Bigley, Gifford hit long, triumph in Haggerty Two-Man

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bob Weiner

First-time partners Robby Bigley Jr. and Jim Gifford, both long hitters, took advantage of the wet conditions that lengthened the Schenectady Municipal layout and held on for a one-shot victory in the Haggerty Two-Man Sunday.

Bigley, a three-time Gazette County Amateur champion from Pinehaven Country Club, and Gifford, a former Tri-County Golf Association Match Play titlist and Saratoga County Amateur winner from Saratoga National, each collected their second Haggerty crowns. Bigley won previously with his younger brother, Bryan, while Gifford triumphed with Donald DeNyse III a couple of years ago.

Bigley and Gifford, both Siena College graduates, shot a five-under-par 67 in the final round for a two-day total of 10-under-par 134. Brothers Chris and Bryan Barach, from Mohawk Golf Club, carded a 68 for a 135 total, and Shaker Ridge Country Club’s Paul Lundberg and Greg Bennett, the first-day leaders, tied with Mike Wheeler and Tom Salmon, another Shaker CC tandem, for third with a 136 in the championship flight.

The Haggerty Two-Man, one of the top two-day partners events in the Capital Region, is named after the late Bob Haggerty Jr., who was the longtime head pro at Muny. Many of the top teams in the area competed.

Tim Fox and John Corson shot a 71-142 to win the first flight, and Mike Pollock and Tim Ferrara posted a 72-148 and won a matching of cards with Chris and Nick Braman to take the second flight. Stephen Posa and Edward Corless shot a 77-157 to win the third flight.

In the seniors division championship flight, Kevin Broderick and Paul Hart shot a 67-134 to win by six shots, and Jim Follain and Bill Bates recorded a 71-146 to take the seniors division first flight.

Bigley and Gifford caught fire on the front nine by shooting a six-under-par 30. Bigley birdied the second and fifth holes, while Gifford birdied the sixth and seventh holes. Bigley then hit his 3-wood to within 10 feet on the par-5 ninth hole, and rolled in an eagle putt.

The winners couldn’t produce another birdie on the back, but they made only one bogey, on the par-5 16th.

“The weather wasn’t that bad. It was just a little wet,” Bigley said. “We were just out there having some fun. I didn’t really keep track of what everyone else was doing.

“It was a little wet out there, and you couldn’t really hit any kind of running shots,” said Gifford. “You had to be more accurate with your carry distances, because you weren’t going to get any roll. But the good thing is that we ham-and-egged it pretty good. Neither one of us was in that much trouble, except for the 16th hole. Robby hit his tee shot into the hazard, and I hit mine into the trees on the right and had to punch out.

“On the front nine, you didn’t really need any long drives, but on the back, you had to hit two pretty good shots and a wedge on the par-5s to get home in regulation.

“We weren’t in that much trouble all day,” Gifford said, “but we did make some scary par putts. This is my first time playing with Robby, but it’s nice winning with another Siena College alumnus. We’re a pretty tight group.”

RESULTS

(Par 72-146)

OPEN DIVISION

Championship Flight — Bigley-Gifford 67-134, C. Barach-B. Barach 68-135, Lundberg-Bennett 70-136, Wheeler-Salmon 66-136, Bates-Carroll 69-137, Pallas-Welch 69-138, Armstrong-Thomas 70-138, Haase-Trunzo 68-138, Arakelian-Sullivan 68-138, Cassidy-Winchester 67-139, Powers-Olbrych 71-140, Czepiel-Youngs 71-140, Stoffer-McCarroll 73-141, Wasserbach-Donovan 72-141, Wander-McCarthy 70-141, DeBrino-Guidarelli 70-141, Moore-Hoyt 73-142, J. Cocca-R. Cocca 70-142, Hope-Plantz 75-144, Wellington-Cohen 71-144, Cooper-Flood 73-144, Roe-Gregory 75-144.

First Flight — Fox-Corson 71-142, Patterson-Weldbillig 73-144, Gennarelli-Bradley 72-144, Singh-Kingra 73-73-146, Gilbert-Gilbert 75-147, Alois-Kokosa 74-147.

Second Flight — x-Pollock-Ferrara 72-148, C. Braman-N. Braman 72-148, Ferradino-Hughes 72-149, Hillenbrandt-Allen 75-150. x-Won on matching of cards.

Third Flight — Posa-Corless 77-157, Sweet-Sweet 78-158, DeMarzio-Genovesi 78-158, Schnellbaecher-Schnellbaecher 82-16.

SENIOR DIVISION

Championship Flight — Broderick-Hart 67-134, Taub-Feldman 71-140, Jones-B. Stranahan 70-140, Daley-DeCosmo 72-143, Grimaldi-A. Stranahan 71-143, Blaha-Bibby 72-144, Marino-Nebolini 71-144.

First Flight — Follain-Bates 71-146, Maki-Murray 73-148, Cantine-Hosner 74-149, Johnson-Marsh 74-149.