John Hayes IV wins playoff to change into first 2-time Downeast Metro Newbie golf tourney winner
John Hayes IV had been chipping fantastically all afternoon however he saved his finest chip shot for final.
The Cape Elizabeth native and South Portland resident caught his brief chip shot inside a foot and a half of the opening on the primary playoff gap and he then sank his birdie putt to beat Newburgh’s Chris Kauppila and win his second Downeast Metro Newbie Golf Event title on the Bangor Municipal Golf Course on Sunday.
He had beforehand received the 9-year-old event in 2017.
Every participant had shot six-under-par 135s within the two-day occasion, which included the primary spherical on the Kebo Valley Golf Membership in Bar Harbor on Saturday.
The 33-year-old Hayes shot a three-under 67 at Kebo to take a two-stroke lead over the 22-year-old Kauppila coming into Sunday’s last spherical. He shot a three-under 68 on Sunday however Kauppila fired a five-under par 66.
Kauppila’s 66 was the bottom spherical of all the event.
On the 334-yard, par-four first gap, which was the primary playoff gap, Hayes hit his drive near the inexperienced however Kauppila put his in the best facet bunker.
He overshot the opening by 12 ft together with his bunker shot and his 12-foot birdie putt simply slid previous the opening.
Hayes’ second shot was a gorgeous chip that landed in entrance of the opening and he tapped within the 18-inch putt to win it.
It was the primary time in event historical past that there had been a playoff.
“I had been chipping effectively. I had good feeling in my fingers after I was chipping,” stated Hayes, who performed his school golf at Towson and the College of Colorado. ”I didn’t actually take into consideration [that chip]. I simply knew it was going shut.”
“That was an amazing up-and-down. He deserved it,” Kauppila stated. “I had a tricky lie within the bunker.”
Jason Colavito completed third at three-over-par 144 (73-71) and there was a fourth-place tie at 145 involving Jimmy Middleton (75-70), Ricky Jones (74-71) and Kyle Alexander (72-73), the Brewer native and former Brewer Excessive hockey, golf and baseball star who performed within the last threesome with Hayes and Kauppila.
Kent Johnson, Shawn Dennis and Max Woodman have been at 146 and at 147 have been Kent Johnson Jr., Michael Vanadestine, Wyatt Foster and Joe Walp.
There have been 96 gamers within the high group, the A-B Flight, and 71 extra within the C-D Flight division.
The C-D Flight performed on the Bangor Muni on Saturday and at Kebo on Sunday.
Sunday’s duel between Hayes and Kauppila was scintillating.
Again-to-back birdies on holes 4 and 5 enabled Kauppila to tie Hayes for the lead however Hayes restored his two-shot lead when he parred six and eight whereas Kauppila bogeyed each.
Hayes was nonetheless holding a two-shot lead with six holes to play however Kauppila birdied 13 to slice the result in one, tied the match with a 14-foot eagle putt on 15 and took the lead with a 6-foot birdie putt on 17.
Kauppila had an opportunity to win it on the par-five 18th however his 14-foot putt got here up just some inches brief so he needed to accept a birdie.
Hayes then pressured the playoff by draining a 12-foot eagle putt.
“I did what I wanted to do,” stated Kauppila, who was a junior on the Husson College golf group this previous season and was a former Previous City Excessive Faculty standout. “I eagled 15 and birdied 17 and 18. My putt to win it on 18 was going proper within the coronary heart of the cup nevertheless it was simply half-a-turn brief.”
Hayes referred to as his win enormous.
“I’m excited. I really like this event. It’s a variety of enjoyable,” stated Hayes, who praised Kauppila for his play.
“He’s an excellent participant. He performed very effectively,” Hayes stated.
