Article from Springfield News-Leader
Amateur title a 'lifelong dream'

St. Joseph's Brad Nurski rallies to beat Matt Miller 2-up for crownBrad Nurski of St. Joseph will go into the Missouri Amateur Championship history book as the Comeback Kid.
                                      

Staring at a 4-hole deficit with 11 to play, Nurski stormed back to beat Eldon’s Matt Miller 2-up in the 103rd annual tournament’s finals on Sunday at Twin Oaks Country Club.

“I just kept believing,” Nurski said after his tap-in par on the match’s 36th hole clinched his first title. “I just kept believing, one hole at a time.”

An emotional Nurski called it a “lifelong dream” to win the tournament, Missouri’s oldest annual golf event.

The winner’s name is engraved on a 3-foot trophy and there are some heavy names on there.

“Just look at the trophy,” Nurski said, fighting back tears of joy. “Tom Watson. Payne Stewart.

“There’s only one other guy from St. Joseph who’s ever won it, Warren Riepen in 1948 and 1950. I’m pretty speechless.”

Nurski, 31, trailed by four in the match-play format after Miller made birdie on No. 7, the day’s 25th hole.

If Nurski needed inspiration, he need flashback only 48 hours. In Friday’s round of 16 he was in an identical situation against Andrew Luo before rallying for a 1-up victory.

“I just kind of drew on (Friday) and thought, ‘Let’s go make some birdies’ and I did,” Nurski said. “I started making some putts and hitting quality shots and that was that.”
Nurski used back-to-back birdies to rally within 2 down with nine to play. Miller, a junior at the University of Central Missouri, still liked his chances starting the back nine.

“I knew if I could make a couple of birdies and some pars, I’d be in pretty good shape,” Miller said. “But I made a couple of bad putts for bogeys and he played awesome on the back nine.”

Nurski squared the match with a par on No. 12 as Miller had a three-putt bogey, then took the lead with a 12-foot birdie putt on the 13th.

Miller pulled even by winning the 15th as Nurski made his lone bogey on the final 18.
Nurski then made the shot of the match to take the lead for good on No. 16 when his approach from 170 yards settled within 4 feet. He made the putt and the pressure was on Miller.

“He just hit an awesome shot in there on 16,” Miller said. “I knew I had to make birdie on 17 or 18.”

Miller thought he had on the 17th, raising his hand to celebrate a 15-foot birdie putt. But it burned the edge of the hole instead of falling in.

“I thought I hit it slow enough where it would curl in,” Miller said. “Instead, it lipped out. That’s the game of golf. It happens.”

Nurski’s drive on the final hole went into the trees, but the left-hander was able to hit a low liner that wound up just in front of the green.

Miller, playing aggressive in need of a birdie, hit his second shot long and left. He chipped to 20 feet and missed the par putt.

Nurski’s chip rolled within 3 feet and he cleaned it up to complete the comeback.
“It’s a long week with ups and downs,” Nurski said. “You play good and bad and just have to fight through it all.”