ELK POINT, S.D. -- Elk Point Country Club isn't Bob Brummel's home course, but the Orange City, Iowa, golfer certainly plays it like it is.

Brummel celebrated his 52nd birthday by outlasting defending champion Bret Taylor of Council Bluffs in sudden death, claiming his seventh Elk Point Early Bird title. The reigning Iowa Senior Amateur champion had to come from two strokes down over the final nine holes to force a playoff.

"I really like playing this course, it's a small nine-hole course, but very fun to play," said Brummel. "I played pretty nicely all day and this is definitely a place I like to come to."

Brummel, the 2009 Siouxland Player of the Year, finished at 1-under-par with 35-37-35. That's normal for the steady shotmaker who plays most of his golf at Landsmeer in Orange City.

Taylor and P.J. Vaske had a two-shot lead on Brummel heading to the deciding nine. Both stood a 2-under 70 and Brummel at even par 72 through 18.

Brummel birdied No. 1 to pull within a shot and drew even when Taylor made bogey on No. 7. Brummel took the lead with a birdie on the par-5 eighth, but gave the stroke back with a bogey on No. 9.

On the first hole of sudden death (No. 6), Taylor hit his tee shot right and caught a tree branch on his second shot. In the meantime, Brummel was in the fairway with his drive and knocked his second on the green to within 20 feet.

Taylor was short of the green on his chip shot and wound up making bogey. Therefore, all Brummel had to do was two-putt for par and a victory.

"The course is in very good shape and we were lucky the weather turned out to be better than they thought it would be," said Brummel. "It's always fun to play with Bret, too."

Brummel and Taylor (37-33-37), a Council Bluffs resident who won both the Early Bird and Sioux Valley Amateur Match Play last year, each shot 107 while Vaske wound up a shot back at 35-35-38-108. Taylor's 3-under 33 was the lowest nine-hole score of the tournament.

Mike Pape won the presidential flight with 39-41-39-119. Keith Gates (36-35-71) was the first flight winner while Dan Peed (36-46-82) won the second flight and Tom Matthys (43-47-90) the third.

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT

Bob Brummel 35-37-35-107*, Bret Taylor 37-33-37-107, P.J. Vaske 35-35-38-108, Nate Freed 35-41-35-111, Dan Kramer 37-36-40-113, Dan Freed 35-40-38-113, Chris Rager 40-37-36-113, Ayron Corporon 39-37-39-115, Todd Colt 37-40-38-115, John Peterson 39-37-40-116, Scott Knowles 38-41-37-116, Ben Sessions 36-39-42-117, Todd Sapp 41-38-38-117, John Frankl 39-39-40-118, Kelly Schmidt 36-43-39-118, Dan Munch 39-36-45-120, Jesse Lewter 39-39-42-120, Alec Johnson 35-42-45-112, Joel Keady 37-41-44-122, Chad Edwards 36-43-WD.

PRESIDENTIAL FLIGHT

Mike Pape 39-41-39-119, Jim LeMoine 42-40-38-120, Chris Leif 38-44-39-121, Monte Johnson 38-47-36-121, John Gale 41-42-39-122, Brian Evans 42-41-39-122, Erik Johnson 44-40-38-122, Rod Birdsell 38-43-42-123, Keith Pease 39-43-41-123, Tom Leif 40-42-42-124, Dan Gates 42-42-40-124, Chad Brunick 43-42-41-126, Blake Bengard 38-42-48-128, Michael Strassburg 44-39-47-130, John Lacey 45-46-39-130, Les VanHolland 43-41-49-133, Tom Janssen 40-45-50-135, Scott Heeren 48-43-44-135, Rollie Weitzel 50-44-44-138, Myles Larsen 51-47-43-141.

FIRST FLIGHT: Keith Gates 36-35-71, Dave Ellis 40-38-78, Adam Baumgartner 38-40-78, Lee Schaffer 38-40-78, Kevin Connelly 40-39-79, Mike Gregg 38-41-79, Kent Simonson 39-41-80, Bob Viereck 44-39-83, Jim Rupp 42-41-83, Larry Armstrong 46-41-87, Brent Kommes 48-41-89.

SECOND FLIGHT: Dan Peed 36-46-82, Lance Penfield 39-44-83, Brian Castle 38-45-83, Todd Nelson 41-43-84, Rick Ryan 44-42-86, Trent Jenson 44-42-86, Heath Van Roekel 44-44-88, Shane Dreckman 44-46-80, Jim Carstens 44-46-90, Darrell Stone 49-44-93, Dave Davis 49-45-94, Jeff Collins 51-44-95.

THIRD FLIGHT: Tom Matthys 43-47-90, Ted Ellis 44-47-91, Steve Fejfar 44-48-92, Dave Jacobs 46-47-93, Rich Hall 44-49-93, Dallas Harkness 46-49-95, John Herrity 49-48-97, Dick Fennel 51-49-100, Troy McCreary 48-52-100, Darrell Elkins 48-52-100, Brian Wells 54-52-106, Marshal Lundt 55-57-112.