Keating comes through

Walter Keating started the final round of the Keg District Open on fire.

The former Canadian Tour pro dropped three birdies in his first six holes and looked like he might run away with his third title since 2006, his second in three years.

But a bogey on the par-three eighth and a double on the lengthy par-four ninth, followed by another double on 10 and a bogey on 11 and Keating was left wondering how he let the tournament slip away.

Luckily he still had seven holes to recover.

And recover he did.

Keating, wearing blue and white checkered pants, played alongside Joe Scharf, the runner-up at the season-ending District Amateur last September, and Jeff Hunter, who captured his first major at the 2012 District Open. Keating birdied the 12th and 14th holes, saved par from the sand on 15 and birdied 17 after his tee shot landed in the greenside bunker

A par on 18 was all Keating needed to capture the crown with two-over, 146 total, after Scharf, tied for the lead through 35 holes, was forced to reload when his tee shot sailed right, bounced off a cart path and disappeared into the thick bush lining Whitewater Golf Course. Keating had identical 73s both days.

Hunter, who shot three-over 75 on Sunday, had an eight-foot birdie to tie and force a playoff, but had to settle for a second-place tie with Scharf and Robert Anatise, one shot back of Keating, when his putt didn’t drop.

“I got off to such a good start. I hit the ball, for seven holes unbelievably. I was three under through seven and probably could have been six,” Keating said. “Then I started staring it a bit and made three bad drives that cost me five (shots).

“On No. 12 tee I decided to start swinging at it again and I started making birdies and driving greens and hitting par fives in two and doing what I do best, hitting it far. That’s pretty much what won it for me today. It wasn’t my stellar iron play, that’s for sure.”

It was a roller coaster round for all three golfers in the final group. Hunter owned a one-shot lead over Keating after an opening round 72 at Fort William Country Club on Saturday, and got off to a great start, with a birdie on the short second hole.

But he took a triple bogey on the fourth and bogeyed the par three fifth, making the turn at three over for the day.

He also took a bogey on 13 to fall two behind Scharf, who was even par on the day, having started his round three back of Hunter.

Hunter, who leaves for the Ontario Amateur in Collingwood later this week, managed a birdie on 16 to climb to within a stroke of the lead, but said it just wasn’t his day, missing similar length putts for birdie on the final two holes.

“It was kind of the same as yesterday for me. I got off to a rough start and took a seven on hole 4 and was kind of playing from there on out,” Hunter said.

It was a little different than last year, he added, when he came from out of nowhere to capture his first local major.

“It’s a different feeling. The pressure is not on you when you’re coming from behind. It’s on the guy who is leading.”

Scharf, who took the lead on the back nine Sunday, said his final drive was frustrating, to say the least.

“It’s kind of too bad to play solid all day. Really I had two bad swings today and it kind of cost me a shot at the big guy,” he said.

Atatise was in contention until he made a three-putt bogey on 16 and followed with another bogey on 17.

Robbie Untinen, who set a course record last year at Whitewater, finished solo fifth with a four-over 148. John Shaw captured the second-flight title with a 153, while Rob Mallon won the third flight at 156.