Working overtime
Enslen tops Voytish in playoff to claim eighth Fayette County Open title
Jeremy Enslen cleared his mind.
The seven-time C. Harper Chevrolet Fayette County Open champion had just missed a short title-clinching par putt on No. 18 and now was headed to a one-hole playoff with Logan Voytish.
鈥淵ou have to regroup,鈥� Enslen said.
He did just that, following a wayward tee shot on the par-3 hole by Voytish with a safe approach that left him in position to claim his eighth title and third in a row. This time he closed the deal with a chip and par putt.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always special to win,鈥� Enslen said. 鈥淓veryone wants to win. I brought my wife and kids out. They haven鈥檛 been here the last couple years so that means a little bit more.鈥�
Enslen watched as Chris Bonchosky fired an opening-round 68 on Friday at Duck Hollow Golf Club and Dan Glover surged to a four-stroke lead with a 70 at Pleasant Valley Golf Club on Saturday, lurking just below the leaders both days.
Sunday, playing in the final group with Glover, Voytish and Bonchosky, he made his move.
鈥淣one of them had ever won so it鈥檚 more pressure (on them),鈥� Enslen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 usually Mike (Revak) or Fred (David) or Pat (Calvaresi).鈥�
Enslen bided his time and it eventually came down to match play against Voytish.
鈥淛ust being patient,鈥� Enslen said as the key to his third round. 鈥淚f I don鈥檛 have the right shot I鈥檒l play the fat part of the green, two-putt and go instead of taking on a pin. I knew in the back of my mind if I made pars and maybe shot 1-or-2-under it鈥檇 probably be good enough.
鈥淚 birdied the first four holes last year. This year it was more like just plodding along, not making a mistake. I shot even par.鈥�
Still, Enslen couldn鈥檛 shake the 18-year-old Voytish, who finished fourth last year and had the second-best overall score two years ago while playing in the Junior Open of the tournament.
Enslen held a 1-stroke lead heading into No. 18 and both players put their tee shots in the sand trap. Both made good saves, but Voytish鈥檚 was better.
鈥淚 love the sand and I knew if I just got it out of that bunker it was going to go to the hole,鈥� Voytish said. 鈥淚 just kind of splashed it so it had no spin.鈥�
Voytish watched as Enslen missed his par putt, leaving the door open for him to pull even. He made his 1-foot putt but not before it caught all of the hole before dropping.
鈥淚t went the whole way around. I pushed it a little,鈥� said Voytish who was surprised to see Enslen鈥檚 miss. 鈥淚 was. He missed a little straggler on 1 but other than that he鈥檇 been lights out all day.鈥�
鈥淚 thought it was going to fall left,鈥� Enslen said of his missed putt. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if it hit something. I hit a good putt.鈥�
Back at No. 18 for the playoff, Enslen was happy to go second off the tee.
鈥淵ou want to pull the higher number. You want them to go first,鈥� Enslen said. 鈥淭hen you know what you have to do. I knew there when he hit it way left I took one less club and I know hit short, chip it up and make a par. Now if he hit a good one, that changes the scenario. Hit a normal club, try to make birdie.
鈥淚n this situation, the par 3, you have more than 100 people (watching), that adds pressure. Logan鈥檚 a very good player but I鈥檝e been there, I鈥檝e won before.鈥�
Voytish pondered about his final tee shot.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 been my miss,鈥� Voytish said. 鈥淭hat just comes out of nowhere. I come over the top and just double cross it with a closed face. Of course, then it hit the path and made it a little bit worse. I made a good chip up here.鈥�
It wasn鈥檛 enough, though, as Enslen secured the victory, shooting a consistent 72-73-71 for a 216 finish before the playoff. Voytish followed rounds of 71 and 74 with a 71 at UCC.
Glover stumbled early and quickly fell from the top of the leaderboard, but he recovered and played well on the back nine and even sank a beautiful 40-foot eagle putt on No. 14. He wound up shooting 79 and finished in third at 220. Bonchosky鈥檚 75 put him in fourth place at 221 with Matt Karpeal, who closed with a 75, and John Lenkey, who closed with a 72, tying for fifth place at 223.
Rounding out the rest of the championship flight were Marcus Ondra at 225, Santino Marchitello at 228, Calvaresi at 229 and Chase Richardson and David at 230.
Voytish looked back at his daylong battle with Enslen. The two began the back nine with Enslen up by one stroke and he held that until No. 12.
鈥淚 almost drove 12,鈥� Voytish said. 鈥淚 put it on the front fringe.鈥�
Voytish birdied the hole to pull even but Enslen went back ahead on the next hole.
鈥淥n 13 he went down into the trees then hit the most amazing shot I鈥檝e ever seen out of the trees to like 10 feet,鈥� Voytish recalled. 鈥淚 hit a good drive but got a bad bounce behind the trees and punched a 7 (iron) and I bogeyed and he parred.鈥�
Voytish pulled even again with a birdie on No. 14 but Enslen went back in front with a par on No. 16 while Voytish bogeyed. Both players parred No. 17 to set up the dramatic finish.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to give Jeremy credit,鈥� Voytish said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 hard to beat. He is. He doesn鈥檛 make mistakes. You鈥檝e got to play perfect to beat him.鈥�
Enslen sees great promise in Voytish.
鈥淟ogan is the future of this tournament.鈥� Enslen said. 鈥淎ll these young kids out playing, if not for them it鈥檚 not going to survive.鈥�
Laurel Highlands鈥� Sevi Vecchiolla easily won the Fayette County Junior Open with a three-day score of 255. Albert Gallatin鈥檚 Tyler Felio (274) was second.
鈥淭his is the first year I鈥檝e played,鈥� Vecchiolla said. 鈥淚t feels good to get a win under your belt. Hopefully this helps carry over (into the upcoming high school season).鈥�
The final round was broken down into five flights in addition to the championship flight and the Junior Open.
Mike Revak, whose 226 total actually gave him the eighth-best overall score, won the first flight, tying Enslen and Voytish for the best round of the day with an even-par 71.
Other flight winners were Bill Denny (second flight, 239), Scott Goletz (third flight, 247), George Knapp and Ricardo Ezzi Jr. (fourth flight, both 257) and Alex Gesk (fifth flight, 274).