Steve Porterfield and Greg May were thinking a lot of things as they stood on the 27th tee at Urbana Country Club but winning the tournament wasn't one of them. After making a bogey on the previous hole to fall to +6 gross for the third nine, and hearing that State Champs was only +2 with one hole to play, there wasn't a lot of pep in their step. As they approached the green, Porterfield said to his partner, "Let's make this birdie putt. You never know what is going to happen." Then they saw that their playing partners, Magic Bag, were staring at a 8-foot birdie putt themselves. Things did not look good.
Once on the final green, both teams learned that State Champs had suffered an untimely double bogey on the last hole to finish the tournament with a net 99. Down by one to Magic Bag, Happy Stix rightly figured that Porterfield would need to make their 20-foot uphiller to have any chance. It came up just short. The resulting tap-in par gave them a net 35 on the third nine and a total net score of 99.
The focus narrowed on Magic Bag. Jud Deshler stood over his 8 footer looking to back up their 2016 Team Championship with a TEA title. But like a lot of putts on Urbana's small slick greens, this putt was tougher that it looked. Making matters worse, his partner, Brad Underwood, placed undue pressure on him by telling them they needed to make the birdie putt to win. This turned out to be fake news. In fact, Magic Bag only needed a two-putt par to win. Deshler did what his partner asked him to do, He tried to make it. The putt curled toward the hole but stopped turning, just missing on the high side, slowly rolling by, and by, and by, and by, and by and by, finally stopping at least as far away as where it started. Underwood, thinking that he needed to make to tie, was actually putting for the win. When his putt missed just to the right, Magic Bag dejectedly walked off the green thinking they had just three-putted themselves out of the tournament.
What happened next confirms that there is an inverse relationship between alcohol consumption and math skills. By the time that Magic Bag's third putt hit the bottom of the cup, Happy Stix had already figured out they had finished tied with State Champs and the team of Burkley and Osborn. But it took a few minutes for Magic Bag to realize their math error. When they did, four teams were tied for first place after 27 holes, an unprecedented result. The teams gathered and decided on a sudden death playoff using the Best Ball format, and to the first tee they went.
All 8 players teed off on number one. It is rare to witness such a thing in golf and the moment did not disappoint. From the chaos emerged three tee shots that were long and straight, those of Misters Osborn, Deshler and Greg May. Osborn and May hit handy approaches to the green, but Deshler stuffed his to about six feet. Osborn drained an 8 footer for par, while May cozied his 20 foot downhiller to about three feet above the hole. Deshler quickly atoned himself for the putt he hit on the 27th hole by snaking his putt in for birdie, leaving May with a slick three foot downhiller to tie him with a four for three. When his putt found the hole, Happy Stix and Magic Bag advanced to the second hole of sudden death.
After being in the same foursome all day, Happy Stix and Magic Bag went to 29th hole as the last two teams standing. Magic Bag encountered early problems off the tee, while May once again found the fairway. His downhill/downwind seven iron from 170 yards reached the front of the green, the only player on in regulation. His three footer for par sealed the deal and gave Happy Stix a very unlikely win, while Magic Bag was left to wonder forever what might have been. (Honorable Mention to State Champs). It was a finish for the ages and evidence that indeed "it ain't over 'til it's over".
For Steve Porterfield it is his first TEA title and second major, completing the Major Slam. For May, it is his fifth TEA title and his seventh major, moving him into first place on the all-time list. At 54, he becomes the oldest player to win a major, eclipsing his previous record by two years.
The players will debate for a long time whether it was Underwood's math error or his missed putt on the final hole that hurt Magic Bag worse. However, one thing they agree on unanimously was the quality of the venue. Urbana was top shelf in all respects. The layout, the conditioning, the friendly service ... the Cronys were treated like kings (as they should). Look for Urbana to host another major in the very near future.