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| (Red Tail Golf Head Professional Jim Pavlic with winner Brad Heaven) |
DEVENS, Mass., (September 2, 2006) – New Zealand native Brad Heaven, who currently resides in St. Simons Island, Ga., captured his first professional victory on Saturday at the New England Pro Golf Tour’s Red Tail Open.
Heaven rolled in a seven-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to defeat Geoffrey Sisk, who was in search of his third straight victory and fifth of the season. Heaven’s belated birthday present – he turned 26 last Saturday – earned him $15,463.
“Such a good feeling,’’ said Heaven, who was a three-time Mid-American Conference Player of the Year at Toledo. “It’s amazing. I’m absolutely over the moon right now.’’
The three-day, 54-hole Red Tail Open was the seventh stop on the 2006 schedule for the New England Pro Golf Tour – the premier developmental golf tour in the country.
Heaven turned professional last year following a successful amateur career that included numerous victories at Toledo and a near-win at the 2004 New Zealand Open while still an amateur.
A member of the U.S. Pro Golf Tour, Heaven was competing in his first New England Pro Golf Tour event. Heaven entered the Red Tail Open after failing a bid to qualify for the Nationwide Tour event in Cleveland.
“I told my caddie after missing out in Cleveland that maybe I was meant to head to Boston,’’ said Heaven. “I had a lot of success at Toledo, but I hadn’t been able to live up to that yet as a professional. It’s a big jump, and it takes a while. So this is a big step for me.’’
Heaven and Sisk both trailed second-round leader Martin Catalioto by two shots entering Saturday’s final round. Heaven parred the last six holes to shoot an even-par 72 and close 9-under par, while Sisk rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole to join him.
Catalioto of Ramsey, N.J., and Charlie Meola of Mamaroneck, N.Y., also arrived at the par-5 18th hole tied for the lead at 9-under, but Catalioto hit his third shot in the water and Meola three-putted from 40 feet.
Sisk and Heaven each birdied the first playoff hole – Heaven sinking a 12-footer and Sisk a four-footer. On the second playoff hole – the par-5 10th – Heaven outdrove Sisk by about 50 yards, and Sisk’s tee shot came to rest against a stick in the fairway. Unable to move the impediment without moving his ball, Sisk ended up hitting into a waste bunker and his subsequent approach landed 30 feet from the hole. Heaven was then able to get up-and-down for birdie from about 75 yards.
“I was happy to even get into the playoff, because I didn’t hit it well at all today,’’ Sisk said. “I’ve got a lot of work to do.’’
Nevertheless, Sisk won $9,396 and pushed his single-season record for earnings to $76,939. With four events remaining this season, Sisk’s lead on the money list now stands at $48,327.
The tour now moves to Captains Golf Course in Brewster Mass., for the seventh Captains Open September 6-8