Gritty finish, good fortune plays a part in CPC finale
Dom Dastoli

At the highest level of competitive golf, the line between success and
failure is often as thin as the leg of a camera's tripod.

CGT member Jeff Martin illustrated that point during an eight man playoff at
the 38th Club Professional Championship on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island
Resort in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

Martin's tee shot appeared headed for trouble when it sailed left on the
440-yard dog leg 10th hole that bends to the right. Instead, it ricocheted
off the leg of a Golf Channel camera tripod and averted danger. He went on
to drain a 12-foot par putt and captured the fourth and final spot into this
year's PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey
(August 11-14).

"If it doesn't hit that camera tripod, it goes into a big sand dune," said
Martin, who finished tied for 22nd at 13-over (71-77-76-77) and earned
$4,250. Without the fortuitous bounce, Martin's father told his son, "It's
out of play and you're going to make an X."

Less than an hour earlier, Martin escaped another potential disaster.
Mid-way through the final round, he found himself in contention for a berth
into the PGA Cup, the club professional's version of the Ryder Cup.

"I was ready to get up the leaderboard," said Martin, 3rd in last year's
National Assistant's Championship. "I started thinking about making some
birdies to get into the top eight.”

Had he done that, he would have qualified for the PGA Cup, club
professional's version of the Ryder Cup, which pits club professionals from
America against their counterparts from Great Britain & Ireland.

Beginning on the 9th hole, though, he played his next six holes 7-over to
find
himself in a much dire situation.

I was hoping for something good, then I found the bogey train," he said. “I
asked what the number was to get into the PGA Championship, on the 17th tee
of all tees. [The scorer] told me it was 13-over, and I was 14-over at the
time. I was like, 'Oh, great. I've got to birdie one of the two toughest
holes on the course.’"

He then did precisely that, canning a 35-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.
One hole later he sank an eight-foot putt for an up and down par that got
him into the playoff with no shots to spare.

Martin, from Shelter Harbor Golf Club (RI), Monday qualified for the
Deutsche Bank Championship last fall, missing the cut in his first
appearance on the PGA Tour. He will now return to the Big Show later this
summer to compete in the PGA, typically one of the strongest starting fields
of the four professional majors.

"This is huge," said Martin, who was microphoned on the course by the Golf
Channel during one round. "You go there to win the tournament, but there are
other incentives along with it, too."

Such as a berth into the PGA Championship, given to the top 25 finishers

"There are 156 guys there," Martin added, "and they're all looking for the
same thing: top 25. It's good to know you can go out there and get it done.
It's one of my best accomplishments so far."

The Ocean Course, which will play host to the Senior PGA in 2006 and the PGA
in 2012, tormented the field all week long. Mike Small's 1-over 289 total
was the highest winning score in tournament history. No one broke par during
Friday's blustery second round, where the field average of 79.06 was more
than one shot higher than the previous total of 78 set in 1981.

"That golf course was so tough," said Martin. “I wouldn't want to play there
every day. On Friday the wind was blowing a constant 30 mph. And on Saturday
it rained, with
25 mph of wind to boot."

Martin was one of the precious few to hang tough. Now, he hopes to hang with
the best the world has to offer.

"It sets up for me because I am long," Martin said of Baltusrol Golf Club,
the venue for this year's PGA. “I'm going to try and make the cut. I'm going
to try and make the most of it. Everybody wants to play on the PGA Tour. And
this is a little slice of it right here."

Rick Karbowski, himself no stranger to major championships, having competed
in the 1981 US Open and 1983 and ’84 PGA Championships, finished tied for
55th (76-75-83-74).