Kevin Ott wins the Colorado Senior Amateur on his Home Course
Kevin Ott fist pumps after his tournament clinching birdie on the final hole
(CGA Photo)
GOLDON, CO (September 8, 2016) -- Kevin Ott celebrated his 51st birthday in fine style on Thursday by winning the 45th Colorado Senior Amateur Championship at his home course.
Ott went wire-to-wire and fended off fellow Club at Rolling Hills member Bill Fowler and Thomas Roos of Spring Valley Golf Club in claiming his first CGA championship.
Ott took a three-stroke lead into the 16th hole at Rolling Hills, but a tee shot that went into the right trees, resulting in a pitch-out, resulted in a double bogey after he three-putted. And Fowler, last year's champion, rolled in a 10-foot birdie to erase all of his three-shot deficit in one hole.
Amazingly, however, Ott regained the lead on the 17th hole despite taking another double-bogey. Both he and Fowler missed the green on the par-3, and the defending champion miss hit his short pitch shot from a tight lie and his ball ended up in the bunker that was between him and the hole. Fowler left his next shot -- from a plugged lie -- in the sand and ended up with a very costly triple-bogey. Meanwhile, Ott couldn't hold the green with his pitch, then took three to get down from there for his double-bogey.
That left Ott tied with Roos and one up on Fowler going into the final hole. There, after Fowler hit the pin with his third shot on the par-5 and had just a foot left for his birdie, Ott two-putted from about 70 feet for a birdie of his own. He knocked in a three-footer and signaled the victory with a fist pump.
Ott, who also led after the first two days, closed with a 5-over-par 76 on Thursday, leaving him with a winning total of 6-over 219. Fowler ended up runner-up the year after winning, shooting a final-round 75. Tying him at 220 was Roos, who closed with a 72, matching the best round of the day on a Rolling Hills course that features very formidable greens.
Brian Woody of The Ridge at Castle Pines North finished fourth at 225, while three-time champion Robert Polk of Colorado Golf Club placed fifth at 226 as both carded 78s on Thursday.
View results for Colorado Senior Amateur
ABOUT THE Colorado Senior Amateur
Active CGA members ages 50 and up. 54 holes of
stroke play. A 36-hole cut will be
made to the low 40 players and ties.
Non-exempt players must pre-qualify.
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