(Photo Caption: Left to Right: Runner-up Kenny Cook, IGA Secretary Steve Sterrett, and Champion Sean Rowen)
It took a string of three birdies on the back nine at Fox
Prairie GC for Greenwood’s Sean Rowen to claim his second IGA Tournament of
Champions title. Rowen finished the day
six shots ahead of first round leader Chris Eckerle of Indianapolis, but his
biggest competition proved to be just a few groups ahead.
Noblesville’s Kenny Cook posted a 4-under-par 67 today and waited
in the clubhouse to see how Rowen would finish.
Rowen birdied holes 14, 15, and 16 to get to 5-under-par, but a failed
up-and-down conversion on 17 cost him a stroke, forcing a playoff with Cook.
“I figured 4 or 5-under-par was going to be what it would
take to win,” Rowen said. “I heard Kenny
was 3-under-par and tied for the lead, and I promptly bogeyed the 12th
hole. At that point I knew I needed to
get it going and happened to string a few good holes together. I gave myself chances and was able to make a
few putts.”
On their first playoff hole, the par 5, 1st, both
players gave themselves good looks at birdie.
Rowen left his second shot just short of the green in the rough, while
Cook found himself in the right greenside bunker. Cook left his bunker shot short of the green
and now needed to get up-and-down to save par. Rowen chipped his third shot to five feet and
converted his birdie putt for the win.
“It’s a privilege to
win,” Rowen said. “Kenny is an
accomplished player on a national level and to be able to compete with him is
fun. There were a lot of great players
from around the state in this event, and I really just feel privileged.
Fortville’s Preston Smith finished alone in third with a
tournament total of 1-under-par, 141.