Matt Robertson romps to Brainerd Invitational record

photo Matt Robertson surveys his shot during the final round of the Brainerd Invitational at Brainerd Golf Course in Chattanooga on August 10, 2014.

Matt Robertson zapped all of the drama out of another tournament at Brainerd Golf Course.

For the second time in a month, Robertson won on the course where he works and left all other competitors in his wake. He did so Sunday with a stretch of birdies for the lowest recorded score of the Brainerd Invitational.

Robertson shot a 15-under-par 129 and defeated runner-up Taylor Lewis by five strokes.

"Nobody can beat Matt out here," Lewis said. "If I shoot 10 under for two days -- I don't care where I am -- I expect to win."

Nope.

Robertson backed up his eight-shot victory in the Chattanooga Men's Metro last month by topping Lewis by five, first-round co-leader Chad Branton by six, Joe Markham by seven and Jimmy White III by eight.

"Wow, 10 under is just good enough for second," said Lewis, who saw all 66 of Robertson's shots. "He won by eight in the Metro, and he won by five here. If we would have played another round, he might have won by 10."

Mitch Hufstetler shot 3-under 141 to win the senior division by one over Tom Baird with a two-shot swing coming on the last hole.

Robertson trailed Branton by two through three holes, but he birdied three of the next four and Branton double-bogeyed the par-3 No. 6. Robertson made the turn with a two-shot lead over Branton and a three-shot lead over Lewis and Markham.

"Getting through No. 6 at even is pretty important, because it gets easier from there," said Robertson, who made three bogeys, three eagles, 12 birdies and 18 pars in his 36 holes.

Robertson hit the accelerator after making the turn with three straight birdies in a misting rain. He extended his lead to four in less than 45 minutes.

"It looked like it would be a matter of time before he turned it on," Markham said. "We got to the back side and he got on a roll. It was a continuation of the Metro."

Robertson eagled No. 18 just for good measure, which put him at 15 under for the tournament, a record low according to tournament co-directors Mike Jenkins and Richard Keene.

Even with the course playing as a par-70 in the Metro, Robertson is 27 under for his last five competitive rounds at Brainerd.

That's the equivalent of playing bogey-free golf with one birdie every 3.33 holes.

"I tried to play like I did in the Metro," Robertson said. "It was never a wide gap until we finished No. 12. It was a cruise from there."

Hufstetler had a different ride around the course Sunday. Yet it ended with him winning the senior division of a Chattanooga TPC series event this season for the fifth time in five tournaments.

He trailed Baird by three before holing out for eagle on No. 15 from 109 yards. Baird led by one heading to the final hole.

Hufstetler's birdie -- by hitting the fairway, a hybrid on the green and two-putting -- beat Baird's bogey from the woods.

"Tom played great," said Husfstetler, who also won the Metro senior division on the last hole. "I've lost 50 pounds this year, I'm getting to play and practice, and moving up a set of tees certainly helps."

Robertson did his damage from the blue tees -- again.

Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6484. Follow him at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.

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