UBC Okanagan golfer and Harvest club member Will Deck put another feather in his golfing cap last weekend, closing the Kelowna Golf and Country Club’s 63rd Annual Ogopogo Invitational golf tournament with three straight birdies to come from behind and win the title.
After shooting rounds of 71 and 68 in the tournament’s first two rounds, Deck, 21, found himself in a three way tie for the lead, heading into Sunday’s final round of the tournament, tied with Black Mountain’s Greg Forbes and the Okanagan Golf Club’s Finlay Young.
The lead group played tug of war most of the final day, a scorching hot Sunday that saw the final four holes decide the winner.
Young held a small lead through most of the day, leading Deck, Forbes and Keith Martin. Young faltered a little on the back nine and with four holes to play it was anyone’s tournament.
On the 15th Deck hit his tee shot to the right of the green, dangerously close to ending up in the water while the three others in his group were on the green and putting for birdies. But Deck made a stellar up and down for par while the others failed to capitalize on their birdie opportunities and the final group headed to the par five 16th.
Young, Forbes and Martin all hit their drives into trouble before Deck smashed a drive right down the center of the par 5 and from there birdied to get into a tie for the lead heading to the 17th hole.
On 17 Deck posted another birdie to maintain his lead before sinking a six foot birdie putt on the 18th to seal the victory, edging Martin by just a single shot.
Overall, a 194 player field hit the links in the three day event.
The overall low net winner was Greg Claggett of the Valley Ridge Golf Club.
Randi Loski of the Okangan Golf Club made some news with a hole-in-one on the second hole that earned him $5,000 cash courtesy of Prosign.
