For the second time in three years, the duo of Mel Collins and David Ujihara captured the SCGA Senior Four-Ball Championship in dramatic fashion, clinching victory on the fourth playoff hole to win the 2014 playing of the event at Ojai Valley Inn and Soule Park.
The winning team edged out David Delich and Harry Johnson for the win, and the two groups were paired together in the final round, which they played on the Ojai Valley course. It looked like Delich and Johnson were going to hold on for the win, taking a two-stroke advantage into the 16th hole before a double bogey and bogey put them one stroke back heading into the 18th hole. That's where Ujihara and Collins ran into trouble, though, recording their own bogey on 18 to finish the regulation 18 holes at -12, tied with Delich/Johnson.
Collins stepped up in the playoff, playing exceptional golf to carry his team into the fourth playoff hole, when his partner took over and canned a 20-foot putt from off the green to essentially win the match. A missed putt by Delich sealed the deal.
"It's always great to win an SCGA championship, but even better to win an event like this two times," said Collins, a Long Beach resident.
Collins and Ujihara used a first-round 64 at Soule Park and a second-round 66 at Ojai Valley to win the championship, finishing just one stroke ahead of the third place duo of Kemp Richardson and Rich Logan. Rounding out the top 5 in a tie for fourth place were the duos of Willie Melancon/Mark Monreal, Boyd Martin/Rich Tolly, Jeff Johnston/Keith McLaughlin and Jim Bracken/Steve Lass, who led after round one with the low round of the tournament, a 10-under-par 62 at Soule Park.
The SCGA Senior Four-Ball Championship is open to two-person teams. Each player’s index must not exceed 7.4 and all players must be the age of 55 and above.