Harris overcomes poor driving, cruises to four shot victory


  Lakeville, MA---Mike Harris couldn't find the fairway in the final round of the LeBaron Hills Open. But he had no problem finding the winners circle. Despite erratic driving, Harris carded a 4-under 68 to win the 2nd annual LeBaron Hills Open by four shots over Geoff Sisk and John Connelly. His three-day total of 15-under 201 earned him $13,000.

"Things escaped me for a while," said Harris, who hit into three fairway bunkers and found long heather on another hole. "You're just not going to make any birdies doing that. I was lucky to get it around and make some pars."

Out of position numerous times, he managed to string together pars on the front side. But once Geoff Sisk threatened his lead, Harris, who played the Nationwide Tour last year, turned on the afterburners, playing his final 10 holes 4-under as he cruised to his third win in four weeks (Michigan and Vermont Opens).

"When it came down to it," said Harris, "down the stretch on the backside side, the confidence level was there and I just hit some great shots when I needed to. The confidence and experience I have really carried me through."

Speaking of confidence and experience, the 40-year-old Sisk appeared primed for his first victory of the season. He began the day three shots back, then made four birdies in his first 12 holes to draw within two shots of Harris.

With Harris 13-under and eyeing a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th, Sisk, at 11-under, had his own 15-foot birdie bid on the par-3 17th. With the 16th and 17th holes next to each other, Sisk putted first, and raced his putt four feet past the hole.

He then missed his par putt. Harris, meanwhile, canned his downhill putt to increase his margin to four with two holes to play and all but sign his name on the winner's check.

"I was trying to stay aggressive," Sisk said of his birdie putt. "I jammed it a little bit and it ran four feet by. Obviously whenever you don't win, you're disappointed. But it's encouraging. It's start coming slowly. It wasn't good enough, but what are you going to do?"

Former Nationwide Tour player John Connelly raced up the leaderboard and shared runner-up position with Sisk courtesy of the lowest round of the day, a 4-under 67.

Connelly's round included six birdies, three bogeys, and a closing eagle on the par-5 18th.

The Tour will now travel to Cranston, RI for the 3rd annual Cranston Open July 28-30.