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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.
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