Groton (October 8, 2019). Generally when you make nine birdies in an 18-hole round of golf, you do pretty well.
Glen Boggini did better than pretty well today. For the second consecutive year Boggini, of Manchester Country Club, won the Al Acker One Day Championship at Shennecosset Golf Course, shooting 66 and beating Patrick Griffin of Indian Hill Country Club by two shots.
They were the only players in the Tettelbach (open) Division under par on an overcast if breezy day near the Sound.
“Some courses just fit your eye,” said Boggini, the 2014 Public Links Champion. “I feel really comfortable here. I hit a lot of shots close today. I think my longest birdie putt was 25 feet.” He added that “it could have been lower, I had a couple of three-putts.” In fact, Boggini made four bogeys, one on his final hole, the difficult, uphill, par-3 4th, which Arnold Palmer famously called “the shortest par-5 in golf,” where his tee shot bounced off the domed green and he pitched on from 25 yards and two-putted.
Boggini was fine with that. “I’ll take a four there any day,” he said.
Things were tighter in the championship’s Siderowf (55 and over) Division, where another Manchester Country Club member, Tom Brett, the 2017 Senior Match Play Champion, won in a playoff over Richard Stevens of the Eclub of Connecticut. They shot 69 (-2) in regulation, the only players under par in their division.
The two parred the first playoff hole, the par 4-14th, with pars, Brett winning the championship with birdie on the par-5 18th. He hit a mid-iron 15 feet right of the green, putted to about 10 feet and made it. Stevens hit hybrid into the front bunker and missed a 15-foot birdie try.
The playoff decided more than the championship itself. The Chris Cote’s Golf Shop Player of the Year title was also at stake. In a year-long race between the two, Brett led by only 38.36 points going into Tuesday’s championship. As winner, he won 150 points; as runner-up Stevens got 100. Had the result been reversed, Stevens would have been Player of the Year.
“We played together and it was even all day,” said Brett. “Then on our 17th hole, No 2, I made a 50-footer to tie it. I was off the green, and who would have thought, I was just trying to get it close and it went in. We both knew where we stood.” They each parred their final hole, the third, sending it into a playoff.
The Tettelbach Player of the Year title was not in contention. Griffin, who finished second today, had an almost 400-point lead over Boggini entering the championship. With his 100-point runner-up finish, Griffin won easily. Stephen Mikulski finished third.
It marked the conclusion of an astounding One Day Series year. Griffin, who has been working with Australian teacher Peter Croker, won or tied for six events this year and finished second in, with today’s event included, three. That’s nine of 15. He finished eight under par for all the holes he played in One Day events this year.
“Peter is a great instructor,” said Griffin. “He’s really helped me to improve.”
Net competitions, both in the championship and Chris Cote’s Golf Shop Player of the Year competition, were decided as follows:
In the Championship itself, Scott Harger won the Tettelbach Net Division with net 64 (77-13). Harger’s victory helped him overtake Tom Dowd for Tettelbach Net POY honors. Marc Pratte was third.
In the senior net race, Tom Hurd shot 82 (net 65) to win the championship by one over Jerry Morytko and Scott Huebner.
In the net Player of the Year race among seniors, Dominic Maselli, who had a dominant lead entering the championship, won handily over Huebner, with Gary Galasso finishing third.
In 2019 Chris Cote’s Golf Shop sponsored not only the Player of the Year competition as it has done in the past, but the series of 15 events as well. “We’re most grateful for Chris Cote’s continued support of the One Day Series,” said Marsha Rupp of the CSGA. Kyle Nolin of Chris Cote’s presented today’s awards.
