Day one of the PGA Indianapolis Open at Highland Golf & CC concluded with some close finishes from Zionsville’s Joey Ranieri, Tipton’s Griffin Hare, and Indianapolis’s Matt Vogt. However the final round brought us a remarkable finish from 2008 PGA Indianapolis Open Champion and Apex Golf Lab’s Quinn Griffing.
Griffing walked onto the first tee box in today’s final round sitting +2 but quickly turned his game around and gave us an astounding final round finish of 6-under par. Griffing was dropping birdies left and right today with eight total for the day, pushing his total score to 4-under par.
“I was 8 back starting the day. I have had past success on this course, so I like the golf course but you don’t go out there thinking about shooting a 64 on the first tee. I mean I bogied the first two holes so I was two over playing three. But the putter got hot and my ball striking was great, and I was pretty flawless coming down. So I just capitalized on it.” said Griffing.
Griffing quickly adjusted his game birdieing holes 3, 5, and 6 making the turn at 1-under par.
While Griffing was creeping up on the leaderboard, Ranieri, Hare, Vogt, and Timothy Wiseman of Old Capital Golf Club were continuously battling it out for the lead. Griffing pulled himself into a three-way tie for second and then shortly after sunk his birdie putt on hole #17 to take the lead at 4-under par. The fight for first continued but Griffing never jumped out of the lead and eventually secured the 2023 PGA Indianapolis Open title for the second time since 2008.
“Anytime when you win something a second time, I think it validates it.” said Griffing.
He added “It’s a lot harder to win two day tournaments, three day tournaments, and four day tournaments. Being able to win a two day tournament is good, the season is young, I am looking forward to playing and I have worked really hard on my physique over the winter to get in shape to play with all these young bucks.”
Eric Steger of Pebble Brook Golf Club tried to jump into the fight for the lead today with a solid 3-under par performance but closed out a stroke shy alongside Ranieri and Hare in a three-way tie for second place.