Berkmeyer defeats Bardgett for Missouri Amateur golf title

Skip Berkmeyer and his wife are tied for state amateur golf championships. It took 10 years to get it, but Berkmeyer notched his name on the trophy again for winning the Missouri Amateur Championship. The granddaddy of all state golf tournaments ranks high on the lengthy list of accomplishments for the 35-year-old Berkmeyer, who lives in West County.

"I've played in it for many years and knocked on the door," Berkmeyer said. "This was my fourth final. It felt like it was nice to get it done."

In a battle of Chaminade graduates, it was not quite deja vu as Berkmeyer defeated Chesterfield's Justin Bardgett in 37 holes recently at the St. Joseph Country Club for his second championship.

"It wasn't the ending I wanted, but it was still a lot of fun," Bardgett said.

The Berkmeyer-Bardgett matchup was the first rematch in the 100-plus year history of the state amateur. Bardgett, who will be a senior at Colorado this fall, won 8-and-6 in last year's tournament at Winghaven Country Club in St. Charles County.

"Justin and I looked at each other in the middle of the deal and we said that if it works out, we could do this again and he said, 'Fine by me' and it happened," Berkmeyer said. "People kept asking about revenge, but I didn't want to be the guy who lost three finals. Justin played fine."

Berkmeyer has been on a great run in the last few years as he has compiled a stellar amateur career. He is a three-time Player of the Year for the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association (MAGA). He has qualified for 17 United States Golf Association (USGA) tournaments and will attempt for three more this summer. Still, in his family, the Berkmeyer women have held the upper hand when it comes to state championships - until now.

His first came in 1999 with a 3-and-2 win over St. Louis' David Suggs at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield. However, when Berkmeyer said he mentioned to his wife, Jamie, they each have two titles, she had a ready reply for her husband.

"My wife tells me right off the bat that I didn't do it back-to-back like she did," Berkmeyer said with a chuckle. "So I guess I'm tied for second in the family."

Of course, take a back seat to Berkmeyer's mother, Barbara, who has five state amateur championships. Still, Berkmeyer said he knows the women in his life are happy for him.

"I know they're very proud of it," Berkmeyer said of his recent championship.

In 1998 Berkmeyer was playing in front of a hometown crowd as the Missouri Amateur was being played at Lake Forest Country Club in Lake Saint Louis. Berkmeyer lost in the final against Chuck Greene of Springfield. One year later, Berkmeyer put his 1998 experience to use and won his first Missouri Amateur Championship. Fast-forward and he did the same thing again. He lost in 2008 but won in 2009.

"I don't know what that says really," Berkmeyer said. "Maybe I'm really stubborn. You know you can make your way through the draw, but a lot of things have to go right for you during the week. Sometimes you match up better with this guy or that guy. You never know how it will unfold. It's not easy going through the week. You earn it in the Missouri Amateur."

He wanted to add his name to the trophy again.

"It means a lot to me," Berkmeyer said. "I'm sure with my Mom winning five titles I wanted to get another one. I grew up with Don Bliss winning four championships and I look up to him. You look at the list of winners on the trophy and it's more than 100 years old and so many great names are on it. It's the oldest in the state. It's got the tradition. This is the one everyone in the state wants to win."

Including Bardgett, who wanted to win back-to-back titles.

"I definitely went to St. Joe to try and play good golf and make match play and try to get on a little roll," Bardgett said. "I was more than pleased with how I played. I was not happy for about an hour. It stung a little bit afterward but it's still an accomplishment to play for the championship. Skip is one of the best. When you play in match play, you have to beat the best player at some point."

In this tournament, that would be Berkmeyer. 

"Skip is a great guy; he deserved to win," Bardgett said. "I would have loved to beat him two years in a row but it didn't happen."

Neither player held more than a 2-up lead during the match and that lead did not last for more than one hole as the two players traded birdies and solid pars during both the morning and afternoon sessions. Bardgett had a stretch of seven holes where he was leading the match. Berkmeyer enjoyed a six-hole stretch in the lead. When Berkmeyer entered the 35th hole with a 1-up lead, nobody was surprised when Bardgett made eagle to square the match for the seventh time. Then Berkmeyer holed an 8-foot putt for birdie to halve the 36th hole, extending the match to extra holes. 

"This was an extremely tense and nerve-wracking match," Berkmeyer said. "As soon as you think you've seen it all and done it all, the other person would strike. It was a great match."

Both players had birdied the play-off hole in the final match. The short 340-yard par-4 first hole was reachable with a good drive. Both players aggressively went for it.

"I stepped up and tried to hit a solid driver but I mis-hit," Bardgett said. "I was out about 30 yards and Skip was just short of the green."

Berkmeyer said the hole set up better for him than Bardgett.

"I hit a good flop shot to about 2 1/2 feet and his shot reached the back of the green,” Berkmeyer said. “He missed his putt and I made mine and won. It was a 10-minute stretch where I went from saving my butt to having a chance to win and did. It was pretty remarkable. I just happened to win the 37th hole."

Bardgett said he may play again next year, but he intends to turn pro at some time in 2010.

"Maybe I'll get on the Hooters Tour and then go to Q school and try to make it on the PGA Tour," Bardgett said. "I hope to play well at Colorado and then give it a shot."

Berkmeyer said Bardgett could go as far as possible in the game. After all, Chaminade grads stick together.

"Our high school coach, Jim Prag, I know would be proud," Berkmeyer said. "Justin and I are friends. I root for him."

Prag roots for both. 

"Both Skip and Justin were contributing members (of) Chaminade's varsity squad all four years of their high school careers," Prag said. "Even as freshmen, you knew both would be quality players. Justin may have developed his skills a little faster than Skip, but Skip has just kept getting better and better throughout his collegiate and amateur career. He has become the Roger Federer of Missouri amateur golf, following very well in the footsteps of his mother on the women's side of golf."

Both had fine careers at Chaminade

"Skip qualified for the state tournament both his junior and senior year (1991-92)," Prag said. "He medaled his junior year with rounds of 77 and 71 and helped our team to a fourth-place finish. His senior year, he got very sick on the way to the tournament and ended up in a hospital in Columbia instead of the golf course and had to withdraw from the tournament.

"Justin was an important part of our team that made it to the state tournament all four of his high school years. During that stretch, the team finished fourth, second, first and sixth, and Justin won the individual state title his junior year (2004) with rounds of 67 and 74 tying his teammate Zach Pranger's state record from the previous year."