Final Brackets

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F

Scenes From The Championship Match

(Click photos to enlarge.)

Andrew Jankowski watches his drive on 13. 

Shane MacDonald chips out of trouble.

Jim Jankowski launches a drive. 

All eyes are on Nick MacDonald, whose put is on the lip.

Andrew Jankowski sends one skyward.

Jim Jankowski watches his putt. 

Nick MacDonald's chariot awaits on 1. 

The wheeled-gallery watches Shane MacDonald.

MacDonalds Continue TKI Run

Fathers Shane MacDonald, left, and Jim Jankowski, second from left, 

congratulate each other's sons, Andrew Jankowski and Nick MacDonald on

the 17th green.

HANOVER – After Nick MacDonald’s birdie on the 17^th hole clinched the 39^th Tommy Keane Invitational championship by a 2&1 score over the father-son team of Jim and Andrew Jankowski, Shane MacDonald tossed the one-liner of the tournament at his son.

“Nick,” he said, “you had a hell of a weekend. How much do I owe you?”

 The victory marks the fourth time in the past six years that at least one of the MacDonalds has won the tournament, held each year on the final full weekend in July.

Shane MacDonald, who teamed with Andy Hydorn to earn a share of the 2003 title, won it with Hydorn again in 2009 and with Nick in 2010. In 2012 Nick MacDonald, a former All-New England first-team and Division I PING All-Northeast Region standout at the University of Hartford, won it with DJ Lantz.

For the Jankowskis, who both played golf at Dartmouth, the match marked their first appearance in the Championship flight final.

“We’ve been in the semis a bunch of times,” Jim Jankowski said. “It’s good competition and to do it with Andrew is fabulous. He played very, very well all weekend long. It was a ton of fun to be there with him, and to play against Nick and Shane.

“There weren’t any surprises. We just didn’t make enough birdies to neutralize Nick. We know how good he is. He was just a little too strong for us this afternoon.”

The Jankowkis advanced to the final with a 2&1 win over Hydorn and Scott Peters in a rain-interrupted morning match.  The MacDonalds, meanwhile, were moving on with a 1-up win over Mike Pollard and Doug Daniels.

After Nick MacDonald drove the green and birdied the par-4 third hole to put his team ahead in the championship match, Shane pulled out his putter and birdied 4 from about 10 feet off the green for a two-hole lead.

It was Nick MacDonald’s turn to perform a little magic of his own on 7.

“Nick was 30 feet away and I’m 20 feet away figuring Nick is going to help me with the line because we were on similar lines,” explained Jim Jankowski. “And Nick goes and drains it on me. I’m thinking maybe we are going to get one back and Nick puts them 3-up.”

A MacDonald bogey and subsequent birdie kept the difference at three until Andrew Jankowski’s lengthy approach hit the pin on 11 and he drained a three-footer for birdie.

After a MacDonald bogey on 15 and a Jankowski par the difference was one, although the Jankowskis may well have been even or ahead if not for some nifty putting by their opponents.

“What was impressive is when they got in trouble both NIck and Shane sunk 10-footers for par to keep them in position,” said Jim Jankowski. “They probably did that three times where we felt like we had a chance. Their short games were really solid.”

When neither team could convert birdie putts on 16 the match hung in the balance when long-hitting Nick MacDonald hit his third shot close on the par-5 17^th hole.

“A lot of people try to hit sand wedges or lob wedges from where I was and fly it to the back tier,” he said. “I always take a 9-iron or pitching wedge and hit it low and land it on the front tier and let it run up there, so the spin doesn’t affect it as much.”

He made the short comebacker for birdie to clinch the  win it surprised no one.

“NIck is so solid,” Jim Jankowski said. “He’s a national level amateur player. He’s that good.”

No one has to tell that to Shane MacDonald, who enjoyed playing against old friends and had a blast playing with his son, who is getting married in three weeks.

“It’s always fun to play with Nick,” he said. “I went home last night and I said, ‘You know what, I’m out there playing with NIck and I keep forgetting he’s my son. I just think he’s a buddy.’

“He’s such a good player that it’s easy. He knows I can play good or I can play bad. He spends more time making sure I don’t feel bad for not playing good and helping him. It’s almost like he’s the father now.”

DIVOTS

New Yorkers Josh Hilderbrand and Josh Wilson posted a 4&3 win over Torrey Viger and Matt Wood in the First flight final while the team of Tom Keane and Kevin Johnston took a 2&1 win over Joe and Mike Yukica in the Second flight.

Brothers Ben and Tom Peters won the Third flight.

Results

Brackets, story and photos to come . . .

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHTSemifinals
1. MacDonald-MacDonald def. 5. Pollard-Daniels, 1-Up
15. Jankowski-Jankowski def. 2. Peters-Hydorn, 19 holes
Finals
1. MacDonald-MacDonald def.15. Jankowski-Jankowski, 2&1

FIRST FLIGHT
Semifinals5. Viger-Wood def. 1. House-Fay, 2&1
3. Wilson-Hildebrand def. 7. Donnelly-Hazard, 3&2
Finals
3. Wilson-Hildebrand def. 5. Viger-Wood, 4&3

SECOND FLIGHTSemifinals

8. Keane-Johnston def. 13. Hardy-Goodrow, 2&1
2. Yukica-Yukica def. 3. Demment-Demment, 1-Up
Finals
8. Keane-Johnston def. 2. Yukica-Yukica, 1-Up

THIRD FLIGHTFinals

Peters-Peters def. Downes-Kenney

MacDonalds Claim Title

The father-son team of Shane and Nick MacDonald used a Nick birdie on 17 to post a 2&1 win over the father-son team of Jim and Andrew Jankowski for the championship of the Tommy Keane.

Story and final brackets to follow (after first taking care of the newspaper ;-)

Championship Set

It will be the Mac Donalds against the Jankowskis for the championship of the 39th annual Tommy King Invitational.

The final match will begin shortly (2:15 or so). The weather looks a good deal better than it did several hours ago. There could still be a little thunder and perhaps some sprinkles, but it would appear they are going to get this in. Check in tonight for full results and a story.

Back On The Course

Action has resumed at Hanover Country Club after a delay lasting about 90 minutes. The leaders are around the turn.

The rain has stopped and the sky has lightened -- somewhat. The forecast for this afternoon is dicey and as I type this a few minutes after noon I think I'm hearing a distant rumble. Time will tell . . .

While We Wait . . .

Another hole in one today.

Josh Wilson aced No. 4. Yesterday it was Zach Temple with a one-bounce hole-in-on on 12.

Rain, Rain Go Away

It's raining heavily in Hanover but the bigger problem is the thunder boomers. Play has been halted on Championship Sunday. Judging by the forecast, if/when they get back out there they will be dodging raindrops. Full coverage after whatever is going to happen happens.