South African Holds on Despite Trouble on 17 and 18
A pair of clutch putts by Ross Sinclair at the end salvaged Ross the Greater Albuquerque City Men’s Golf Championship for him on Sunday.
The UNM Lobo golfer from Pretoria, South Africa, finished with a one-shot lead over Aidan Thomas and Aiden Krafft on at Los Altos Golf Course. Neil Parasher and defending champion Simon Miller were two back, wrote Mark Smith on his blog, Enchantment Sports.
“It’s crazy,” Sinclair, who closed with a 2-under 70 to finish the 54-hole event at 12-under 204, told Smith. ” It’s golf. This game is great.”
Hiccups in Final Holes of City Men’s Golf Championship
From Smith’s coverage:
“Sinclair was having a great event after a 68 in Friday’s opening round at Ladera and a 66 in Saturday’s second round at Arroyo del Oso. He had a two-shot lead over Parasher heading into Sunday.
“Sinclair looked to have another sub-70 round in his hip pocket, as well as the title, when his birdie on 16 left him 14-under and a fat four shots ahead of Parasher and Thomas with just two short par 4s remaining.
“Miller, also playing in the final foursome, made birdie on 16 but was six shots out.
“Then came a wild 10-minute stretch that tossed Sinclair’s apparent cakewalk home into a mixing bowl.
‘“I was feeling comfortable,” Sinclair said with a laugh. “It’s funny, because I was talking to Aiden Thomas’ dad after 16th hole and he said, ‘It’s not over yet.’
“I said, ‘I know it, it’s never over.’ Then I made a really big mistake in that tree. Things changed in a hurry.”
As Sinclair and the rest of the lead group stood on the tee of the 340-yard downhill 17th, they received word that Krafft — playing two groups in front of them — had just birdied 18 and finished 11 under.
For more on the shot-by-shot finale of the Albuquerque City Men’s Golf Championship, read Smith’s story here.
(Featured image by Mark Smith)
By New Mexico Golf News staff
