WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 19, 2010) – Richard Terga of Palm Beach nudged his ball 15 feet down a slippery slope for an eagle on the first playoff hole Sunday to win the third annual Grey Goose Palm Beach Open at the Banyan Golf Club of Palm Beach.
An instructor at the John Webster Golf Academy at the Breakers Hotel, Terga, 34, out-finished Alan Morin, 41, of Lake Worth after they tied at 11 under par 205. Moments earlier, Morin made birdie at the par-5 first hole for a momentary advantage.
“I did all I could,” said Morin, who made up two strokes with a final round 66. “I did my part…I made my birdie,” after chipping up to within a foot from in front of the green. “Then he made his putt, but I knew he would. You always have to believe your opponent will make the putt.”
Morin won the South Florida PGA Section Championship on Aug. 26.
Terga said he got some help from one of his playing partners, Darryl Osler of Boca Raton, who had a similar putt in regulation. “I had seen Darryl’s putt so I knew it was going to be very fast, down hill and down grain,” Terga said. “But I could see the line. All I had to do was nudge the ball a little.”
In regulation, Terga had an eagle, three birdies and a bogey for 68 while Morin, playing one group ahead, made six birdies in a bogey-free round. Terga also eagled the par-5 14th hole with a cross-green 60-foot putt to regain the lead. Morin had pulled even at 10 under with birdies at the 13th and 14th hole.
It was Terga’s fourth victory this year but by far his biggest. He earned $5,000 from the $19,795 purse. “Winning a tournament like this should give me credibility as an instructor,” Terga said. “The people should listen to you when they know you can play.”
Osler, a pool contractor who won the Palm Beach County Challenge a week ago (Sept. 11), was low amateur with 72-210, sixth overall.
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Final Results from the
Grey Goose Palm Beach Open, played at the 6920 yards, par 72 Banyan GC of Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Fla. follow:
Richard Terga, Palm Beach, $5,000 67-70-68—205
Alan Morin, Lake Worth, $1,350 69-70-66—205
Terga won playoff, eagle-3 on first extra hole
Rod Curl Jr., Palm City, $1,100 73-67-68—208
Paul Scaletta, Jupiter, $912.50 71-72-66—209
Frank Dobbs, Jensen Beach, $912,50 69-69-71—209
A-Daryl Osler, Boca Raton, $750 74-64-72—210
A-Michael Kartrude, Royal Palm Beach, $500 71-72-69—212
Ryan LaVoix, Jupiter, $777.50 73-71-71—215
Shawn Hall, Palm Beach Gardens, $777.50 71-73-71—215
Chris Campbell, Vero Beach, $675 75-72-69—216
Eric Veilleux, Jupiter, $675 72-75-69—216
Scott Tirner, Palm City, $675 76-68-72—216
Ed Sabo, Tequesta, $615 71-72-74—217
Jerry Tucker, Stuart, $ 590 74-69-75—218
A-Danny Germaine, Palm Beach Gadens, $350 68-76-75—219
A-Jared Meyers, Jupiter, $275 76-73-71—220
Alan Zimmerman, North Palm Beach, $570 71-76-73—220
Derek Niszczak, Palm Beach Gardens, $542.50 77-73-71—221
Christopher Stanko, Palm City, $542.50 73-77-71—221
A-Robbie Dew, Jupiter, $250 71-75-76—222
A-Matthieu Pavon, Royal Palm Beach, $225 78-73-74—225
Jay Himelberger, Lake Worth, $520 76-75-75—226
Matt King, Jupiter, $510 73-77-79—229
A-Gregory Della-Pietra, Stuart, $200 71-76-85—232
Jim Leary, Jupiter, $500 74-77-82—233
A-Amateur; money listed awarded in gift certificates.