Over three and a half hours after the Dave Price Memorial Horse Race began, Rick Hallberg hit a six foot putt on the 18th hole at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course to defeat Carter Hilkewich.
The event was named after Price, who died as a passenger in an impaired driving incident in 2015.
“I’ve won this horse race several times before but this one meant more than anything,” said Hallberg. “It’s for Davey.”
Hallberg’s title is his first in several years and the first since the one-day, back-nine tournament in the second day of the Frametech Classic was named after Price. The rain and lightning delay that took about 45 minutes to clear happened as the final five teed off on the 15th hole.
“You know when it’s wet the ball’s not going to spin quite as hard,” said Hallberg. “You try to account for that. But there’s a lot of good guys in this horse race and you can’t take anything for granted. Everybody played really good and you’re just trying to survive hole by hole.”
It wasn’t the best putt he’d hit on the day but it was the one that clinched a birdie on the final hole of a marathon horse race, well after he’d already completed 18 holes. Hallberg didn’t know for sure he would win until the final putt went in.
“Anything can happen in these things,” he said. “There are so many good players, you expect someone’s going to knock one into the hole and drain a putt. It’s tough.”
On 18, Hilkewich found trouble with his tee shot, hitting into a bush and taking an unplayable lie penalty stroke. Hallberg calmly hit the green in two and two-putted for the title.
Hallberg, from Weyburn, is on a successful run having claimed the provincial senior crown last month at Kenosee.
