LIVING IN PARADISE
CROUCH WINS PARADISE CANYON OPEN IN PLAYOFF
26-year-old Ohio native survives three-man playoff for tournament win —
In one blast of sand, T.T. Crouch thought he had won the inaugural Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open in dramatic fasion.
He did, eventually, just not on that particular shot.
The 26-year-old golfer from Mount Vernon, Ohio outlasted fellow Americans Zach Wright and Chris Williams in a twohole playoff following the final round of the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open Sunday afternoon under a hot sun at the Paradise Canyon Golf Resort, taking home a $36,000 cheque, his first win on the Mackenzie Tour — PGA Tour Canada and the ammolite trophy for his efforts.
However, that playoff between the trio who finished at 23-under was nearly rendered unnecessary.
Playing in the final group of the day with Williams and trailing Wright by one, Crouch’s third shot from the sand trap on the par-5 18th hole rolled just wide of the cup, narrowly missing an eagle that would have clinched the tournament.
With the crowd still buzzing from the near-miss, Crouch and Williams tapped in birdies to force the playoff.
“I loved it out of the bunker and my caddie and I both thought it was going to go in,” said Crouch. “It was just creeping on the left side of the hole, I want to see a replay of it and see how it didn’t go in. But it was neat to have the crowd around. I got goosebumps after it almost went in. That would’ve been a great way to win it.”
Instead, Crouch waited until the second playoff hole to clinch the tournament stop on the Mackenzie Tour — PGA Tour Canada, calmly draining a six-foot birdie putt and pumping his first in victory when the shot dropped.
“I don't think I was ever leading ever,” said Crouch. “The whole week I stayed patient and I knew I could make a lot of birdies out here, so that kind of freed me up for the whole week.
“I got off to a good start this week and I told myself before I even started the week that I was going to win and to just keep it calm and stay patient because you can make a lot of birdies out here.”
On the first playoff, Crouch and Wright each birdied, while Williams parred to take himself out of the running.
Coming back down 18 a second time, Crouch’s second shot rolled to the fringe on the back of the 18th green, while Wright’s shot sailed wide to the right.
Crouch’s eagle attempt came up short, but with Wright settling for par, Crouch was able to get his birdie putt to drop for the win, pumping his fist as the shot fell.
“I was mad that I left myself six feet for the win or maybe just a tie,” said Crouch. “So I knew if I had a good spot and hit my line like I've been doing all week and just take it from there, whether I make it or miss it.”
The newly-crowned champ conceded there were some butterflies in that moment.
“My golf coach in college was a sports psychologist and he always used to tell me ‘If you're not nervous something is wrong,’” said Crouch. “So that made me feel OK to be nervous or get comfortable being uncomfortable. I'm not gonna lie, I was more nervous putting that three-footer in regulation after almost making that bunker shot than I was making that 20-footer in the playoff.”
Crouch started the final round Sunday with a pair of birdies before hitting water and taking a bogey on the third hole.
“I got off to a good start making birdie on one two and made a really bad swing on number three,” said Crouch. “You cannot hit it left on three and my caddie, Anthony, told me ‘You could make tons of birdies out here so don't worry about it’. I was still one under through four so I was still in a good spot. I just kept on giving myself looks and trying to make them.”
Crouch finished off the front nine at 33 before going 32 on the back nine, including his 18th hole birdie.
The table was set for the playoff when Wright threeputted on the 18th hole to settle for par.
“I looked at the scoreboard and saw that Zach didn’t get a birdie on 18, so I knew I had to make birdie just to tie which felt great because I felt on the 18th tee I needed to make eagle just to tie,” said Crouch. “And then walking up here knowing that he only made par and I was only one back, that if I were to make birdie I tie, I hit the bunker shot and I thought I was going to win, but luckily enough I win in the playoffs and that's it.”
The first Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open champion enjoyed his stop in southern Alberta.
“I love it here,” said Crouch. “The town in the community is like what I grew up with back home. It’s a tight knit community and you can feel like you’re family around here, whether they know you or don’t know you. That’s the way it felt on the golf course as well.”
In other play Sunday, Sam Fidone made a late charge with a final round eight-under 63 to finished tied for fourth at 21-under with Matt Marshall.
Jared Bettcher, Jonathan Khan and Evan Bowser (20under) tied for sixth, while Danny Walker and George Cunningham tied for ninth at 19-under.