LaFave wins Western Ontario Men’s Golf title

Sitting and waiting an hour for the field to finish took a little sizzle off Alex Zappio’s game.

The 23-year-old Zappio charged from five-shots back of the leaders after the first-round of the 54th Western Ontario Men’s Golf Championship to take the lead with a sparkling seven-under par 65 on Sunday.

But the 2015 champion’s quest for a second title in three years came to a halt when he lost on the first hole of a playoff at Beach Grove to Peterborough native Luke LaFave.

“That’s tough and the unfortunate part is you sit around and he (LaFave) comes off the golf course and is ready to go while I’ve been sitting around, but that’s how it goes,” said Zappio, who would bogey the first playoff hole while LaFave won it with a par. “I’m pretty happy with being second after sitting 18th after the first round.”

LaFave, who lives in Berkley, Mich., had to make his own late charge just to get to a playoff.

“I kind of got word on No. 16 (about Zappio’s round) and I was two under,” the 38-year-old LaFave said. “I knew I needed a couple of birdies.”

He rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on 16 to pull to within one and then nearly chipped in on the 18th to win, but hit a tap-in putt for birdie to force the playoff.”

LaFave, who is head coach for men’s golf at the University of Detroit Mercy, only got his amateur status in June after 12 years as a pro. He learned of the event from Essex’s David Byrne, who he coached at Detroit Mercy, and Riverside high school teacher Craig Cavanaugh, who is also from Peterborough.

“I’ve never played it before,” LaFave said of the tournament.

He shot a solid one-under par 71 on Saturday’s first day of play at Roseland to make the cut to 39 for Sunday and finished with an impressive three-under par 69 on the second day for a four-under 140 total.

Zappio’s journey was far tougher as his seven-under 65 on Sunday came after a three-over par 75 on Saturday to get to four-under 140.

“I was putting fine, I just needed to hit a few more greens,” said Zappio, who golfs out of Beach Grove. “I made almost every putt I saw.

“I thought 65 was the number I needed (on Sunday) and I knew I was putting fine.”

Both struggled on the first playoff hole.

“It wasn’t a pretty playoff hole for either of us,” LaFave said.

Both shot to the left into the rough near trees on the first hole. Zappio was behind a tree while LaFave sat in the rough near a tree.

“He could get (his second shot) down the fairway,” Zappio said. “I was behind the tree.”

Zappio hit a 15-foot putt for bogey that forced LaFave to drain a 10-foot putt for par and the win.