The Indiana PGA season has barely begun, but it is likely there won’t be a better finish to a tournament than the one Mike O’Toole had on Thursday.
The Noblesville golfer was down by a couple shots with a few holes to go at the Indiana PGA Senior Open, which finished up Thursday at Purgatory Golf Club. O’Toole then surged to the top of the leaderboard with a birdie on the 17th hole and an eagle on 18, giving him his first-ever Senior Open championship.
O’Toole finished with a two-day score of 71-66=137, seven under par for the event. He estimated it was the first tournament he had won in a few years, and it was certainly a great way to get back in the winner’s circle. O’Toole finished three shots ahead of Indianapolis’ Michael Williams, who carded a 69-71=140 for the event.
“I hit the ball extremely well off the tees and gave myself a lot of good opportunities,” said O’Toole. “I had two three-putts on par fives that ended up being pars. Everything seemed to go my way. I got a couple of good breaks on the bunkers and different things. Just a wonderful day of golf.”
O’Toole was three under par after the 16th hole, then made his charge with the birdie on 17, his fourth of the day. He then came to 18 with a plan, and everything came through, as he got on the green in two shots and made a 20-foot putt for the eagle.
“Everything’s playing real fast and firm, so basically, if you can hit the right line with your driver, it’ll go forever,” said O’Toole. “I was able to do that. I ended up having a nine iron, I was 157 yards from the pin, but even that’s still downhill. I was just trying to hit a little nine iron about 144 yards in the front edge, and then release up on the green. I hit it exactly where I wanted to and made about a 20-footer for an eagle.”
O’Toole’s eagle was his second of the event; he made one during the first round on the 4th hole. He also totaled eight birdies for the tournament, with four in each round.
Two players from Carmel finished in the top 10. Jeff Cook was part of a three-way tie for seventh; he finished with a 74-71=145 for the tournament. Cook made three birdies in his final six holes to move him under par for the second round.
Lee Crannell tied for 10th place, carding a 71-75=146. He also made three birdies in the second round.
Here is the list of other Hamilton County finishers, along with any birdies they may have made during their second round of play:
T12. Jon Stutz, Purgatory, 77-70=147 (three-four)
T14. Brad Mays, Pebble Brook, 75-73=148 (three-three)
T16. Fred Mattingly, Noblesville, 77-72=149 (three-four); David Carich, Harbour Trees, 74-75=149 (two-one)
T20. Mike Cline, Carmel, 72-78=150 (four-three)
T23. Mike Bell, Carmel, 78-73=151 (one-four; eagle on No. 13 in first round); Steve Norris, Carmel, 77-74=151 (three-two); Scott Morris, Gray Eagle Golf Academy, 73-78=151 (three-two)
T32. David Moore, Carmel, 72-82=154 (five in first round)
T34. Sterling Thompson, Westfield, 78-77=155 (four-two)
T37. Greg East, Carmel, 79-78=157 (two-three); Kevin Paige, Carmel, 80-77=157 (three-one)
T40. Doug Meade, Carmel, 83-75=158 (two-three)
T46. Craig Scheibert, Carmel, 84-77=161 (one-one)
T58. Dave Mazanowski, Carmel, 86-81=167 (one in second round); John Miner, Noblesville, 87-80=167 (two-one)
T65. David Ross, Carmel, 87-87=174 (two in first round); Anthony Rhode, Noblesville, 87-87=174
68. Jed Mellott, Noblesville, 86-89=175 (one in first round)
69. Jon Wendt, Westfield, 90-86=176 (one in first round)
GIRLS-INDIANA JUNIOR PGA
Over at Harbour Trees, the Girls-Indiana Junior PGA Championship also finished up on Friday.
Carmel senior-to-be Katie Kuc was the top Hamilton County player. She carded a two day total of 76-79=155 to take fourth place.
Three more Carmel golfers were part of a six-way tie for eighth place, with everyone totaling 158 for the tournament. Angelica Pfefferkorn, a recent Guerin Catholic graduate, went 78-80 over two rounds; she added a second-round birdie to the two she made in Wednesday’s first round. Meanwhile, her sister Christina Pfefferkorn, a junior-to-be at Guerin Catholic, carded a 77-81 for the tournament, making one birdie in the first round.
Finally, Michaela Headlee went 76-82 over her two rounds. Headlee had two birdies in the first round. She was the top finisher in the Under-15 division and will be a freshman at Carmel this fall.
Here is a list of other Hamilton County players, along with any birdies made for the tournament.
T14. Ava Hedrick, Carmel, 82-77=159 (one in first round)
18. Elizabeth Hedrick, Carmel, 85-76=161 (two in first round)
T23. Claire Swathwood, Carmel, 85-81=166; Sydney Longstreth, Carmel, 83-83=166 (one in second round)
T30. Ellie Karst, Noblesville, 90-79=169 (two-one); Alison Hildebrand, Carmel, 86-83=169; Caroline Whallon, Noblesville 85-84=169 (one in first round); Sarah Brenneman, Noblesville, 83-86=169 (two-one)
T34. Sophie McGinnis, Carmel, 92-78=170 (two in second round); Samantha Brown, Westfield, 87-83=170 (two in first round); Amber Luttrell, Fishers, 83-87=170 (one-one); Sydni Zebrauskas, Cicero, 78-92=170 (three in first round)
T48. Taylor Caldwell, Noblesville, 89-87=176 (one in second round)
T51. Ava Nguyen, Carmel, 94-83=177 (one in second round)
T53. Ashley Marcinko, Fishers, 93-85=178; Sophie Mock, Carmel, 89-89=178
56. Marissa Spreitzer, Fishers, 89-90=179
57. Brette Hanavan, Westfield, 93-87=180
T61. Jordan Adam, Noblesville, 94-90=184 (one in second round); Bella Deibel, Noblesville, 92-92=184 (one in first round); Cate Jensen, Westfield, 90-94=184 (one in second round)
65. Kelsey DuBois, Noblesville, 96-90=186
T69. Kaley McHaffie, Fishers, 97-94=191
71. Grace Dubec, Fishers, 98=94=192
72. Kelsey Haverluck, Westfield, 97-96=193 (one in first round)
T73. Averie Reiter, Carmel, 103-91=194 (one in first round); Kathryn Pippenger, Fishers, 94-100=194
79. Mallory Mortl, Westfield, 95-105=200
80. Sophia Stutz, Noblesville, 98-103=201 (one in second round)
T81. Allie McKeown, Westfield, 102-103=205
85. Nadia Brehm, Fishers, 110-104=214
86. Jaylyn Henegar, Noblesville, 110-111=221
CLASS OF 2020 SENIOR OPEN
Five Hamilton County players participated in the second round of the Class of 2020 Senior Open, which took place Thursday at The Legends in Franklin.
Carmel’s Luke Prall was the highest county finisher, tying for 10th place with a total of 78-72=150. Prall made four birdies in his second round, totaling six for the tournament.
Another Carmel player, Clay Stirsman, placed 12th with a 76-75=151. Stirsman made an eagle on hole No. 15, in addition to a birdie on the first hole, giving him five for the event.
Westfield’s Drake Biggs placed 16th, scoring 79-75=154; he had three second-round birdies. Fishers’ Dylan O’Daniel tied for 30th with a 77-87=164; he made two birdies in the first round. Hamilton Southeastern’s Adam Horner tied for 33rd by scoring 80-86=166, including two second-round birdies and five overall.
Michaela Headlee was the top finisher in the Under 15 division at the Girls-Indiana Junior PGA Championship, which concluded Thursday at Harbour Trees. Headlee will be a freshman at Carmel this fall. (Richie Hall)