GREENFIELD — Eighteen holes weren’t enough to decide the winner of the 77th Invitational Four-Ball on Sunday.
The pairings of Dennis Booska and Cody Booska and Connor Piecuch and Michael Bechard went back-and-forth throughout Sunday’s championship flight finals, with Piecuch and Bechard 1-up going into No. 17.
Cody Booska caught fire down the stretch, sinking a birdie on 17 to even the score. Both teams parred 18 to force a playoff.
Cody Booska hit a big shot once again, making a birdie on No. 1. Piecuch and Bechard couldn’t answer, as the Booska duo came out on top in the 77th Invitational.
“We just had to give ourselves chances at birdies,” Cody Booska said. “I hit a good putt. I hadn’t been putting great all week but I finally did there. Same thing on No. 1. My dad gets the assist for giving me a good read.”
While both Booskas have lifted the Four-Ball title before — Cody in 2014 and Dennis in 2012, 2004, 2001, 1997 and 1992 — this was the father-son duo’s first time doing it together as a pair, making it all the more meaningful.
“This is the first father-son duo to ever win it,” Dennis Booska said. “This is special. No doubt this is the most special one.”
“It’s awesome,” Cody Booska added. “I remember growing up running around and watching him play. I said one day hopefully we can win it together. We didn’t have our best but we did it. It feels great.”
While it was a disappointing ending for Piecuch and Bechard, the pair understand they’ll be in the mix in this tournament for years to come.
“It’s more of an experience for us,” Michael Bechard said. “We played two great players and we fell one birdie short. Putts didn’t fall at the end and theirs did.”
At the end of the day, the two had to tip their hat to their opponent for the tough shots they made down the stretch.
“Everyone coming out watching was a good time,” Connor Piecuch said. “It was great experience. Good for them. I’m happy for them. Losing to a birdie, it is what it is. Cody made some clutch putts. What are you going to do.”
Both teams started out slow, easing their way into the final round.
Both were even through No. 7 before Cody Booska hit a birdie on No. 8 to take the lead. It stayed that way until No. 12, when Piecuch and Bechard scored a birdie to even the scoring.
They then took the lead one hole later and held it until Cody Booska’s birdie on No. 17.
“It was a pillow fight to begin with,” Cody Booska said. “Toward the back nine we started playing better golf. It was competitive and fun.”
Playing five rounds over the last four days in the sweltering heat is no easy task, but it makes the title all the more sweeter.
“It’s like this every year,” Dennis Booska said. “Whether it’s hot, rainy or windy it’s just a lot of golf. There’s always the after thing where you have to pull yourself out. You just have to grind one hole at a time. It’s a cliche but it’s what you have to do.”