NCGA PubLinx: Prolo finishes it off
NCGA photo
PEBBLE BEACH Calif. (July 1, 2008)--You would never have known that Kyle Prolo was about to win the biggest tournament of his career as he played the final round of the NCGA Public Links Championship at Spyglass Hill.
The cool and calm 21-year-old carded six birdies in the final round including two on the final two holes to win the championship by six strokes over Chris Marin and Brent Booth.
”I knew if I shot around even [par] it would be good enough,” said Prolo, who will be starting at USF as a senior transfer in the fall.
The Benicia resident, who posted a 71 for the day and four-under-par 140 for the tournament commented that it was his putter that made the difference this week, saying, “that’s the best I’ve putted in a long time.”
Perhaps it was the U.S. Open that sparked Prolo’s great play. The De La Salle HS alum went to Torrey Pines as a spectator and ended up winning a nearest-to-the-pin competition by making a hole-in-one on a golf simulator. The lucky shot won him an all expenses paid trip to attend the U.S. Open in 2009. Prolo is looking forward to the U.S. Public Links to be played in Denver in two weeks, which he qualified for as medalist at Coyote Creek in June.
Chris Marin of Cal State GC and Brent Booth of Palo Alto GC tied for second place at two-over-par 146.
Marin, who posted a one-over-par 73 in the final round, went on to take the runner-up honor on the first playoff hole.
In the President’s flight, Roberto Esparza of Table Mountain captured the championship by six strokes over the field. Esparza posted 69-69 for a net six-under-par 138. Victor Sallee of Windsor GC and Ken Gosselin of Bodega Harbour GL both tied for the runner-up spot with even-par 144, with Sallee going on to take second-place honors in a playoff.
In the Director’s flight, Bret Hawkins of Manteca Park fired a net one-over-par to finish at two-under-par 142 and win the championship. Close behind were Manteca Park’s Mike Banton and Tom May of SIR GC-Area 3 who tied for second one stroke back on 143. May went on to succeed in the playoff.
--Courtesy NCGA
ABOUT THE NCGA PubLinks
The NCGA Public Links Championship began in 1966
at Spyglass Hill and is the premier event for the
public-course
player. The tournament has always included a
championship flight for players with handicap
indexes of 5.4 or less and
two handicap divisions for players with no handicap
limit. Contestants
must be bona fide public
course players
who do not hold playing privileges in any course
from which the general public is excluded.
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