UW senior Jon Turcott looped another notch on his belt at last week’s Wisconsin State Open, lapping a field of the state’s premier amateurs and professionals, while at the same time solidifying himself as the best player in the state not currently playing golf for a living.
Turcott breezed to victory last weekend on Kohler’s Blackwolf Run layout, firing a last-round 75 in extremely difficult conditions to capture the title — but not the $7,000 payout — over Ives Groves assistant professional Jason Samuelian. Turcott put together rounds of 67, 68 and 70 on the par 72 Blackwolf layout. Entering the final day with a 10-stroke lead, Turcott was never seriously challenged Sunday afternoon.
“It was tough … I was playing aggressive the whole week and trying to make birdies … Then in the final round, the wind was howling, and the greens were hard, and you’re just out there trying to make pars, which is tough when you’ve got the lead,” the Wisconsin super-senior said of his round.
Oddly, the only reason Turcott played in the state Open was because he missed qualifying for the U.S. Amateur tournament, scheduled for the same weekend. He missed his tee time in local qualifying for the amateur, because he overslept.
“[The night before] I stayed with my buddy that played in it, and he made his tee time. I just overslept. Not a big deal; I didn’t go out the night before or anything. I didn’t get my wakeup call, and my alarm did not go off. Just one of those flukes.”
Turcott redshirted last spring to work on his game and iron out some academic concerns. He now returns to UW with a semester of team eligibility remaining, which he plans to use in the spring of this year.
Turcott will return to a UW team under new leadership, as longtime coach Dennis Tiziani retired from coaching both the men’s and women’s programs over the summer. Madison-area native and Hawks Landing head professional Jim Schuman will take his post.
On playing for Schuman, Turcott is optimistic. “Yeah, he’s a great guy. The guys will like him. It’ll be different, obviously.”
The change in leadership should not prevent much of a change in regimen for Turcott.
“I work with Tiz on my game, and I’ll continue to. But I’m always up for whomever has suggestions. I’ll listen,” he said.
UW will anticipate the return of its perennial leading scorer, coming off a difficult spring season in which the team posted a last-place finish in the Big Ten tournament.
Turcott, however, has loftier goals on the horizon. The former Middleton High standout plans to turn professional soon after he graduates. He says by the next time he appears in the Greater Milwaukee Open, to which he won an exemption by way of his State Open victory, he will likely be doing so as a professional.
“Looking forward to turning to professional; it’s something to look forward to, and I’ve wanted to do that all my life,” he said.
