A championship ten months in the making ended at Tijeras Creek GC as Nick Parisi completed an incredible comeback over the last four holes of his final match to emerge as the 2022 One-Day series champion.
Down two holes with three to go, Parisi claimed Nos. 16 and 17 to eventually force a playoff. On the 19th hole, his opponent conceded after watching Parisi place his third shot to within a couple feet of the cup on the par-five first hole.
“This is my seventh year and my third time qualifying (for this championship),” Parisi said. “This is a long time coming, I made it to the finals in 2015 and lost. Seven years of wishing I could’ve made it, and I didn’t make (to the championship) the second time and finally third time’s a charm.”
All of Parisi’s matches this week had a similar ending – coming back from two holes down in the final three to survive and advance. He beat Spencer Sam, 2 & 1, in the semifinals after going 18 holes and winning 1-up over 2015 One-Day Series champion David Fujii.
His opponent in the final match on Wednesday, Jack Rose, held a lead for 10 of 19 holes played. Though Parisi continued to show up when it mattered the most. He never fell behind worse than two holes, always staying within reach before taking over at the end.
“It was a grind, the shortest match was 17 holes,” he said. “It went right down to the last hole and I came from behind in all three of them. All three matches were tough.”
Parisi, a One-Day Series veteran, participates in events on a weekly basis, and made the top-32 at the end of the season based on points to qualify for this championship. With the win, Parisi finished second on the points list, highlighted by three wins across the season.
“Playing in tournaments brings your game to the next level,” Parisi said. “A one-foot putt seems hard at times when it means winning or losing. If you want to bring your game to the next level, get into the One-Day Series.”
Roy Guilnado, who lost in the semifinals, took home One-Day Series Player of the Year honors with four victories to his name.
SCGA One-Day Series is open to all SCGA members, regardless of Handicap Index. Events contain both net and gross flights and range from individual to team competitions. Learn more about the program here.
