Special thanks to Kevin Robbins of the Austin American-Statesman for this report.

AUSTIN, TX (October 1, 2006)--Tony Pitifer birdied the final hole of regulation Sunday and won a two-hole playoff to claim the Bluebonnet Cup.

Pitifer shot a final-round, 1-over-par 73 to go with opening rounds of 72 and 76 on a wind-whipped Bluebonnet Hill Golf Course. He and former Bluebonnet champions Gene Black and Joe Bendetti finished with a three-round total of 5-over-par 221.

Pitifer, Black, and Bendetti began the playoff on No. 1, a 536-yard par 5. Pitifer and Black birdied; Bendetti, the defending champion, made par.

Using one of the hybrid clubs that saw him through the tournament, Pitifer hit his tee shot on the second playoff hole to 110 yards. His approach left him with two putts to win from 15 feet.

"It just kind of snuck up on me", said Pitifer, who began the round a shot out of Jim Thomas' two-day lead of 147.

A popular clubmaker in Austin and a longtime fixture on the amateur golf scene with his loyal dog Outfit, Pitifer smartly left his driver alone for much of the 54-hole Bluebonnet Cup. "I played for the 100-yard markers", he said.

Pitifer and Black were paired together and found themselves chasing one another for most of the afternoon. A critical swing came when Black birdied the par-3 13th and eagled the par-5 14th. Pitifer played those two holes at a stroke over par. "Then I was chasing him", he said. "I caught him on 18."

Second-round leader Thomas shot a final-round 79 to finish in fourth.

Top 20 final scores from the Bluebonnet Cup, played at Bluebonnet Hill Golf Course in Austin, TX, September 29 - October 1, 2006:

* won playoff

1	Tony	Pitifer*	72	76	73	221
T2	Gene	Black	73	75	73	221
T2	Joe	Bendetti	75	75	71	221
T4	Dean	Lundquist	72	79	74	225
T4	Phil	Thomas	74	76	75	225
6	Jim	Thomas	76	71	79	226
7	Steve	Trafton	78	75	75	228
8	Bart	Antle	77	73	80	230
9	Jamie	Kellum	79	78	76	233
10	Larry	Walsh	81	78	75	234
T11	Rick	Balderama	78	81	77	236
T11	Mark	Baldree	81	79	76	236
13	Willie	Pacheso	81	75	81	237
T14	Jan	Douglass	82	78	79	239
T14	Earl	Vaughn	78	78	83	239
16	Tim	Elbercht	81	79	81	241
T17	Scott	Bailey	78	84	79	242
T17	Mike	Roche	85	81	76	242
19	Randy	Reynolds	77	84	84	245
T20	Mike	Sladecek	81	83	82	246
T20	Randy	Nichols	84	79	83	246

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