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There was symmetry to Jeff Sanders winning the Indiana Open.

Beginning the tournament at Purgatory GC in Noblesville with a 66, Jeff Sanders, Professional at Sultan’s Run GC in Jasper, endured four days of play on an extremely challenging golf course, and sank one last putt on the first playoff hole to prevail over Jeff Cook, Indianapolis, and the golf course.

Shooting a four round total of 286, matched by Cook’s four round total 286, Sanders and Cook proceeded to the #1 hole for the first playoff in 10 years at the Open Championship and possibly the highest recorded winning score. The historical event was short-lived, however, when Sanders did what he did so well all week, made yet another putt. ”I putted well,” might be the understatement of the year. “I didn’t hit it so well, I have to work on that. But sometimes it’s (putting) just there. I had good pace all week.”

Sanders, who claims an Indiana Amateur Championship title from 1992, played in the threesome with Cook in the final round. That gave the pair an opportunity to track each others progress during the round. Sanders began the day tied for second for the tournament and with a one shot lead over Cook. Sanders never posted worse than 1-over for the tournament, but bounced around for the majority of the day at even par and 1-under.

Cook, on the other hand went from even par to 4-under by the #13 hole. Cook, a Mizuno PGA Tour sales rep, was hoping to earn his fifth Indiana Open Championship title. He did not make a bogey until hole #14. At that point he had a two shot lead over Sanders and looked to be a sure winner when disaster in the form of a double bogey struck on #16, and he drooped to a tie with Sanders at 1-under par. Cook was the first to credit the golf course as “a true test of golf,” even when the test got the better of him on that occasion.

Cook showed his playing experience and his composure when he pulled out the same club to hit into the green on #18 that he had hit on #16 when he doubled. He placed that shot to 30 feet in the center of the green and gave himself a chance to make the putt for the win.

Sanders looked to be in trouble off the #18 tee when his tee shot landed next to a fairway bunker, buried in a tuft of grass on a side hill lie. His second shot found the right greenside bunker. With Cook on the par five in two, Sanders needed to get up and down for the tie. Once again, Sanders’ bunker play put him to about six feet and he was able to convert the putt to birdie.

Cook two-putted for birdie and the pair waited for the last group to finish and post their scores before heading to the playoff hole.

In the last group, the leaders going in to the final round struggled to tame Purgatory.

Quinn Griffing, Professional at the Donald Ross Course in Fort Wayne, went out in 37, but finally found some consistency and made some putts for birdies on #13, #17 and #18. Griffing hit the #18 green in two, and only needed to make the eagle putt to join the playoff. Unfortunately, the putt was a difficult 60-footer that he left slightly short. He made the second putt for birdie to finish in a tie for third place with Andrew Rhodes.

Andrew Rhodes, amateur from Sweetser, and third round leader, found the final round a struggle, losing four shots to par with bogeys on four of the first 12 holes. He gained one back with birdie on #13, but gave it right back with a bogey on #14. He birdied the #18 to finish with 288 and the tie with Griffing.

Nathan Fritz, Greenwood, posted a 74 for the final round and finished in fifth place.

Rhodes Emerges as New leader after Indiana Open Round Three

Amateur Andrew Rhodes, Sweetser, fired a sizzling 67 to emerge as the leader by two strokes going in to the final round of the 92nd PGA Indiana Open Championship. Rhodes, who finished as runner-up in the 107th Indiana Amateur Championship two weeks ago, took the lead of the tournament by carding two eagles in the third round. The two eagles and three birdies moved him from a tie for 13th place, to the lead.

His first eagle of the day fell on the par-5 fifth hole when he chipped in from below the green after nearly hitting his second shot into the hazard. The second eagle occurred on the 18th hole when he hit sandwedge to 10 feet and sank the put for a three on the par five.

Rhodes “made a lot of putts” for the round and has no expectations for the final round stating, “We’ll see what happens.” The Ball State University student took a week off last week, then hit some balls Sunday and came out to play on Monday. He has posted rounds of 73-73-67—213.

Nearly equaling the low round of the day, Quinn Griffing, Professional at the Donald Ross Course in Fort Wayne, moved into a tie for second place with his 68 for the day. Griffing also scored an eagle for his round, on the par five ninth hole. He combined that eagle with three birdies and only one bogey. Griffing most recently appeared at the PGA Professional National Championship, finished first at the Indiana PGA Northern Open and tied for second at the Indianapolis Open, among other strong finishes in 2007.

Nathan Fritz, Greenwood, has combined scores of 73-73-71—215 to land in the three-way tie for second with Griffing and rounds one and two leader, Jeff Sanders. Fritz, who graduated from Greenwood High School, played golf at University of Texas El Paso and played for a time on various mini-tours before settling in as a golf instructor at Otte Golf Center in his hometown.

Jeff Sanders, Professional at Sultan’s Run in Jasper, depended mostly on his putter in the third round to save his score. He managed only two birdies for the round and posted four bogeys for a 2-over 74. He goes in to the fourth round in the second to last group with Jeff Cook, Indianapolis and Hartley McLeod. Fort Wayne. McLeod and Cook begin the final round tied for fifth place at even par for the tournament.

Sanders and Fellers – Co-leaders Indiana Open Round Two

Brad Fellers, Swan Lake Golf Resort in Plymouth, posted the low second round score of the morning wave of tee times with a 72-69—141 to tie the lead with Sanders.

He now stands at three better than par for the tournament. Beginning with double bogey, Fellers came back with birdie and eagle on two of the next four holes. Three bogeys put Fellers out at 38, then he turned up the heat to match the temperature. He closed out with birdies on holes #14, #15, #16, #17 and #18 to come home with 31 and a share of the lead going in to round three.

Jeff Sanders, Sultan’s Run GC in Jasper, moving to an afternoon tee time for round two, began the day on hole #10 and went 3-over par on the first five holes before carding a birdie on #15. After birdies on #18 and #1, Sanders endured the remainder of the round without another. His 66 from round one, paired with a 75 for round two, left him tied for the lead with Brad Fellers at 141.

Alan Schulte, PGA Professional from the Hawthorns, and defending Indiana Open Champion, is currently tied for third with Robert Gleixner from Greenwood and Dave Pugh, Mystic Hills GC in Culver. The trio posted 143 for the two rounds.

Mike Cline, amateur from Carmel, posted the day’s low round with 68. Cline suffered only one bogey for the day, and carded five birdies. He stands T25 after shooting an 80 for round one. Cline and Fellers were the only two participants to break 70 for the round.

The original field of 156 was cut to the low 70 scores and ties after round two. To make the field for the final 36 holes of the 92nd Indiana Open Championship, a score of 153 or better was needed.

With round one of the 92nd Indiana Open Championship completed, Jeff Sanders, Sultan’s Run GC in Jasper, remains four shots ahead of the rest of the field. The greens firmed up in the hot and windy conditions for the afternoon round. That, combined with the undulating greens and tough pin placements, made scoring low in the second wave of tee-times very unlikely. Tee times will be reversed for round two, morning times moving to afternoon, and afternoon moving to morning times.

Alan Schulte, PGA Professional from the Hawthorns, and defending Indiana Open Champion, carded a 2-under 70 for his first round, and is in good position to go after his third consecutive title. Schulte was recently selected to play on the United States PGA Cup Team in that will face Great Britain & Ireland, Sept. 21-23, in the 22nd PGA Cup at The Oconee Course at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga.

Robert Gleixner from Greenwood, also posted a 70 for his opening round. Gleixner, who will be attending Florida Southern University in the fall, was also in second place after round one of the 107thth place in the Amateur Championship held in June. He eventually finished tied for 11th.

Peter O’Neill, Carmel, 2006 Boys State Junior Champion and exempt from qualifying for the Open Championship was the third player to post a 2-under score for round one. He carded matching 35s for his 70. He will be playing in the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions in Florida in July. A recent graduate of Carmel High School, O’Neill will be attending Xavier to play golf in the fall.

Five competitors are tied for fifth place at 1-under par, 71s. Visit the leaderboard for complete results.

Jeff Sanders, Sultan’s Run GC in Jasper, was one of only four competitors to better par in the morning wave of the first round of the 92nd Indiana Open. He currently leads with a 6-under score of 66 on the 7,313 yard long Purgatory GC in Noblesville.

Sanders went out in 32 strokes and came in with 34. after carding seven birdies and only one three-putt bogey. In addition, Sanders only had to “chip twice today – and one of those was a chip in on #14.”

Posting a 66 requires very few misses, and when he missed it he “missed it in a good place.” Being in the front of the field is not unusual for the 37 year-old Sanders; he was the 1992 Indiana Amateur Champion, and played for a time on various min-tours prior to becoming Director of Golf at Sultan’s Run.

The next lowest score came when Robert Gleixner from Greenwood, posted a 70 for his opening round. Gleixner, who will be attending Florida Southern University in the fall, was also in second place after round one of the 107th Indiana State Amateur Championship held earlier this summer, eventually finishing tied for 11th place.