TST #4 Two Putts for Glory
Summerland Golf & Country Club | June 22, 2025
By Twlv Stix Tour Staff
There’s no room for autopilot in Summerland. It’s a course that asks questions and changes the subject halfway through the answer. The front nine plays open and inviting. The back? Tight. Tree-lined. Punishing. One bad swing and you’re not just scrambling—you’re pleading.
And on Sunday, the course wasn’t the only thing shifting.
Forecasts were hopeful. Reality wasn’t. The clouds held off just long enough to be convincing. Then, right after the first few groups teed off, came the rain. Thunder. A flicker of lightning in the hills.
Umbrellas went up, grips got slick, and for a few holes, the leaderboard shook with the thunder. Players like Stewart Boldt—who went birdie-birdie early—saw their momentum break under the sudden weather. Others weren’t even carrying rain gear. You could hear the frustration in the fairways. But not everyone was derailed. Gary Stadnek, unbothered by the elements, jarred one of the highlights of the day: a one-hop eagle from 120 yards on the par-4 7th. Lightning in the sky, and lightning in the bag.
But when the skies cleared, the golf got real.
The Gross Division delivered a finish built on pressure—and patience.
For most of the day, Cam Bibby-Fox had it in his grip. A guest player with game, he was steady, confident, and holding off the pack as the round wore on. On 17, he rolled in a crucial putt to stay one shot ahead of the field and stepped onto 18 knowing he could post a number that would take some catching.
Then came the test.
Cam’s tee shot on 18 landed high in the rough, three-quarters of the way up a hill. It was a tough lie—ball well below his feet—and all he could do was punch it forward, getting it just past the 150 marker. He recovered brilliantly from there, giving himself a long birdie try. Two putts would still post even-par and likely apply real pressure.
But when the par putt slid by, Cam walked off with bogey. +1 in the house. Leader in the clubhouse—but vulnerable.
Five groups back, Bruce Kristinson was on a mission.
He already knew the number he needed. Standing on the 18th fairway tied with Cam at +1, Bruce had a decision. Lay up and most likely play for playoff—or take a chance and go win the thing outright.
He never blinked.
Pulling his 250 club, Bruce took dead aim and hit maybe the shot of the day—piercing ball flight, direct at the green. It held the green, rolling to the back.
Now it was simple: two putts for the title.
The lag was textbook. The birdie dropped. And with it, Bruce Kristinson had claimed his first win of the season—and the outright lead in the Gross Full Season Race.
In Net, the streak finally snapped. But not by much.
Evan Koppa, the season’s unshakable force, came into Summerland with three straight wins. He played well again—good enough for a tie for fourth—but this time, two others stepped into the spotlight.
Adam Kondra posted a brilliant front nine (+1) and looked poised to run away with it, holding a three-shot lead over Evan deep into the back. But disaster struck at 16, a long par 3, where Adam made triple. The chase was back on.
Some would’ve folded. Adam didn’t. He finished par-par, including a clutch roll on 17—a green that had seen better days—and signed for a Net -5.
But the round of the day might have belonged to Jona Spence, a player who hadn’t made much noise until the 15th. Then, in the final four holes: scored net EAGLE, net BIRDIE, net PAR, and net EAGLE. In a blink, he jumped from even to -5.
On 18, knowing a birdie would tie the lead, Jona poured one in. No hesitation.
From off the radar to co-champion. The 18-handicapper delivered when it counted.
Adam’s grit. Jona’s fireworks. Evan’s consistency.
Three different paths. Same summit.
It was the second of six National Golf League events, and after two rounds the race is starting to form:
Adam Kondra, Evan Koppa, and Joel Hunt sit at the top. The front nine at Summerland gave up more red numbers than usual, leading to higher-than-average Stableford scores. With the NGL only counting the front side only, players who didn’t capitalize may look back at this one as a missed opportunity.
And in the season-long chase:
Bruce’s win vaults him into the lead in Gross. Chris Myer drops to fourth after a quiet week. Bryson Marshall continues his strong campaign and now sits third in Gross, climbing two spots. In Net, Evan stretches his advantage. Adam jumps to third. Elliott Radies leaps nine spots into fourth.
And keep an eye on James Duckworth, whose T3 finish at Summerland didn’t go unnoticed. His name is starting to echo in the right circles.
Next up?
Talking Rock.
A tour favorite—scarred, but still standing.
In the past two years, wildfires claimed much of the surrounding forest and a fire burned down the resort’s lodge. But somehow, the course itself was spared. The landscape has changed. The trees are fewer. But the layout—the challenge, the beauty, the spirit—is untouched.
Last year, it was Kurt Dorn and Jonathan Lali—longtime friends from Vancouver area—who left with the Gross and Net titles. Will they make the trip again to defend?
Can Bruce go back-to-back?
Will Evan start another streak?
Is this the week the OG members finds their form?
Talking Rock has seen disaster. But it still delivers.
And so will we.
