Published: July 25, 2009 11:21 pm      

PORTER CUP: Gielow takes title in spectacular fashion

LEWISTON — For all the talk of Doppler images, weather cells and emergency evacuations, the 51st Annual Porter Cup will rightfully be remembered for something more significant — the most scintillating finish in the tournament’s proud history.

Brendan Gielow’s chip from just off the left edge of the 18th green captured the green jacket on the third playoff hole, ending the rain-shortened, three-round event at Niagara Falls Country Club and putting the Wake Forest senior on a list that includes greats like Ben Crenshaw, Scott Simpson, Jay Sigel, Phil Mickelson and David Duval.

Gielow’s 15-foot chip came just after Andrew Yun lipped out a 20-footer that looked like it would be the tournament’s winning shot.

“When it was two feet away, I thought it was in,” Gielow said of Yun’s putt.

Tim Mickelson, who was tied for the lead heading into the final day, had a stretch where he posted four bogeys in eight holes, and finished in a tie for eighth. Cody Gribble tied with Gielow and Yun at 6-under, but was eliminated after the first playoff hole. David Chung, Sihwan Kim, Mike McCoy and Peter Uihlein all finished at 4-under.

For Gielow, the fourth time was the charm. After three-putting the 18th during Wednesday’s opening round, the Muskegon, Mich., native got four cracks at the closing hole as inclement conditions forced Porter Cup organizers to use the par-3 as the only playoff hole, eliminating the need for fairway maintenance.

His chip came from a tough lie, as the ball rested against the collar between the first cut of rough and the deeper grass.

“This is pretty cool,” Gielow said. “(Winning) the Northeast (Amateur) last year was pretty special. But to back it up, it’s pretty cool.”

Just getting to the playoff was no small feat. Gielow had an 8-foot uphill knee-knocker in his final hole of regulation, draining the putt to stay 6-under.

Yun followed in the next group, also sporting a mark of 6-under, but he pulled his tee shot left and the ball sat perched on the top of a hill, just a few rolls from leaking down onto Mountain View Drive. To save par, the Stanford freshman-to-be would need to loft a soft shot from a downhill lie, over a wide stretch of bunker and on to an 8-foot landing before the cup.

That’s when thunder sounded and the final two groups were pulled off the course.

Yun used the down time to practice a few flop shots and the work paid off. His pitch stuck within a few feet of the hole — a shot that would have likely run down the front of the green if not from the soggy conditions — and stuck the par putt.

“I was hoping they wouldn’t squeegee around the hole,” Yun said of his chip on 18. “The shot turned out good, it went exactly where I wanted it to be. I knew the greens were soft and that was in my favor and I just wanted to give myself a good shot at par.

“But I lost to a spectacular shot.”

In the final group, Gribble also had a chance to get into the playoff, but needed a birdie to do so. The recent high school graduate hit the back of the green, then drilled a downhill 25-foot putt to earn his way into the playoff.

“It was a good feeling,” Gribble said of the putt that pushed him to 6-under. “I’ve been putting good all week. I knew if I’d get on the green I’d have a good shot at it. It’s bittersweet.”

On the first playoff hole, Gribble found the rough and took bogey. Yun and Gielow pressed on with pars.

Gielow just missed a long putt on the second playoff hole that would have given him the title, giving Gielow and his 14-year-old sister Britni — making her first appearance as his caddie — a chance to walk the final hole again.

“She kept saying, ‘how many times are we going to walk this fairway,’ ” Gielow joked.

On the third playoff hole, however, Gielow finally walked away with the title.

“I was thinking about chipping it in as soon as I got up there,” Gielow said. “You’ve got to expect that stuff to happen in a playoff.”

Contact sports editor Tim Schmitt at 282-2311, ext. 2266.