LAKEWOOD RANCH -- Charlie Delsman started off slow.
So slow that he was down four shots with nine holes to play in the two-day, 36-hole Lakewood Ranch Open on Sunday.
But that’s precisely what the Colgate, Wis., native wanted.
“When I made the turn at nine at even-par, I thought I was going to have a good chance with that wind,” said Delsman, who was two-over through five before two birdies to close out the front nine. “It was crazy.”
That heavy wind was the polar opposite to Saturday’s opening round of the West Florida Golf Tour’s second major of the season, which Delsman captured on Sunday with a second straight 68 on Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club’s Royal Lakes course.
“(Saturday) was like playing in a dome, 85 and sunny and not a hint of wind,” he said. “(Sunday) was the exact opposite.”
Delsman’s 8-under par 136 was one better than Vince India, who also fired a strong 4-under par 68 in the final round to vault up the leaderboard.
India was last year’s Big Ten Player of the Year, and the University of Iowa standout has relocated his game to Bradenton.
First-round leader Scott Berliner, who won this year’s Manatee County Open, struggled with a 74 a day after firing a scorching 8-under par 64. He finished in third place.
“Guy is an awfully good player,” said Delsman about Berliner, who was looking to win his second major of the year.
Delsman’s victory nets him a $3,000 check, trophy and an exemption into the WFGT’s end of the season Q-School Match Play competition that is scheduled in early May at the Founders Club.
Delsman, though, is usually back north in Wisconsin during the summer as he is spending his winter in the Orlando area this year.
On Sunday, his round got jumpstarted with a birdie on No. 12, before dropping three more including one on the par-5 18th for the one-shot victory.
“Getting through 9, 10, 11 with pars,” said Delsman about the turning point in his round. “The second shot on 9 was hard. And 10 and 11 were straight back into the wind. I think I had 200 yards into 10, and 180 into 11. Tee shot’s only going about 230. Not used to that. I figured if I could get through 10 and 11 with pars, I would have a chance.”
Delsman turned pro after high school in 2006, not opting for the college route. And he said he didn’t play at all last summer, choosing to caddy to gain money for this winter’s events.
So winning the $3,000 first-place check was the most rewarding aspect of claiming the Lakewood Ranch Open title.
“The money is going to be huge,” Delsman said. “... The Hooters Summer Series starts a week from this coming Thursday, so 10, 11 days. Going to play in a few of those beginning in Florida in Tallahassee, I think is the first one of those ... then head back north. Use my parents house to travel out of. It’s all about pinching pennies.”
On Sunday, though, it was a grind for the entire field due to the heavy, gusting winds reaching close to 40 mph at times.
However, Delsman kept his composure, and when he stood on the 18th tee he said he knew a birdie would win the tournament.
The par-5 finishing hole was playing straight downwind, making it a par-4 for the field. He gently rolled his 20-footer to within tap-in distance and notched a win in the $18,040 purse event.
“It’s a pretty good product they put out,” Delsman said about the WFGT. “The nicest thing about it is the golf course’s they play. I mean, this place is as good as any condition-wise. A lot of the mini-tours, you don’t see that.”
