Christmas 9—ROARING BROOK TWP. — Timing is everything in a golf swing.
Sometimes it’s everything on the golf course, too.
Mike Bonavoglia holed a 79-yard approach shot for an eagle on the par-4 eighth hole to vault him and partner Eamon Evans into the lead just 20 minutes before play was suspended in The Barone at Elmhurst Country Club.
When torrential rain left the course unplayable, that shot was the difference as Bonavoglia and Evans captured the championship, edging Doug Nardella and Mark Bartkowski by a shot, and defending champs Bill Pabst and Billy Pabst by two in the three-day event shortened to 36 holes by downpours Friday and Sunday.
“That’s an amazing feeling. It’s like a walkoff home run,” Bonavoglia said. “They tell you that the weather is coming and try to speed up play and I hit it, two hops and it disappeared. Pretty awesome feeling.”
Nothing that Nardella could do but look on in amazement.
“Mike is a good friend of mine and that shot was an amazing shot,” Nardella said. “Would have loved to have a little bit more time to make up for it but what are you going to do? Mother Nature won this weekend.
“I got one on No. 4 and he got me back on No. 8 a little bigger than the one I got on 4. What are you going to do? I thought there was one hole left and we had to make birdie on nine to tie.”
Nardella-Bartkowski started the final round with a one-shot lead at 10-under par, but Bonavolgia-Evans evened things up with a birdie on the par-5 second, each blasting 355-yard drives on the 555-yard hole, and hitting the second shot inside 25 feet.
“We both had great looks there,” Bonavoglia said. “I really thought I had mine but it broke off at the end. Having two tap-in birdies there, you have to keep plugging because anything can happen, as we found out on the next couple holes with those guys.”
Nardella-Bartowski reclaimed the lead after both went long on the par-4 fourth.
Bartkowski’s chip finished inches away, then Nardella holed it for birdie.
“My lie was perfect and I really liked what I saw,” Nardella said. “My thought was make it. I spend a lot of time here practicing, and very rarely is it on the range. It paid off, that’s all. It feels good to do it.”
Bogey followed on the par-3 fifth, but from the left rough, Nardella stuck his third shot on a pin tucked near the left edge of the green of the par-5 sixth, then rolled in birdie to move back to 11 under.
“I’ve played with Doug a million times and he’s a fantastic player,” Bonavoglia said.
Meanwhile, the father-and-son Pabst duo birdied Nos. 7 and 8 to go 4 under on the front nine, one off the lead, but that status didn’t last long.
Bonavoglia split the fairway on No. 8, then hit a low punch that disappeared for eagle.
“We know the firepower Mike and Eamon have together, and it’s not the first time Mike has done that to take the lead,” Bartkowski said. “Whether it went in or not, it was a fantastic shot. So, kudos to him, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for them.”
It’s also a shot Bonavoglia has worked hard to establish as part of his repertoire.
“Years ago, I couldn’t hit that shot to save my life,” said Bonavoglia, an assistant golf coach at Marywood University. “Over the years, it’s one thing I practiced, short shots, 100 yards and in, because I’m lucky enough to hit the ball a long way.
“I have those shots all the time so if I don’t make those, it hurts the game. Can’t score if you don’t hit the green from that close.”
It was the third eagle in 25 holes for the victors, who made 3s on the par-5 11th and par-5 sixth Saturday.
“You need breaks like that,” Evans said. “We got a couple of them Saturday. We had a couple of tree balls come back into play that resulted in a birdie and an eagle. That’s the only way you can win these things. You need something to work in your favor, and it absolutely did.”
Evans drove it left into the trees on No. 1 and 6, their back nine, then took advantage on No. 1 when his tee ball rebounded into the fairway.
He hit a 9-iron to 4 feet for birdie, then had 275 yards left on No. 6 when another carom worked in their favor.
“I hit a 3-iron, rolled up, came back and ended up making the eagle putt,” Evans said. “Those could have been basically punch-out shots. When it’s all said and done, it’s 3 under on those two holes. You’ve got to take what the course gives you, roll with it and we absolutely did that.”
All that, and Bartkowski still had an uphill birdie putt to share the lead following Bonavoglia’s shot.
“I still had about a 10-foot putt for birdie there, but with all the emotion and everything going into it, I don’t think I made my best putt at it,” Bartkowski said.
Both teams made par on No. 9, and play was suspended before the teams could get to the 10th tee.
Just over an hour later, the leaders were the champs, fitting for Bonavoglia and Evans, both of whom worked alongside longtime pro Rick Barone, who died in May after a lengthy battle with ALS.
“This is a big one,” Bonavoglia said. “I grew up here. I played here. When I was 13, I used to sleep on a couch over there and wait for a ride home.
“Knowing Mr. Barone, he was my friend. He was my boss. He was my teacher. He was a mentor. He was a great person and he lived a great life up here and everybody loved and respected him, and I’m definitely one of them.”
THE BARONE
At Elmhurst CC, par 72
Championship flight
36 holes, final scores
Mike Bonavoglia-Eamon Evans -12
Doug Nardella-Mark Bartkowski -11
Bill Pabsy-Billy Pabst -10
Martin Pane-Jamie Egan -7
Corey Teeple-FRank Kacvinsky -6
Ed Knight-Eric Williams -6
David Price-Pat Mitchell -5
JT Coyne-John Barone -2
Bryan Marzolino-Matt Perry -1
Dave Lopatka-David Lopatka E
John Sohns-Stephon Draper +1
Jake Dougherty-Christian Davis +1
Marc Bowen-Kyle Bowen +3
Ralph Steeves-Jason Raddic +5
Jerry Potis-Joe Vitale +5
Paul Arvay-Nick Parise +7
Michael Wincovitch-Kevin Mitchell +9
Chris White-Michael Schutsky +10
David Coyne-John Lyons +10
Mark Santaniello-Mike Bartkowski +11
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