NORWICH ― The 97th Norwich Invitational Golf Tournament was unlike any other in the history of the state’s second-oldest amateur event.
Not only did Sunday’s heavy downpours force the postponement of the championship-flight finals for the first time since 1977, the inclement weather created suspense over the Chris DeLucia versus Holden Sullivan final that will not be decided for over a month.
Both players’ schedules and the Norwich Golf Club regular-summer slate of events made Aug. 19 at 4 pm the convenient time for each to complete the match-play format final.
“We’ll have a month to work on our game,” DeLucia quipped. “I hear it is pretty rare not to wrap up the tournament in one weekend. Usually players are battling oppressive heat, but this weekend the steady rain, especially Sunday, made play challenging.”
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The final is a study in opposites. DeLucia, a local 30-something veteran who first won the tournament in 2018, is well known at the Norwich Golf Club. Sullivan, who just graduated from RHAM High School, is a Norwich Invite rookie who is coming off winning the CIAC State Open meet. Sullivan is the son of former UConn hoops legend Jennifer Rizzotti.
“I’m not very experienced in match play with my experience in high school,” Sullivan said. “Playing here against experienced players and getting this far is very exciting. The key to this weekend was staying mentally tough. It was difficult playing, getting rained on and getting soaked. You had to find fairway spots that weren’t severely puddling and then handle putting with all the water on the greens.”
Sullivan shot a 5-under par 66 during Friday’s 18-hole qualifier and led the way into the 16-spot championship flight. Sullivan shared co-medalist honors with Steve Chevalier.
In Saturday’s match play, Sullivan won his round of 16 tilt by just one stroke over Nate Prague (Windham Club) before surviving a 20-hole match to edge Kevin Marcoux, the former Killingly coach and athletic director, to reach Sunday’s semifinals.
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Sullivan topped Sean Vigue, 2 and 1, on the 17th hole with a par to clinch a spot in the finals. Sullivan sank four birdies, including birdies on the 13th and 15th hole, for the margin of difference.
Minutes after Sullivan advanced, DeLucia sank a 14-foot putt on the 17th for a birdie to go up by two against Chevalier with one hole left to win.
Play was interrupted by steady rain and course puddling for 30 minutes around 2 pm Mike Svab, Norwich Golf Club pro, saw weather radars calling for heavier rain in mid-afternoon and figured the best he could hope for was the completion of the semis.
“We’re lucky we got this far,” Svab said. “I’ve never had to deal with so much rain. I defy anyone to tell me when it has rained for 15 hours straight in July before.”
DeLucia holds a two-hole lead after 11 holes. Chevalier battled back to tie after DeLucia bogeyed the 12th and 14th. DeLucia regrouped and birdied the 15th and 17th to clinch a spot in the finals.
“I’m sure Steve and definitely I would have loved to settle this on a dry course on a sunny day,” DeLucia said. “On a rainy day like this, nobody was going to run away with it. I just happened to sink a couple of putts.”
DeLucia eliminated three-time tourney champ Nick Harrington, 2 and 1, in the round of 16 in a match that is usually worthy of a final. DeLucia had just 65 strokes to Harrington’s 67 before it was decided on the 17th hole.
“Beating Nick Harrington gave me a lot of confidence,” DeLucia said. “It was an intense match. He’s a three-time winner for a reason.”
Scores were rather low all weekend. Anyone who shot over par (72) in Friday’s 18-hole qualifying did not make the championship 16-player flight.
A few flights were decided, while others will be played at a later date. Ryan Black won the fourth flight by concession as did Corey Jones in the fifth flight. Nicholas Kinder of Norwich Golf Course won the seventh flight by concession.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: 97th Norwich Invitational championship match delayed by rain