Golf: Rustand's final round 67 wins Spanish Oaks Open

SPANISH FORK — Clark Rustand is now guaranteed of ending his professional golf career as a winner.

In a few weeks the Utah Valley University golf coach is making a career change and moving back to his home state of Arizona to open up an insurance practice. On Sunday, he earned a little moving change by firing a final-round 67 to edge Riverside assistant Matt Baird by one shot to win the Spanish Oaks Open.

"This was probably my last event as a pro," Rustand said just prior to accepting the championship trophy. He also earned $1,450 for his two days of work.

However, no one seemed more surprised at Rustand winning than Rustand himself. He began the day in sixth place after firing an opening-round 69 on Saturday, five shots behind Baird, who opened with an 8-under 64.

And even though Rustand hit his first 17 greens on Sunday to reach 6-under on the day, he figured everyone in front of him was tearing up the course as well.

"The scoring conditions were good enough that I thought I was getting lapped by the field," he said.

Actually, everyone else was finding the cool and windy conditions difficult. In fact, only two golfers in the entire field broke 70 on Sunday. And Rustand was the only player in the Top 10 to break par in his final round.

"This was the best I've hit the ball since winning the State Am (2004) but I wasn't making anything. I made a 30-foot birdie on No. 4, but all of the other birdies were tap-ins or two putts," he said.

When Rustand missed his first green on his final hole and made bogey, he simply hoped to maintain the sixth place that he began the day at. What he didn't realize, however, was that the group of leaders — Baird, Luke Swilor, Steve Schneiter and Dustin Volk — were on the other side of the course struggling to make pars.

When Baird rolled in a wicked 25-footer for par on the final hole to finish one up on Swilor, he pumped his first believing it was the tournament winner — only to discover when he reached the clubhouse that Rustand had posted a score one shot better.

"I hadn't made a putt all day, so I told myself I was going to make that one and make sure I got it to the hole," Baird said. "I thought that putt did it."

Baird's runner-up finished was still good for $1,250. Swilor finished third, two shots back, and earned $900. Schneiter and Zac Johnson finished tied for fourth, four shots behind Rustand.

Guy Child and BYU golfer Esteban Calisto tied for first in the amateur championship flight at 4-under par 140. Brady Machin finished one shot back and Daniel Reid two back.

e-mail: jimr@desnews.com