Adam Grant and Joe Gradison overcame windy conditions at
Ackerman Hills in West Lafayette to capture their first IGA victory April
25-26. “The wind was swirling and you didn’t know which direction it was going
– with you, against you, sideways,” said Grant. “But we are both Sagamore
players and used to wind that is normally 15-20 miles per hour, which was
probably the biggest thing that helped us.”
A first round 33-35=68 in the Pinehurst alternate shot
format put them in contention, but it was their final round four ball team
score of 35-32=67 that propelled them to a two-stroke advantage over runner-up
teams of Skip Runnels and Randy Nichols, Brooks Snyder and Rick Himes, and
Marty Rifkin and Sam Till. “We figured we would have to be at least five under
to have a chance,” said Grant. With the strong field and other teams accustomed
to winning IGA events, their assessment was pretty accurate.
Grant’s review of the round was that he and Gradison left a
lot of shots out there and missed about five putts under five feet, which would
have only extended their lead. They were both surprised at the accomplishment
according to Grant, but he also admitted that getting an IGA win was “a lot of
fun!”
See full results here