Brannan, Homan win at Sinking Valley
Local golf
TYRONE -- Twenty years ago, Sean Brannan and Anthony DeGol were helping Hollidaysburg's boys golf program reach levels it had never been to before.
Brannan won a PIAA boys individual championship title in 2006, and with the help of DeGol, the Golden Tigers took home the team championship -- the program's only state title -- in 2007.
Sunday's Sinking Valley Country Club Best Ball Championship came down to a putt-off between DeGol and Brannan on No. 18.
DeGol, teamed with Artie Fink Jr., entered the final round leading by one stroke and led by four through nine and was up two with three holes to play.
But Brannan, teamed with Todd Homan, made a clutch par on the par 3 No. 16 before Homan made birdie on No. 17 to set up a showdown on No. 18 with the teams tied.
DeGol's putt came up short, and he tapped in for par. Brannan's lengthy putt found the middle of the cup and completed a big comeback victory for his team.
"We made a birdie on No. 13 that I think gave us momentum," Brannan said. "I felt like I had to make that putt (on No. 18) while we had that momentum, because you don't want to go to a playoff with those guys."
After DeGol missed his putt, he didn't expect a playoff.
"That's the way we figured it was going to go," DeGol said. "We knew it was going to be a battle until the end. We just lost momentum and couldn't get it back. Sean is a great putter. I had a feeling he was going to make that at the end."
DeGol said he's remained close with Brannan through the years.
"We have always been good friends going all the way back to high school," DeGol said. "We still are today and talk about those times and hope there are many more good times on the golf course ahead."
Brannan said talk of the championship occasionally comes up.
"Sometimes we talk about it," Brannan said. "Those were the good old days. We were probably both better back then."
The pair are both certainly still playing excellent golf and have had their names at the top of local leaderboards for the past two decades as have Fink Jr. -- who was coming off an appearance in the Senior U.S. Open -- and Homan.
"It feels great," Homan said. "We have been close before. Sean is incredible. I'm humbled that he plays with me. He's the best player to come out of this area. I'm humbled as an older guy. It always feels great to win. I love those guys. I play with Artie next week. He just won with Anthony. They are our good buddies. You feel for them, but you're always trying to win, whether it's your best friend or not."
Brannan's drive to the fringe on No. 16 put him in great position to at least make par while the three other golfers all missed the putting surface and faced long odds at making par due to the tough green slope.
"You do take more chances (when you are behind), but you try to play within yourself," Homan said. "You hopefully hit some good shots and make some putts. Sean's shot on the par 3 was huge. That is a tough hole, playing probably 210 yards. For him to make a par there is a really good score on that hole. When you're leading off and you put a ball where your opponents think you are going to make a par, it makes things a little harder for them."
Homan made a long birdie on No. 17, but even if he had missed it, Brannan had a good look of his own that he never had to putt.
"It was huge, but I thought Sean was going to make his (putt)," Homan said. "He hit two awesome shots there, but in golf, you always want your partner to make it so you don't have to stand over one. I didn't putt the ball very well today, and that was a big putt for me. I wanted to make it for Sean."
Last year's winners, Adam Ritchey and Josh Leibfreid, finished tied for sixth 10 strokes back.
Homan and Brannan carded a three-day total of 201 with Fink and DeGol at 202. Andrew and Greg Ferguson were third with a 206.
"We hung in there," Homan said. "We didn't have our best stuff on the front, but we kept grinding it out and to go par, birdie, birdie on those last three holes was huge."
Nick Baum and David Snyder won the first flight by one stroke over Damian Williams and Drew Michanowicz.
Dwayne and Chad Harbaugh won the second flight with a 203, Craig Edwards and Mike Durand won the third flight with a 220, Jacob and Bryce Hensor won the fourth flight with a 220, Brent Hughes and Jake Mattern won the fifth flight with a 218, Chancey Dell and Tony Minnoia won the sixth flight with a 229 and Mike Ieraci and Rodney Marshall won the seventh flight with a 246.
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT: 1, Homan-Brannan, 66-68-67--201; 2, Fink-A. DeGol, 66-67-69--202; 3, A. Ferguson-Greg Ferguson, 68-71-67--206; T-4, Macionsky-N. DeGol, 209; T-4, C. Meyers-T.Meyers, 209; T-6, Gregory Ferguson-J. Ferguson, 211; T-6, Ritchey-Leibfreid, 211; 8, Robertson-Smith, 213; 9, Helsley-Duelley, 215; 10, Frank-Bower, 217; 11, Brooks-Tuskovich, 220; 12, Albright-James, 222.
FIRST FLIGHT: 1, Baum-Snyder, 70-63-68--201; 2, Williams-Michanowicz, 66-69-67--202; 3, Hefner-McMahon, 70-70-68.
SECOND FLIGHT: 1, D. Harbaugh-C. Harbaugh, 65-71-67--203; 2, Dull-May, 71-67-74--212; 3, Landolfi-Jackson, 72-71-70--213.
THIRD FLIGHT: 1, Edwards-Durand, 74-73-73--220; T-2, States-Jarratt, 78-76-68--222; T-2, Knisely-Knisely Jr., 69-78-75--222.
FOURTH FLIGHT: 1, J. Hensor-B. Hensor, 73-71-76--220; 2, Walker-Goodling, 70-75-76--221; 3, S. McDermitt-R. McDermitt, 224.
FIFTH FLIGHT: 1, Hughes-Mattern, 72-72-74--218; 2, Kyle-Winterburn, 73-73-74--220; 3, Myers-Chamberlain, 77-74-75--226.
SIXTH FLIGHT: 1, Dell-Minnoia, 74-77-78--229; 2, Funcheon-Pirozzola, 73-80-77--230; 3, Luther-Getz, 75-80-78--233.
SEVENTH FLIGHT: 1, Ieraci-Marshall, 81-85-80--246; 2, C. Messner-M. Messner, 87-81-80--248; 3, Stuby-Martin, 81-85-83--249.