In the final round of the 2009 Fair Tournament in Northern California Brandon Hagy eagled the final hole to get into a playoff that he would eventually lose. At this year’s New Year’s Invitational he would eagle the final hole but this time it was for a win.
Going into the final nine holes Hagy had a comfortable 6 stroke lead over the Gator Senior who is commonly known as “Bank.” Bank took advantage of a Hagy bogey on hole ten with a birdie to cut the lead to 4. Hagy then bogied holes 12 and 14 and Bank took advantage again with a birdie on 14 to even the match.
Hagy had lost six shots in 5 holes.
When Hagy three-putted for birdie on the fifteenth hole to go one down, Bank was ready to cash in. He birdied the par-5 16th hole but Hagy came back with a birdie of his own after a near perfect chip from a poor lie.
Both players succumbed to a tough pin on the 165 yard par-3 17th hole by making bogey, leaving Bank with a one stroke lead with the par-5 18th left to play.
“I was thinking make eagle” commented Hagy when asked what going though his mind on the 18th tee. “I had already hit the green in two with iron earlier in the tournament. It was downwind to the left which really suited my draw."
Hagy proceeded to hit a perfect tee shot and a 240-yard 4-iron that covered the pin and finished 20 feet away. The stage was set.
“Bank just missed his birdie putt from 50 feet,” said Hagy “and I knew from the first look what my putt was going to do and I made it. It was three perfect shots.”
David Erdy finished in solo third with 70-70-72-72—284.