T.J. Pezzulo claims 2012 SFCC Club Championship

T.J. Pezzulo stood at 2 down to John Sandlas Jr. heading into the 8th hole of the afternoon 18 at Seneca Falls Country Club on Labor Day. Sandlas, at age 16, was looking to become the youngest golfer to ever win the title. Pezzulo, was looking for his first club championship.Pezzulo then won the par 4 8th with a birdie after sticking a wedge to three feet, and evened the match on #9 after Sandlas found the right woods on his second shot.Then, after Sandlas hit his tee shot out of bounds on #10, Pezzulo has claimed a 1 up lead.Sandlas birdied the 12th hole to even up the match and both golfers birdied the tough par 4 13th hole. Pezzulo’s second shot into the green was flared right into the greenside forest but fortunately was deflected onto the green about 15 feet from the pin. Sandlas answered by knocking his second shot to about the same distance and nearly the same exact spot. Sandlas stepped up first and knocked in his birdie putt and Pezzulo answered by draining his.Pezzulo claimed the 14th hole with a par to regain a 1 up lead and both golfers played the par 4 15th hole perfectly carding birdies after making a pair of putts inside 5 feet.Sandlas’s fortunes changes on the toughest hole on the course, the famous par 4 16th hole. Sandlas pulled his second shot left into the woods and after taking an unplayable lie, and then still needing to punch out, conceited the hole to Pezzulo who was now 2 up with only 2 hole to play.Both golfers found the approach short on the green on the par 3 17th hole and it was Pezzulo who was able to negotiate an up-and-down to secure his first SFCC Men’s Club Championship.A legion of carts and a gallery of about 60 people took in the match on a warm, but overcast and breezy Labor Day afternoon in Seneca Falls, NY.