-March 1) in Las Vegas.