Wilson wins 2000 Logan County Open
Troy Wilson captured the 2000 Logan County Open championship after
battling Ben Schwaderer in a playoff. Both finished with 218, but
it was Schwaderer's 69 at Liberty Hills during the final round that
forced the playoff. It was the first time anyone had carded a round
under 70. (Examiner photo by Jim Mason) |
By Don Hensley
Examiner Sports Editor
The Bellefontaine Examiner/Logan County Open is fast
becoming synonymous with drama.
For the second straight year it took a sudden-death
playoff to decide the winner and once again a new champion has been crowned.
After a scrambling par save on the first hole of sudden
death Troy Wilson defeated Ben Schwaderer on the second hole at Liberty
Hills Golf Course, when he made par and Schwaderer missed a slippery downhill
par putt.
"I felt pretty confident about my game, but I knew
the competition would be stiff," said Wilson after becoming the sixth
champion in the tournament's seven year history. "There are some
really good players in Logan County and I'm just happy to be the champion."
But it didn't come easy.
Wilson, who played on the Nike Tour from 1991-1993,
entered the final round with a five shot lead over Max Bixler, Shawn Bechtel
and Schwaderer.
But Schwaderer came out on fire. He made three double
bogeys, but still shot a blistering 69.
"I had a lot of holes where I made a bunch of putts,"
said Schwaderer.
Wilson still held a two-shot lead with two holes left
to play.
But on No. 8 he was forced to play a great recovery
shot from behind the green en route to a bogey that trimmed his lead to
one shot.
On his final hole, No. 9, Wilson's tee shot was in front
of the green and his chip sent him six feet past. A tricky putt from the
start, the ball lipped the cup but stayed out, thus forcing the playoff
between the two friends.
"I thought it was fitting that it came down between
myself and Troy," said Schwaderer.
For Schwaderer, the 69 that set up the playoff was a
far cry from last year when an 81 at Liberty Hills left him scratching
his head.
"I feel like I made a pretty good comeback,"
he said. "My caddie (Dean Elliott) and I talked (Saturday) night
about just playing my game. We knew we had to shoot under 70 to have a
shot. With his help, I made a bunch of putts."
But the one putt he didn't make proved to be the most
costly.
On the first hole of sudden death, Wilson's second shot
came up 20 yards short of the green, while Schwaderer stuck his within
10 feet of the cup.
Wilson then chipped to within seven feet while Schwaderer
lined up his putt.
"I was watching and expecting him to can it on
me," said Wilson. "Let's face it, you don't shoot 69 and not
make some putts. I knew he had been putting pretty good all day."
The putt had a right to left break, but Schwaderer left
it high all the way.
"I just hit it too hard," he said.
On the second hole, both players drove their ball to
within 10 feet of each other. Schwaderer hit first and left his ball short
on the side of the hill that elevates the green.
"I wanted to go to the middle of the green. I had
a good lie, I just deaccelerated through the ball," Schwaderer explained.
Wilson then dropped his ball in the middle of the green
and putted to within a foot. Schwaderer's chip scooted past the hole leaving
him a slippery 10-foot downhill putt.
Schwaderer's putt stayed just outside the hole and Wilson
rammed his home for the win and a little redemption.
In the Liberty Hills championship earlier in the month,
Wilson struggled and felt he had something to prove Sunday.
"I knew my game was good enough to win. It was
just a matter of keeping it together down the stretch," he said.
The other flights saw Gabe Wickline win the A, Earl
Zilles beat Chris Bowsher in a B flight playoff, Rob Powell won the C
flight and Darrin Beaverson claimed the D flight.
In all 116 golfers teed off at the start of the tournament
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