By Jon Levy - Staff Writer

June 6, 2010
-- Scottsdale, Ariz.


A real “rookie mistake” is how he referred to it. The phrase “kind of ridiculous that I did that” was thrown in there too.

What was former Gateway Tour member, turned 2010 Nationwide Tour member, Julien Trudeau (70/65/68-203; 13 under) -- winner of this week’s Desert Series event at Desert Mountain - Renegade by two strokes over Brady Schnell (70/70/65-205) and Dean Vomacka (66/68/71-205) -- referencing?

A missed deadline to commit to play in the Nationwide Tour’s Melwood Prince George’s County Open, which, as fate would have it, left him with an open week on his schedule and an opportunity to stay at home and play Desert Spring Series No. 5 at the famed Renegade Course at Desert Mountain.

“I just forgot to get online and press the button to commit to (The Melwood Prince George’s County Open), so I just stayed here and decided to play, and I guess it worked out pretty well,” joked Trudeau of the $9,000 victory, his first on The Gateway Tour.

“And, you know, I’ve been struggling out there this year, so this week definitely did a lot for my confidence.”

To paint the picture, Trudeau -- a Gateway Tour member throughout the last few years -- successfully navigated through all three stages of PGA TOUR Qualifying last fall to land his full Nationwide Tour card, which, if he could have managed just one shot less for his six rounds at Finals, would have accounted for a PGA TOUR membership. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old Canadian who has called Arizona home since he was 11 values the experience of playing the Nationwide circuit for what it’s worth, even though his 1/10 cuts made this season may not show a statistical appreciation in his game.

“If you would have told me a year ago I’d have full status on the Nationwide Tour I would have given anything to be here,” Trudeau said. “But, it’s kind of like I’ve been just going through the motions for whatever reason so far this year and haven’t been real focused.”

That was, until a he received a needed kick-in-the-pants via a telephone call from longtime swing coach, Bill Forest, before the second round of the Rex Hospital Open a few weeks ago.

“I had just shot 79 in the first round and while I was getting ready to tee off in the second round, I was sitting on the range and had a conversation with (Forest), “said Trudeau,
“and he kind of kicked me in the butt and got me focusing on my pre-shot routine, seeing the shot, feeling the shot and trusting it.

“And I went and played great that day (shooting a 1 under 70) and my game’s been feeling great ever since then. Just that little extra focus has been huge for me.”

Trudeau’s renewed focus translated into a field-leading 20 birdies on the week on Renegade’s notorious Gold-to-Gold layout, including an astounding 15 on the back nine alone. What’s more, he closed first Gateway Tour win with five straight birdies on his final five holes to seal the deal.

“You know, (final-grouping playing partner and 36-hole leader, Vomacka) and I were just kind of plotting along on the front; I think he shot even and I shot one under, and then we get to No. 14 and see a leaderboard for the first time in while, and see that (Schnell) had got to 10 (under) before posting another birdie to finish at 11,” Trudeau said. “And I think that lit a fire in both (Vomacka) and I because we both played really solid on the way in, and I’ll say that those pins on that golf course definitely didn’t make it easy to do that.”

Vomacka made two birdies coming in to secure a tie for second with Schnell (whose 7 under 65 was the low round of the day by three), but he just couldn’t match the fiery finish Trudeau displayed.

“I just couldn’t miss,” Trudeau said. “I really wasn’t even thinking about anything, to be honest. Kind of that old cliché, I guess…you know, that one shot at-a-time sort of thing.

“I just played really solidly on the way in and made everything.”

Even on the last, with two putts to spare, Trudeau knocked down a curling 25-footer to put an exclamation point on his title.

“It was just one of those putts you just sort of want to coax down there close and I got it on line and it went in,” he said.

Where does Trudeau go from here?

“I think I’m going to stick around and play (Desert Series No. 7) at Pinnacle Peak,” he noted. “And then I’m going to try to play a full schedule back on (The Nationwide Tour) starting at (the Fort Smith Classic).

And what does finally notching his first W mean?

“Winning this week is just awesome for my confidence because I’ve seen a lot of my buddies who I grew up playing with do so well out here,” he continued. “So this really means a lot to me. And it also tells me I need to step it up with my focus when I get back out on Nationwide for the rest of the year.”

In reflection of the week, along with Forest, Trudeau also gave thanks to his good friend and fourth place finisher, Benoit Beisser (72/64/72-208), whose support après-finish helped put things in perspective.

“You know this is big for me,” said Trudeau. “My good buddy (Beisser), who has won a bunch out here, stuck around and gave me a big hug after I was done and it just kind of hit me that it’s a big deal to win out here.

“That meant a lot and you know, this is just awesome.”


Click here for full field results from Desert Mountain - Renegade and stay tuned as the Tour resumes again next week, June 9-11, at Pinnacle Peak C.C. in Scottsdale, Arizona…