Flatiron GC’s David Brown Wins GCSAA National Championship

The tournament was held on Feb. 6 at PGA National Resort and Spa’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

David Brown, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Flatirons Golf Course in Boulder, Colo., rode a red-hot back nine performance in the final round of the GCSAA National Championship to win the tournament Feb. 6, at PGA National Resort and Spa’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Trailing by six shots with nine holes to play, the 29-year GCSAA member birdied four straight holes—10, 11, 12 and 13—to pull into a tie with first-round leader Michael Stieler from Riverbend Golf Club in Madera, Calif., carded another birdie on 16 to pull into the lead for the first time, then birdied 18 to account for his three-shot margin of victory.

Brown finished the 36-hole event with a 3-under-par score of 141, three shots better than runner-up Shawn Westacott, the superintendent at Jackson (Tenn.) Country Club. Brown has played in the GCSAA tournament since 1984, but had never won the event until this year. Brown also claimed the championship in the tournament’s senior division, a feat he pulled off last year as well in Palm Springs, Calif.

Westacott finished the two-day event at even-par 144. In third place was first-round leader Stieler, who finished at 2-over-par 146.

The GCSAA National Championship and Golf Classic presented in partnership with The Toro Co. is held in conjunction with the GCSAA Education Conference (Feb. 7-11) and Golf Industry Show (Feb. 9-10), at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.