FRIEDENSBURG — Sean Misstishin completed his swing, took a quick look down the fairway and starting yelling “Go! Go!”
With the pressure on and a gallery of fans watching, the Ashland golfer delivered his biggest shot of the day.
Misstishin boomed his drive roughly 320 yards onto the green on the par-4, 310-yard No. 18. Two putts later, the 26-year-old had clinched his first Schuylkill County Amateur Golf Medal-Play Championship since 2008.
The birdie on the final hole gave Misstishin a 1-over-par, 69-76—145 for the two-day tournament at Hidden Valley Golf Course, edging defending champion Jim Rattigan and Steve Rice by one stroke.
Rattigan, of Deer Lake, carded a 74-72—146, while Rice, of Orwigsburg, shot 73-73—146. Jason Marks of Barnesville finished fourth, two strokes back with a 72-75—147.
“It feels great. I was close in the other years, just made a couple of mistakes here and there and couldn’t make the putts,” Misstishin said. “This year, I made the putts that counted.”
Misstishin needed a big shot on No. 18 after carding bogeys on the three previous holes. He stepped onto the tee box at No. 18 with a one-stroke lead over Rice and a two-stroke lead over Marks and Rattigan.
Rice’s drive was in the middle of the fairway just short of the green, while Marks’ drive was also just short of the green.
Rattigan, golfing in the foursome ahead of the leaders, drove the green and shot an eagle on No. 18 to get to 2-over.
“The three holes before that I made bogeys, and I just wanted to hit a good
one,” Misstishin said of his final drive. “Try to hit it one on, or down the middle, and try to make birdie.
“When I hit, I thought I would be pretty close. I thought it was going to be right in front or just on. It ended up being pretty good.”
Misstishin entered the day with a three-stroke lead over Marks after shooting a 3-under 69 in Saturday’s first round. Misstishin, however, had one birdie, five pars and three bogeys en route to a 2-over 38 on the front nine, while Marks shot a 1-under 35 to leave both golfers tied at 1-under at the midway point.
Misstishin gained a stroke on Marks on each of the next three holes, which included a birdie on the par-4 No. 12. The pair shot par on both the par-5 No. 13 and par-4 No. 14, leaving Misstishin with a three-stroke lead over Marks with four holes left.
Marks shot a double-bogey 7 on No. 16, which dropped him into fourth behind Rice and Rattigan.
“Jason and I were tied going into the back,” Misstishin said. “I picked up one on 10 and 11, and birdieing 12 was big.
“I just tried to play steady until the end. But then I had three bad holes in a row.”
Rattigan, meanwhile, had gotten to 1-over through 14, and parred the par-4 No. 15. When Misstishin shot a bogey on No. 15, the five-time champion was only one stroke off the lead.
Rattigan’s bid for a sixth medal-play title most likely ended on the par-5, 433-yard No. 16.
The 36-year-old hit his drive into the creek, then hit his next shot over the green behind a tree. After two chips — one into the tree — and two putts, he carded a double-bogey 7.
To make things worse, Rattigan hit his drive into the sand trap on the par-3 No. 17, chipped on and missed his par putt to put him at 4-over entering No. 18.
“I was kind of pressing,” Rattigan said. “I probably shouldn’t have hit driver on 16, but I thought I was three back and needed to make a run.
“I thought I hit it good enough to get it over. There was a little bit of a breeze and it was just floating. The second shot I just thinned it a little right and it caught a bad bounce.
“On 17, I should have hit the green and made a par. I knew anything could happen on 18, and I hit a perfect drive right in front of the green and knocked it right in. At that point, I didn’t know where he was.”
Rice also became a factor late with birdies on three of the last six holes. The Orwigsburg golfer shot a 2-under 34 on the back nine, the best score posted by any of the 55 golfers all day.
Rice trailed Misstishin by four strokes with four holes left, but closed with two pars and two birdies to finish one stroke back.
“I struggled on the front nine,” Rice said. “I knew I had to get going to catch Sean on the back. I just knew I had to make birdies coming in, hit the shots and make the putts.”
Rice came within inches of forcing a tiebreaker playoff when his chip shot just missed rolling into the cup for eagle.
Misstishin, putting downhill, hit his second putt within a few feet of the cup, then putted in for birdie to take the title.
“I’ve played with Sean a lot, and I knew he hits it on the green or around the green every time on 18,” Rice said. “I knew I had to make birdie to give myself a chance or chip in for eagle.
“I gave myself I good look at it, and I thought it was in. You expect Sean to make birdie on that hole nine times out of 10.”
Bobby Hillibush (78-75—153) of Mahanoy City was the A Flight champion, defeating Chris Hartman (78-75—153) of Pine Grove in a one-hole playoff. John Bashago (82-80—162) was the B Flight winner, while Nate Yost of Schuylkill Haven (91-80—171) took top honors in the C Flight.
NOTES: A brief rain shower briefly hampered the tournament when the leaders were on No. 15. ... Next year’s Schuylkill County Amateur Golf Medal-Play Championships will be held one week before Labor Day weekend, organizer Jim Kimmel said. The two-day event is tentatively set for Aug. 29-30, 2015.
Medal-Play Scores
Schuylkill County Amateur Golf
Medal-Play Championship
At Hidden Valley Golf Course (Par 72)
Championship Flight
Sean Misstishin 69-76—145
Jim Rattigan 74-72—146
Steve Rice 73-73—146
Jason Marks 72-75—147
James Bromwell 77-73—150
Luke Morgan 73-78—151
Ryan Laudeman 73-78—151
Jeff Chernes 76-76—152
Mike Muncy 75-77—152
Phil Pishock 75-79—154
Bailey Sophy 75-80—155
Kyle Foster 77-79—156
Jim Gross 77-80—157
Gary Hess 77-82—159
A Flight
*Bobby Hillibush 78-75—153
Chris Hartman 78-75—153
Jim Dudash 78-77—155
Clair Rummel Sr. 81-78—159
Gary Metza 78-81—159
Mike Steffe 79-81—160
Joe Orsulak 78-83—161
Linford Mutter 80-82—162
Joe Welsh 81-82—163
Ray Miske III 80-84—164
Dan Woznisky Sr. 81-84—165
Eric Schneck 79-86—165
Zig Kuczynski 79-87—166
Hunter Mickatavage 80-89—169
B Flight
John Bashago 82-80—162
Anthony Mehling 83-82—165
Matt Moll 84-81—165
Mike Misstishin 85-80—165
Nick Brayford 84-81—165
Steve Reiter 84-81—165
Bill Kacmarczyk 84-82—166
Mark Knock 83-84—167
Dan Woznisky Jr. 85-85—170
Matthew Austerberry 86-85—171
Matt Huda 85-88—173
Mike Barnes 83-90—173
Anthony Petrole 82-93—175
Michael DeColli 86-89—175
C Flight
Nate Yost 91-80—171
Mark Bixler 89-87—176
Fred Krute 92-87—179
Brad Woznisky 91-90—181
James Lord 92-90—182
Ray Misstishen 87-95—182
Frank Brennan 96-88—184
Cody Yackenchick 94-95—189
Jared Sabitsky 91-100—191
Jeff Albo 106-87—193
Jim Gustas 100-102—202
Ed Tarantelli 100-109—209
Kyle Corinchock WD
Closest to the Pin Winners
Saturday: No. 6 — Phil Pishock; No. 8 — Bailey Sophy; No. 11 — Sean Misstishin; No. 17 — Joe Orsulak
Sunday: No. 6 — Kyle Foster; No. 8 — James Bromwell; No. 11 — Jim Gross; No. 17 — Jim Gross
Schuylkill County Amateur Golf
Medal-Play Champions
1962-64 — Norm Ackley
1965-66 — Bob Costanzo
1967 — Bill Wallace
1968 — Dave Linkchorst
1969 — Jim Bohrman
1970 — Dave Linkchorst
1971 — Marty Dwyer
1972 — Dave Linkchorst Jr.
1973 — Dave Linkchorst
1974 — William L. Jones III
1975 — Robert J. Devitz
1976 — Jim Bohrman
1977 — Jerry Haas
1978-80 — Jim Bohrman
1981 — Ray Misstishen
1982 — Dave Linkchorst
1983 — Jim Bohrman
1984 — Dave Linkchorst
1985 — Jim Bohrman
1986 — Dave Linkchorst
1987 — Ray Misstishen
1988 — Dave Linkchorst
1989 — Jim Bohrman
1990 — George Huss
1991 — Dave Linkchorst
1992 — George Huss
1993 — Dennis Campbell
1994 — Nick Michels
1995 — Jeff Paul
1996 — Mike Misstishin
1997 — Mike Muncy
1998 — Dennis Campbell
1999 — Mike Muncy
2000-01 — Jim Rattigan
2002 — George Huss
2003 — Dennis Campbell
2004 — Jeff Metza
2005 — Jim Rattigan
2006 — Dennis Campbell
2007 — Jim Rattigan
2008 — Sean Misstishin
2009 — Jeff Metza
2010-12 — Randy Kurzinsky
2013 — Jim Rattigan
2014 — Sean Misstishin