Evensons win SDGA Husband-Wife title; Hullingers second

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RAPID CITY – Hermosa’s Tyler and Danielle Evenson shot 10-under-par 132 to win the SDGA Husband-Wife Championship by six strokes over the weekend on their home course, Arrowhead.

Brookings’ Brodie Hullinger and Kelly Evans-Hullinger were runners-up for the third consecutive year, shooting 4-under 138.

The Evensons, who are originally from Lead, opened with a 3-under 68 in the preferred tee shot format Saturday and held a one-stroke lead. They eagled the first hole but were just 1-under for the round before birdieing the 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th holes.

The champions shot 7-under 64 in the chapman format Sunday.

The Hullingers carded back-to-back 69s, making four birdies both days.

Both teams birdied the par-5 first hole on Day 2. The Evensons built a two-shot lead with a birdie 2 at the third hole, before the Hullingers answered with a birdie 4 at the sixth.

The Evensons made birdies at the par-4 sixth and seventh holes to move ahead by three. The Hullingers pulled within two with a birdie 3 at the 10th, before a bogey 5 on No. 12 left the deficit at three strokes.

The Evensons took control soon thereafter, sandwiching a birdie 2 and a birdie 3 around an eagle at the par-5 14th to open up a seven-shot advantage. They bogeyed the par-4 16th.

The Hullingers made a bogey 4 on No. 17 and closed with a birdie 4 at the 18th.

Rob and Betsy Dewit (76-70) of Sioux Falls and Eric and Kendra Baily (73-73) of Parkston both shot 146 to take third and fourth, respectively. Rapid City’s Nick and Chelsea Conway, one of four duos to shoot 159, rounded out the top five.

It marked the fifth career SDGA title for Danielle Evenson and the fourth for Tyler.

Danielle, whose maiden name is Bellet, won the Women’s Match Play Championship in 2009 before teaming with Jenny Coluccio to take three straight Two-Woman Championship crowns from 2010-12.

She was part of five consecutive championship teams at Class A powerhouse Lead-Deadwood High School from 2004-08, claiming medalist honors in 2008.

She was inducted into the Dakota Wesleyan University Athletic Hall of Fame in April of 2018.

Danielle earned NAIA first-team All-America status in 2011 and 2012 and was Great Plains Athletic Conference Player of the Year all four years of college, winning 33 of the 58 tournaments in which she competed. She was runner-up at the NAIA Women’s Golf National Championship as a junior.

Tyler won the 2005 Boys’ Junior Championship and the 2011 Two-Man Championship and 2018 Mid-Amateur Two-Man Championship with Tyler Rachetto.

The Hullingers placed second to Watertown’s Justin and Morgan Johnson in 2017 at Hillsview in Pierre and to Harrisburg’s Ryan and Julie Jansa in 2018 at Great Falls in Larchwood, Iowa – finishing four strokes back both years.

Nineteen teams competed in the event.

Senior Husband-Wife Championship

Yankton’s Steve and Cindy Weiland won the SDGA Senior Husband-Wife Championship for the fourth time, shooting 18-over-par 160 for a come-from behind one-stroke victory at Arrowhead over the weekend.

They shot 15-over 86 in the preferred tee shot format Saturday and trailed by seven, before closing with a 3-over 74 in the chapman format Sunday.

Rapid City’s Rex and Cindy Hagg, the first-round leaders, ended up second at 161 (79-82).

Sioux Falls’ Bert and Cindy Olson, the defending champions, placed third with a 162 (85-77) total.

Making the turn on Sunday, the Haggs were 13-over for the tournament, the Olsons were 16-over and the Weilands were 20-over.

The Weilands trailed by eight strokes with seven holes to play after bogeying the 11th. However, they made three birdies – including a key 4 at the 18th – and four pars coming in for a 2-under 33 on the back nine.

The Haggs bogeyed Nos. 12 and 13, made double bogey on the 14th and 16th, birdied No. 17 and bogeyed the 18th to fall to second.

The Olsons shot 39 on the back, which included bogeys at the 12th and 15th and a double on the 14th.

Rapid City’s Dan and Dixie Lecy, the 2017 winners, ended up fourth at 163 (87-76). Rapid City’s Jerry and Royaune Jasinski ended up fifth at 164 (91-73).

Yankton’s Dave Ewald made a hole-in-one on the par-3 11th hole.

The Weilands (2011, 2014, 2015, 2019) and Olsons (2013, 2016, 2018) have combined to win seven of the nine Senior Husband-Wife Championship titles.

Sioux Falls’ Keel and Patty Coddington were victorious in 2012.

Steve Weiland teamed with Kyle Repp to win the Mid-Amateur Two-Man Championship in 2007.

The Olsons won the Husband-Wife Championship in 2003.

Fifty-three teams competed in the event.