Albertazzi wins Amateur by eight
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Brian Albertazzi of Green Mountain National chips on to the 18th green on Thursday afternoon just on the way to winning the Vermont Amateur at Kwiniaska golf club in Shelburne. |
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By BOB FREDETTE Staff Writer - Published: July 10, 2009
SHELBURNE — Brian Albertazzi has a dependable swing, a balanced game, and doesn't get flustered. These are qualities that blew up a potential shootout for the 103rd Vermont Amateur crown at Kwiniaska Golf Club on Thursday.
Albertazzi separated himself from the pack in the day's first round and closed out a remarkably consistent tournament with a 2-under 70 to win going away. The pride of Green Mountain National won his second straight title by eight shots over clubmate Garren Poirier and never posted a round over even-par 72 in his 72 holes.
Albertazzi was 3-under par in Thursday's 36 holes and at 4-under 284 for the event, was the only player to finish in red numbers. He did not make a double bogey all week.
"That was my plan, to keep it at par or under, so I was pretty happy about that," Albertazzi said in the din of a crowded scoring area.
"It was a little easier" than his 2008 victory at Rutland, Albertazzi said. "Last year I think that the atmosphere was a little different. I felt comfortable this week coming in. It was mine to win."
It sure didn't look that way as the morning cloud cover was moving off over the horizon and the sun came out to bathe the field for the first time in three days. Nine players were bunched within four shots of medalist Jon Lussier of Orleans and some of them were names synonymous with victory in this tournament. But like the clouds, they drifted out of the picture as Albertazzi shot 71 and lurched from a one-stroke deficit to a three-shot lead with 18 holes to play.
Lussier, 2008 runner-up Cody Larson and 16-year-old Evan Russell started their day with 79s. Bill Hadden, the 2002 champ, shot 78 and 2003 winner Peter Metzler struggled to an 81.
One by one, most of the contenders melted away, but not Albertazzi. He birdied his second hole, played the back nine (his first of the day) in a clean, crisp 2-under 34, and was on his way.
Lake Morey's Pat Pelletier finished third with Lussier at 293, shooting 71 and 72 on Thursday. Okemo Valley's Glen Boggini was fifth at 294, Blush Hill's Paul Weston was sixth at 295 and Burlington's Chip Ward finished seventh at 296.
Boggini, a welcome addition to the tournament in his second Am appearance, shot a solid closing 72 after struggling to 78 earlier in the day. Lussier also bounced back with a 72, his third round of the tournament at par or better.
Although there was an anxious moment or two in the closing 18, Albertazzi's lead was never fewer than three shots and only Poirier (three back after his morning 74) and Ward (four back after a 73) were left with any realistic chance to catch the leader.
But Ward faded to 78 and Poirier, though respectable with a closing 75, could not sustain any momentum after finishing the front nine with back-to-back birdies.
"If you told me coming here I'd finish second I'd say, 'Let's do it,'" said Poirier, who will be in Norman, Okla., next week to play in the USGA Public Links.
"I told my caddy, 'Let's scare him,' but I just didn't quite have the irons today," Poirier said. "I knew Bri was going to take it low. He had that look in his eye."
It might not be the same look as a Trevor Murphy, but Albertazzi had his own method of operation. Consistency is his calling card and while Murphy would throw out an occasional obscene number to take charge quickly and decisively, Albertazzi pulls away gently: it's as though he tap-tap-taps the competition with a rubber mallet.
He tap-tapped twice early in his final round, with a 20-footer up a gentle slope for birdie on No. 1, and a 4-footer to cap a chip-and-putt birdie on the par-5 third to push his lead to six shots. It fluctuated as an Albertazzi bogey here and a Poirier birdie there made the lead five at the turn, and it shriveled up to three shots when Albertazzi finished No. 13 and Poirier had finished 12.
With only word of mouth providing players with news of their standing, Albertazzi peered out anxiously as his tee shot on the par-5 16th drifted right toward the tree line and the out-of-bounds stakes. It came to rest in the rough with little room to spare and Albertazzi went on to hit 3-metal short of the elevated green, followed by a marvelous soft, high pitch from Kwinny's dense rough to set up his short birdie putt.
Albertazzi then birdied 17 and when word came down that Poirier had gone bogey-bogey-bogey, everyone knew it was over.
Albertazzi was told he now has a chance to join five other players to win this event three successive years. Only one, Grady Girard, has won four straight.
No one has ever won five in a row. Should Albertazzi keep on rolling at Manchester next year and Neshobe in 2011, he'd have a chance to do just that on his home course in 2012.
Albertazzi flashed his rubber-mallet smile.
"I've thought of that," he said.
Contact bob.fredette@rutlandherald.com