Ryan Schuenke (Quincy Country Club) walked away with the Dennis P. Walters Trophy at the 2025 Bob Cochran Mid-Am at Bogey Hills Country Club on Monday, May 12. In the one-day, 36-hole event, Schuenke roared out to an opening round 65 and played steadily throughout the second round as no one could mount a surge through the persistent light rain. At four-under for 36 holes, Schuenke was the only competitor to finish under par.
Robb Jeffrey (Bogey Hills Country Club) claimed the Net Division title in a scorecard playoff against Dick Estes (Westborough Country Club) as both finished two-over.
The Cochran is open to any district member who is at least 25 years old. The top five finishers qualified for the Jim Jackson Invitational to be held at Algonquin Country Club in October.
Schuenke fired birdies on seven of the first 12 holes, including three consecutive on Holes 10 through 12 to open the day. “I missed a short putt on the par-5 three for birdie, but I made about a 25-footer for birdie on the par-3 four for birdie, and that kind of got me going,” he said. “I putted well all day.”
Schuenke noted that it’s rained just about every time he’s played this spring, so the conditions seemed normal. “It didn’t rain hard enough that it was too bad,” he said. “It was just kind of an annoying rain – put your rain jacket on, then take it off. I hit it in the fairway most of the day which helped. If you were in the rough, it was little tougher, because it was thick and wet.”
Playing with the lead had Schuenke taking a conservative approach on the back 18. “I’ve never figured out how to play with a lead,” he said. “I get caught in the middle of trying to do what I did on the first 18 versus trying to avoid doing something stupid. Trying to keep it in front of you and avoid any big numbers.”
Runner-up Michael Becker (Glen Echo Country Club) recorded back-to-back even par 71s, but was unable to mount a serious challenge.
Third-place finisher Brevin Giebler (Dalhousie Golf Club) stayed within shouting distance of Schuenke with a first-round 2-under 69, but four bogeys in the first 10 holes of round two dropped him out of contention.
Dan Greiner (Sunset Country Club) finished fourth at 5-over.
Career highlights for both Ryan Behrmann (Bogey Hills Country Club) and Brett Meeske (Meadowbrook Country Club) as each recorded his first hole-in-one on the 191-yard Hole No. 4. Behrmann drilled a four iron, while Meeske answered with a 6-iron.
Net Division champ Jeffrey also persevered through the persistent rain throughout the round, but he claimed to have an edge against the field of 22 competitors. “I had the advantage of playing match play last weekend in the same conditions, so I already had a little bit of a feeling how the rough was going to play and how the greens would slow down a little bit,” he said. “So that was beneficial to me.”
Jeffrey also had to survive a bit of a roller coaster. “When I stood up on the 9th tee box at even par, and the 10th tee box at 4-over par, I turned it around nicely and finished strong.”
Runner-up Estes said his short game and putter were on fire, but thought sheer luck helped guide him through the soggy conditions, “You win some, you lose some, and today was a good day for me.”
Bob Cochran was a past president of the St. Louis District Golf Association, a three-time president of the Missouri Golf Association, and a 50-year member of the Missouri State Amateur Board and the USGA Board. He was inducted into both the Missouri and Saint Louis University Halls of Fame. The Michelob Light LPGA committee recognized Cochran with its Judy Rankin Lifetime Achievement award.
Cochran played on a Walker Cup team at age 48, and competed in three Masters, 14 U.S. Amateurs and six U.S. Opens. In Missouri, he won the State Amateur four times, the St. Louis District title eight times, the State Senior title five times, the District Senior crown eight times. His career began in 1931 when he won the Western Junior and the St. Louis Junior, with his last crown coming in the District Senior in 1982 at age 71.