Grant Martens captured this year’s Public Links Championship with rounds of 67 and 69. As one of only two players to shoot under par in both rounds, what set him apart was his ability to break 70 on both days, ultimately leading to a three-stroke victory at El Dorado Park GC.
Martens' first round laid the foundation for his success. He was one-under at the turn on Monday, then fired a bogey-free 32 on the back nine, finishing the day at four-under to place him in second on the leaderboard, just one stroke behind the first-round leader, Dick Engel.
Entering the second round on Tuesday, Martens knew he was within striking distance of the lead. He wasted no time, opening with a birdie on the first hole to tie Engel at the top of the leaderboard, as Engel started his round with a par. The early stages of the round saw a tightly contested battle between the two. Engel briefly regained the lead on the second hole, but Martens stayed close, refusing to let Engel pull away.
The turning point came on the fourth hole, where Engel's bogey allowed Martens to catch up once more. The momentum shifted decisively on the seventh hole, where a two-stroke swing occurred: Martens birdied while Engel bogeyed, giving Martens his first solo lead of the day. This lead was short-lived, though, as Martens encountered trouble on the eighth hole and doubled it while Engel parred, bringing the two back to even.
The ninth hole saw another shift, with Engel bogeying and Martens parring to take a slender one-stroke advantage into the back nine.
Martens extended his lead with a birdie on the 10th hole, but Engel responded immediately with a birdie on the 11th, keeping the pressure on. However, Engel's challenge began to falter with back-to-back bogeys on the 12th and 13th holes, allowing Martens to open up a three-stroke lead. Engel, who had been Martens' main competitor throughout the final round, fell out of contention, leaving Martens with a clearer path to the title.
As the final round progressed, other players attempted to make a run at Martens' lead. Amaan Patel and Drew Jankowski made impressive late charges, each shooting a final-round 67 to vault themselves up the leaderboard. Patel finished second at three-under, while Jankowski climbed 23 spots to finish tied for third at two-under.
Martens wrapped up his victory in style, delivering a birdie on the long par-4 18th hole, which measured 479 yards. This final birdie brought him to six-under for the tournament, securing his well-deserved victory.
Joining Jankowski in a tie for third place were Damon Krause, Chad Smith, and Dick Engel, who all finished at two-under.
