Due to rain and extremely wet course conditions, the final round of the Indiana PGA Senior Open at Otter Creek Golf Course in Columbus was cancelled. A hole-by-hole playoff between Denny Ford, PGA Professional at Pleasant Run Golf Course in Indianapolis and amateur Tom Jones of Terre Haute, decided the champion. The playoff commenced on the 182-yard, par-3 eighth hole once the morning rains let up, and Ford took the win with a par. The two players were tied for the lead after shooting 2-under-par 70 in the opening round.

“I approached today as if we would have to play the full round,” said Ford. “So it was very different to play the first hole of the day as a playoff format.” The change in format forced him to refocus mentally, but it didn’t seem to affect his play. He hit his opening tee shot with a 5-iron to the middle of the green. With the flag in the back, he left himself a 39-foot putt. After leaving his first putt four feet short, he made the second for a par.

Jones put his tee shot into the rough just right of the green and chipped it on 18 feet passed the hole. His first putt was on line, but stopped just inches short. This is the second playoff Jones has been a part of; he was successful in 2006 to take the victory.

Ford tees off on the eighth hole.

This is Ford’s first Senior Open win after being eligible for and competing in the last seven championships. He graciously accepted the title, but would have preferred to win over two complete rounds. “I would have rather gotten all 36 holes in today. I think the whole field would have,” he said.

The tournament opened Tuesday, May 13, with 144 senior amateurs and professionals and was cut to the low 60 scores and ties after the first

Jones' first putt on the eighth green stopped inches short.

round. Players who made the cut carded a 5-over-par 77 or lower. Professionals competed for a $9,000 purse.

For more information and complete results, visit http://iga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/iga8/event/iga85/contest/17/leaderboard.htm.

The next Indiana PGA tournament is the Indianapolis Open May 19-20 at Heartland Crossing Golf Course in Camby.

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