Young and Bolden wins the day

    Writing from Glenwood, Illinois
    Tuesday, June 18, 2013

    Anthony Bolden admits there’s a bit of a sibling golf rivalry in his family.
    After all, older brother Bryant owns an accomplished resume, one burnished by his playoff victory in the Illinois Golfer Challenge Junior Golf Championship’s older boys division on Tuesday. But now Anthony, who took third in the Boys 13-to-15 Division last year, has a first place Challenge trophy of his own.
    Bolden the younger collected the Marshall Dann Trophy by scoring 8-over-par 80 for a two-stroke victory over Grant Miller of Crown Point and Daniel Anfield of Channahon.
    It was a close battle, with four other players within five strokes of the lead, but as so often happens at Glenwoodie, it came down to the last three holes. Bolden played them in even par, including a birdie at the 535-yard par-5 18th. Miller played them in 1-over, with a birdie at the 321-yard par-4 17th offsetting a bogey at the par-4 16th. Anfield was 3-over on the final three holes.
    Anfield, playing in the final threesome along with Bolden, tried to put the pressure on, dropping a 9-iron to within six feet on the par-3 12th and sinking the putt, tying Bolden at 5-over with six holes to play, but a bogey-bogey-double bogey stretch from 14 through 16 hurt his cause. Miller, out earlier, was 7-over through 12 holes.
    Bolden attributed the success to the game’s acid test: “putting,” he said.
    That was evident on his card, which included two birdies and eight pars. Only on the second hole was he above bogey, with a double. And as timely as his second birdie was, his first, on the 149-yard par-3 third, was a tonic. He smacked a 7-iron to within five feet of the cup and converted for a deuce.
    This was his second win of the summer season, following a success at Sycamore Golf Club earlier in the month. And there’s no reason to think it’ll be the last.
    As for the rivalry with Bryant, who is three years Anthony’s senior, Anthony admits big bro is “a measuring stick” but harbors no envy. Instead, he feeds off his brother’s success. And now, it may be vice versa.
    – Tim Cronin