Jim Graham played steady golf for two days at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, N.J., to win the Metropolitan Golf Association’s Senior Championship. It's one of the oldest senior events in the country.
Graham, who plays out of Winged Foot Golf Club, needed overtime to accomplish the victory. After rounds of 69-71, he finished at even-par 140 alongside Ken Bakst, who plays out of Friar’s Head. The two went to a playoff and Graham emerged with the title.
Bakst had opened with 66 for a three-shot lead on Graham, but got outpaced in the second round.
Asked how he felt about his performance, Graham jokingly called it "above my pay grade." At 67, he becomes one of the oldest winners of the championship.
"Over the last two days, I played pretty steady," Graham said. "I made a couple mistakes but would cover them with birdies after a few holes, but just kept it around par, which for me is really good. It’s not that I don’t shoot par once in awhile, but I don’t shoot it in tournaments very often, for two rounds.”
Ned Zachar of Glenarbor Golf Club was third at 2 over after rounds of 72-70. Defending champion Adam Kugler tied Jay Blumenfeld, winner of this event in 2007 and 2014, for fourth at 3 over.
