Leaderboard
How the Final Round Unfolded
AND, AFTER 23 HOLES, AT LAST THE WORLD WAS QUIET.
There are a handful of constant themes in the script produced annually at the Manzanita Invitational. Drama, of course. Often some tragedy. Scenes of euphoric joy, moments of quiet despair. The occasional old love affair rekindled. A healthy dose of sentimentality. Heroes are abundant, villains invisible.
And as is often the case in the final round, the best golf was produced by the team playing with the freedom that comes from a lack of proximity to the lead. Brian Holste, David Leslie, Gabe Rucker, and Kepa Zugazaga began the day three strokes back — their team declared irrelevant by all involved Saturday morning — but launched a scintillating roller-coaster run at the trophy.
Fighting their way back up the leaderboard and into a tie, the improbable now seemed inevitable. But Manzanita has a way of going off-script, and the sudden death playoff came to an abrupt halt with a 35 minute first hole push resulting in a pace of play delay.
The showdown resumed hours later, foreboding clouds storming over the second tee. Favorites faltered, conditions worsened, charges were mounted, leads appeared and evaporated, nerves were jangled. Until at last, our champions threw down the competition to claim victory on the fifth green.
