GolfNewsRI

Coming off a battle with Covid, Tom McCormick edged Mike Hamilton in a 38 hole epic duel to win the Kirkbrae Club Championship on Saturday afternoon. 

The match was originally scheduled for last weekend, but was postponed due to McCormick being sick.

This is McCormick’s third Kirkbrae club championship and first victory over Hamilton in the finals.

They estimate that there were approximately 20 birdies made between the two of them.  

McCormick and Hamilton now get set to team up on Tuesday for the U.S. Four-Ball qualifier at Newport National. 

How it Went Down 

In the 36-hole final, Hamilton led two-up at the conclusion of the first 18, and increased his lead to three-up after the first hole of the second 18. 

Struggling with wayward shots early in the second 18, McCormick made an adjustment on the fourth tee which resulted in a birdie to cut Hamilton’s lead to two-up. 

After the pair halved five, McCormick won the par-5 sixth hole to cut the lead to just one-up. 

The lead remained that way at the turn, before McCormick won the 10th hole to tie the match for the first time since the first 18. 

McCormick took his first lead of the match on the par-3 15th hole after Hamilton put his tee shot on the 16th tee and left the chip well short of the flag. 

Hamilton tied the match on 16, before McCormick re-took the lead on 17. 

McCormick took a one-up lead into 18. 

On the 18th, both players were on the green in two, with McCormcick leaving his birdie putt short. 

Hamilton proceeded to drop about a 25-footer for birdie to tie the match and send it to extra holes. 

The first playoff hole was halved with pars, McCormick and Hamilton both just missed birdie putts. 

On the second playoff hole, Hamilton put his tee shot in the trees on the left. McCormick did the same but ended up with a clear shot. 

Hamilton hit a spectacular second shot out of the trees, but it rolled off the back of the green leaving him a tough chip. 

McCormick put his second shot just short of the flag and drained the putt for birdie to win the match. 

18th Hole (Tom was 1-Up)

Playoff: