Michael Hyland
2011 Philadelphia Amateur Champion
FORT WASHINGTON, PA (June 18, 2011) --
Michael
Hyland’s only 32 years of age, but his
golfing career came full circle Saturday in the
111th Amateur Championship final at
Manufacturers G&CC. Hyland established
his career in 2000 with a victory in the Golf
Association of Philadelphia Amateur. He turned
professional shortly thereafter only to return to
the amateur ranks in 2005. Today, he added
his name to a select group, defeating Stephen
Hudacek, III of Glenmaura National GC, 1-up, in
the 36-hole final for his second J. Wood Platt
Trophy. Hyland is the 17th individual to win
two or more Amateur titles and the first to do
so since Andy Thompson turned the task in
1998. J. Wood Platt holds the record with
seven crowns.
“I never thought it would happen
again. In these things you get old
quick,” said an emotional Hyland of
Marlton, N.J. “If you look at the trophy
there are so many great champions on there.
To have my name on there twice is
unbelievable.”
Said Hudacek, 25, competing in his first
Amateur final, “It’s a real
confidence builder for me. I’ve always
thought of myself as a pretty good player but
now I know I can compete with the really elite
guys in the Philadelphia area. It’s been
a thrill. This is my favorite tournament of the
year.”
The championship match resembled
Hyland’s rollercoaster decade. A blazing
hot putter helped the affable Hyland forge a 5-
up advantage after 15 holes. Some rough
patches ensued as Hudacek whittled and
whittled away at Hyland’s lead before
finally drawing even after 32 holes with back-
to-back birdies. Hyland immediately responded,
though, with consecutive birdies of his own to
go back to 2-up before equaling a Hudacek par
on No. 18 (par 5, 460 yards) to secure the
victory.
“It’s the hardest tournament
I play in all year,” said Hyland. “I
stayed calm all week and let the other younger
guys get upset. This is such a grind playing 36
holes each day.”
As stated, Hyland controlled the contest
early. He was 5-under par aggregate after 14
holes and 5-up in the match when momentum
left his side. Reaching yet another par 5, No.
15 (537 yards) in two – Hyland was 6-
under on the par 5s today – he
registered a three-putt par. The scorecard
read halves for both players, but, in essence,
Hyland lost that hole after squandering a
makeable birdie chance. The result proved a
foreshadowing of things to come.
Hyland’s putter went frigid, real fast.
Meanwhile, Hudacek shook off some early
jitters and won No. 16 (par 4, 433 yards) with
a routine par and No. 18 (par 5, 460 yards)
with a nicely played birdie from short of the
green. Hyland three-putted 18 after reaching it
in two strokes and held a 3-up lead at the
break.
“I felt I had some momentum coming
back there. Michael was playing so well all day,
it was nice to finally have something go my
way,” said Hudacek of Scranton, Pa.
“Eighteen holes left, spotting three
[holes], I’m definitely still in it. My game
plan was to keep doing what I did week. Get
on the greens and give myself 20 footers.
I’m very confident over the
putter.”
Hudacek birdied hole 19 (No. 1, par 4, 385
yards) and pared No. 22 (No. 4, par 3, 187
yards) to move 1-down. Both players appeared
to be tiring a bit at this point, with some
wayward shots and putts beginning to rear
heads. Hyland birdied the 25th hole (No. 7, par
5, 500 yards), he again reached it in two, and
would make the turn at 2-up.
The two halved No. 28 (No. 10, par 4, 422
yards) with bogeys. Hudacek got it to 1-down
after two-putting No. 29 (No. 11, par 3, 185
yards) from 20 feet for par to win the hole as
Hyland failed to get up-and-down from the
bunker short of the green. The next six holes
turned crazy, with birdies deciding every one.
Three by each player.
Hyland started the barrage with another
four on a par 5 (No. 12, 521 yards). He ripped
a 4-iron from 225 yards to 30 feet and two
putted. Hudacek missed the green and
watched his 20-foot birdie chance slip to the
right (check).
Hudacek, however, showed the mettle of a
savvy veteran. He recorded red figures on
each of the next two holes to draw square. On
No. 32 (No. 13, par 3, 223 yards), Hudacek
cracked a 4-iron to 20 feet and made birdie.
On No. 33 (No. 14, par 4, 426 yards), Hudacek
“hit the best shot of the today”
when he escaped the fairway bunker from 170
yards with a 7-iron to 12 feet for birdie.
However, the unflappable Hyland responded
with his characteristic grin and sauntering walk
by carding consecutive birdies himself. On No.
33 (No. 15, par 5, 537 yards), from 225 yards,
he knocked a 4-iron on to 20 feet and two
putted. He added a gap wedge from 130 yards
to three feet on the next hole (par 4, 433
yards) to increase his lead to 2-up with two to
go.
The resilient Hudacek responded with a
fantastic 18-foot birdie on the 35th hole (No.
17, par 4, 370 yards) to remain alive - Hyland
missed a 15-foot birdie attempt.
“I couldn’t get down on
myself because I kept losing to birdies on that
back nine,” said Hyland. “I know
for the fans and everyone else that was some
excitement right there. We birdied every hole
between 12 and 17. I thought I was going to
need one on 18.”
On the final hole, both players found the
fairway, but Hudacek, who has a very low ball
flight, couldn’t elevate his approach
enough to hit the upper green. Hyland
overshot the putting surface by a yard with his
second shot but nestled a chip onto the green
to 15 feet. Hudacek, whose chipping struggled
at times, came up short with his third stroke
and then missed a lengthy birdie try.
Hyland’s gentle birdie effort stopped
inches from the cup.
“I told my caddie Mike [Marvin], that
I’ve been in this position so many times
and I was getting really tired of having the
lead late and watching someone else give the
speech,” said Hyland. “I’ll
be looking back at this one for a long time. I
know if I had not won this my buddy who got
married today at the wedding I missed would
not have forgiven me. I really missed a lot, but
he’ll understand.”
Final
17. Michael Hyland, Little Mill CC, d. 23.
Stephen Hudacek, III, Glenmaura National GC,
1-up.
NOTES–This was
the eighth time Manufacturers G&CC
hosted the Association’s Amateur
Championship. The last time was 1996. Bill
McGuinness of Tavistock CC defeated Chris
Hoyle of Llanerch, 2&1, for the title that
year … Hudacek was the first Glenmaura
National GC representative in the final …
Hyland is the only Little Mill CC member to
reach the championship match.
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