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Stu Ingraham, long one of the top players in the Philadelphia Section PGA, capped off his season Thursday with a sudden-death victory in the prestigious three-day Section Championship.
Ingraham, 48, teaching pro at M Golf Range in Newtown Square, made his way around Llanerch Country Club in Havertown on a chilly, blustery day in 2-under 69 for the final round, tying him with playing partner Greg Farrow, 57, of Deerwood Country Club in West Hampton, N.J., who shot 3-under 68. That left both veterans at even par through three rounds.
The playoff, which began on the short, par 4 18th at Llanerch, lasted only one hole. Ingraham laid back off the tee with a 4-iron, hit a short iron that left him a long uphill putt for birdie. Par would be good enough. Farrow, who had birdied the 18th all three days in regulation, hooked his tee shot in the playoff into a fairway bunker, then hit his second shot fat into a another bunker fronting the green.
Ingraham’s safe par to Farrow’s bogey was enough for him to claim his first Section Championship in 19 years and the $7,500 winner’s check.
“I would say this is definitely in my top three (golfing accomplishments)”, said Ingraham.
Number 1 was shooting under par at the 1993 PGA Championship to finish as the low club professional, tied with several of the game’s biggest names at the time, including Nick Price, then No. 1 in the world. No. 2 was winning the Pennsylvania State in 1998.
Farrow won $6,000 for his second-place finish. Mike Molino from Huntsville Golf Club in Shavertown, first-round leader after a 68, finished alone in third, good for $5,000.
It was not lost on Ingraham or Farrow that in the end, the Section Championship came down to a couple of older players, not the young lions who blast 325 yard tee shots.
“Any time you play golf where patience is needed, I think the veteran players might come out on top,” said Farrow.
“Experience helps,” agreed Ingraham. “It wasn’t easy for me 15 years ago.”
When the day began, the leader by two shots was Mark Sheftic, teaching pro at Merion Golf Cub, who was even par after rounds of 74 and 68. Indeed, for much of the day, all eyes were on the final threesome of Sheftic (75), Brian Kelly (73) of Bucknell Golf Club in Lewisburg and Rich Steinmetz (74) of Spring Ford Country Club, who both started the round at 2-over par.
By the late holes, however, it was coming down to a battle between Ingraham and Farrow. After making three birdies on the front nine, Ingraham added to his highlight reel by sinking an uphill 45-footer for birdie at the 10th that hopped a foot in the air before dropping into the cup. That got him to 3-under on the day. “That had to be a turning point,” said Ingraham.
Four holes later, Ingraham had another, not so good turning point, when he double-bogeyed the 14th.
“I double-crossed my tee shot, hit a tree coming out, then hit another tree,” he said.
Farrow grabbed a one-shot lead at the par 5 16th, when he birdied while Ingraham lipped out a short putt to match the birdie. Steam was coming out of Ingraham’s ears as he marched to the 17th tee.
Farrow’s lead would not last long, however. On the next hole, at the uphill par 3 17th, Farrow three-putting for bogey, leaving him and Ingraham tied at 1-over par as the headed to the 18th .
There, at the short par 4 finishing hole, Ingraham played it safe with a 4-iron off the tee, then hit a short iron in. With the back terrace at Llanerch overlooking the green jammed with follow competitors and fans, Ingraham somehow ran in a 25-footer for birdie, to get to even par for the tournament.
With the pressure on, Farrow stepped up and sank a 12-footer of his own for birdie, forcing a playoff.
Later, reflecting on his second-place finish in a championship he has never won, Farrow blamed the half-dozen or so shots he left on the course in Wednesday’s second round. Thursday, he did all he could.
“I almost won it and I should have won it,” said Farrow. “But I’ve got to take my hat off to Stu. He played well.”
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