Etter a winner
- Updated: August 28, 2019
Pine Hill pro takes lead with late birdie, wins Match Play title for fourth Section victory
By East Alabama Sports Today
VESTAVIA – Pine Hill pro Cory Etter took the lead with a birdie on 17 and held it through the final hole to edge Jammie Lett 1 up Wednesday and win the Alabama-Northwest Florida PGA Section Match Play Championship at Vestavia Country Club.
It was the 38-year-old Etter’s fourth career victory in a Section event and one of the biggest of his career. He won the section’s PGA Apprentice Championship title twice – for trips to the national tournament – and a one-day event at Pine Tree Country Club.
“It’s another notch, another championship that I wanted,” Etter said. “It’s a big event for our section and the fact it goes over several months you’ve got to play good for a longer period of time. It’s not go out and play two good rounds and you’re done.”
He did need to win two matches Wednesday to claim the title. He beat Ron Stromeyer of Pine Tree CC in the semifinals 2 and 1, taking control of the match with back-to-back birdies on 6 and 7.
Etter and Lett, an assistant at Hoover CC from Rainbow City, battled throughout the championship match. Etter knew he was in for a battle when he birdied 2 and Lett dropped a putt for eagle. The players halved the next nine holes with pars before Etter birdied 12 to even the match.
Etter bogeyed 13 and Lett bogeyed 14. It remained all square until 17 when Etter hit it to 10 feet and made the birdie to take the lead. Both players made 10-footers for par on 18.
“It’s exciting to win and always feels good to win,” Etter said. “I’ve just got ot keep the momentum going. I’ve got a few other tournaments coming up in the next month or so.”
Cover file photo by Brad Young.
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