CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tom Brett Captures Senior Match Play Championship
T he
Senior Match Play final was represented by a pair of players with unique ties to Brooklawn Country Club . Eugene “ Red ” Fabbri , a longtime member of the club , was hoping to become the first player in tournament history to win the Senior Match Play Championship on their home course . Tom Brett , who plays his golf at Tallwood Country Club , was an Assistant Golf Professional at Brooklawn CC in the late 1980 ’ s .
“ It ’ s amazing because everything is the same as it was thirty years ago ,” said Brett . “ I have so many great memories of my time here and it was like a trip back in time for me .”
After making a pair of bogies on holes # 2 and 4 in the 18-hole final , Brett quickly found himself 2 down to Fabbri . As he had done all
week , he focused on putting the ball in fairway off the tee , and the strategy paid off . He would go on to win holes # 6 , 7 , 8 and 10 to swing the match to a 2-up advantage . In that difficult stretch of holes , Brett didn ’ t miss a fairway and played them in a remarkable three under-par .
“ I kept the ball in play , and that ’ s really the key out here to be able to get the ball into the right places on these greens ,” said Brett . “ The greens were so fast and so difficult that it was so important to be below the hole .”
The deficit would prove to be too much for Fabbri , as Brett would go on to birdie the 13th hole and an eventual 4 and 3 victory . For Brett , the victory marks his first CSGA major championship , but in his long amateur career , he has had his share
34 | CSGA Links // June , 2017 www . csgalinks . org