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Deep Sixed: Sisk closes with 4-under par
66 for dominant 6 shot victory
Ellenville, NY-Geoff
Sisk closed with a 4-under par 66 en route to a 14-under par
total and a dominating six stroke victory in the inaugural
Nevele Grande Open. With the win, Sisk is now the only multiple
winner on the Cleveland Golf Tour this season. Sean O’Hair, who
began the day one shot behind, finished six shots back in second
place, but actually held the lead through 11 holes before
playing his final three holes in 4-over par.
After O’Hair
birdied the par 4, 10th hole to assume a one stroke
lead, Sisk responded immediately with an eagle on the par 5, 12th
hole to regain a share. “I had to be a little more aggressive
with my tee shot,” on 12, Sisk said. “I knew he (Sean) was
going to make birdie with his length.” After hitting a seven
iron to 20 feet, Sisk then canned the putt for his momentum
building eagle.
The two-time
Cleveland Player of the Year then added birdies on the 13th
and 14th to all but wrap up the win as O’Hair
struggled on the finishing holes.
“I just took care
of business,” said Sisk, who now hopes to parlay this confidence
boost into an appearance in next week’s Buick championship via
Monday qualifying.
“It’s not the
finish I was looking for,”said O’Hair, who completed play at
8-under par and still retained the overall lead on the money
list with his second place check worth $7,750. “I just wasn’t
making putts.”
Despite the
disappointing conclusion, O’Hair refused to dwell on his
performance. “I’m not going to let it bother me,” he said.
Through seven
events, O’Hair has recorded exactly seven top five finishes,
highlighted by a win in last week’s Sterling Open
While Sisk and
O’Hair were struggling in the early part of the round, Rob
Oppenheim pulled to within two shots of the lead after a 4-under
par 31 on the front nine. Following a birdie on the par 5, 12th
hole, Oppenheim could not muster any further fireworks,
registering bogies on two of his final three holes.
“Those guys are
tough,” said Oppenheim, who finished in solo third. “We were
playing for third.”
For his efforts,
Sisk pocketed $12,700, the richest top prize in Cleveland Golf
Tour history.
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