EAST PROVIDENCE — There were many firsts recorded in the 48th Northeast Amateur Invitational, none quite like the one achieved by Dan Woltman.

The recent University of Wisconsin graduate became the first player not only at the Northeast, but perhaps in any golf tournament anywhere, to win a championship in his first event back from the swine flu.

Woltman, who is from Beaver Dam, Wis., certainly did not look sick Saturday as he came from behind with a sparkling 5-under-par 64 at Wannamoisett to record the biggest victory of his career.

Among the "firsts" he accounted for was being the first player ever to complete the tournament in double figures under par. He posted an 11-under 265, breaking the record of 267 set just last year by Brendan Gielow. Three college stars finished three strokes behind. Duke's Adam Long, the leader entering the final round, David Holmes of Tennessee and Wesley Bryan of the University of South Carolina all posted 268.

Woltman, 22, figured to be a contender based on his record. Among other titles, he won the Wisconsin Open two years ago. He has had a series of top 10s in both collegiate and amateur competition, to the point where he is on the "watch list" for this year's United States Walker Cup team, which will be selected later this summer.

But considering what he has been through in the last three weeks, his victory was a surprise.

"It feels great," Woltman said. "I haven't been playing golf at all lately. I've had the swine flu for the last three weeks. I didn't really practice much coming in. I only played 27 holes of golf in the last three weeks."

He and his father, Bryan, who caddied for him in the Northeast, had gone to Memphis to compete in U.S. Open sectional qualifying.

"It hit me hard there. I think I had it on the way down. It was really weird," Woltman said. "I lost seven pounds."

Woltman had planned on going from Memphis to Pittsburgh to compete in the Sunnehanna, another of the major amateur events. Woltman had finished second there last year. But because of the illness, he could not play and his father had to drive him home from Memphis. His father became not only chauffeur, but nurse, too.

"He was tired all the time. I had to take care of him," Bryan Woltman said.

The experience gave the younger Woltman a different outlook.

"I didn't have a lot of expectations (entering the Northeast) and I think that was nice," he said. "I just came out and played golf and didn't worry about what was happening."

He posted rounds of 70-64-67 in the first three days. The only concession he made to his health was taking a nap each day after playing.

In any other year, his 6-under total heading into the final round would have left him in great shape. But with scoring lower than ever because of the soft conditions created by the cool, wet spring, Woltman was merely one of 20 players with a chance.

He drew on another memory to prepare himself for the final day. Last year, he was second heading into the fourth round at the Northeast, shot 76 and tied for 16th.

"You learn from your mistakes. That's what this game is about, growing older and getting smarter in the game. After last year's 76 in the final round it was nice to come out and shoot 12 shots lower," he said.

He told himself not to change anything, but to simply continue what he had been doing.

"I came out on the first hole, striped it, hit it to five feet and made birdie," he explained.

He also birdied 5 and 6 to make the turn with a 31. By then, it had become a four-man race. South Carolina's Bryan gave everyone a target, shooting a 64 despite a double-bogey and finishing at 8-under. Woltman, Holmes and Long all had the lead at one point.

Holmes lost his chance when he went out of bounds on the par-5 17th and made seven. Long bogeyed 12 and 16 for a 37 on the back. Woltman never let up. He birdied 11 and 13. He had his only bogey of the day on 16, but got that right back with a bird on 17.

Woltman caused problems for the scorekeepers. When he got to 10, and then 11-under, the scoreboard operators did not have any red number 10 or 11. No one has even gotten that low at the Northeast. So they had to write a new marker themselves rather than use the pre-made signs.

Woltman hopes he gets to continue one Northeast streak. In every Walker Cup year since 1991, the player who won the Northeast that year has been selected for the U.S. team. Buddy Marucci, the U.S. captain, was among those at Wannamoisett this week to see Woltman do what no one else has ever done in the tournament.

Twenty-one players finished under par. The previous record was 14 in 2005.

pkenyon @projo.com