Gary March of Arlington Heights has played in seven Nike Tour events this year, but he won more money Sunday in his own back yard than at all of his Nike stops combined.
March’s 56 in the final round of the $50,000 Evanston-Wilmette Open at the quirky 4,011-yard, par-60 Peter Jans Golf Course was good for a tournament-record 5-under-par total of 115, a four-shot victory over Rich Butler of Michigan City, Ind., and the $8,000 first prize. Nike Tour player Jim Estes of Geneva and Chicago pro Jesse Allen tied for third at 120.
“I’m not a long hitter,” said March, who is entered in Monday’s U.S. Open sectional qualifying at Oak Park Country Club, “but I hit it straight. And boy, you’ve got to hit it straight out here.”
Defending champion Estes was the first-round leader but soared to a 64 Sunday thanks, in part, to the two-shot penalty he was assessed for arriving late for his 11:40 a.m. tee time.
“I felt sorry for Jim,” said March. “He got caught in traffic. We all did.”
Estes won a three-way playoff in 1995, the last time the event was held.