Berliner’s win emotional
Golfer earns 11th Stroke Play title months after stepmother’s death
Scott Berliner was grinding his way toward what would be his 11th victory in 12 years at the Northeastern New York PGA Stroke Play Championship when the emotions nearly overwhelmed him on the 17th green Wednesday at Saratoga National.
Berliner, a Lake Luzerne native who is the 11-time reigning NENYPGA Player of the Year, was hovering over a 3-foot birdie putt to retain his threestroke lead. He would go on to earn his 29th major NENYPGA victory, but the first without his stepmother, who died in February.
“She loved flamingos, so I had some towels made up with a flamingo logo on it,” Berliner said. “She never played golf, but she was the first person I’d call after tournaments. ‘How’d you play?’ “I literally was trying not to cry over that putt. She was always my biggest supporter, even though she didn’t play golf. She didn’t know the difference between a birdie and a bogey.”
Recently hired as director of golf instruction at Eagle Crest, Berliner, 47, finished with a five-stroke victory over Pittsfield (Mass.) head pro Eric Mabee. He shot a 5-under-par 67 — including 4-under 32 on the back nine — for a 36-hole score of 137.
Berliner played a lot of last
year with his attention divided between golf and his stepmom.
“She had a lot of health issues, and one thing added to another,” he said. “She and my dad were together at assisted living, and now he’s by himself. That’s been an emotional roller coaster. She was always the strongest person I know.”
The victory was worth $2,000 from a total purse of $9,550, but Berliner, who held a two-stroke lead heading into the final round, had to show some inner strength to hold that lead.
Mabee birdied four of the first seven holes to draw even with Berliner. They were still tied through 12 holes when Berliner made a club switch on the tee box at 13, a 560-yard par 5.
“I was playing way too tentative, trying not to make mistakes instead of just going out and playing,” Berliner said. “I was going to hit 2-iron on the par 5 to lay up and play it as a threeshot hole. I’m like, ‘That’s not how I play. Just hit it, and whatever happens happens.’”
What happened was a well-placed 3-wood to the front edge of a ravine, which gave him a “good number” of 251 yards for his 2-iron. Berliner hit his approach to within 3 feet and sank the putt for eagle.
“It’s tough when you lose ground making a birdie,” said Mabee, who rolled in a 15-footer before Berliner’s putt, “but he had a great shot. He wasn’t going to miss.”
Mabee, who ended Berliner’s streak of 10 consecutive Stroke Play titles last year, made two incredible up-anddowns on 15 and 16, but Berliner gained a stroke on each hole. Mabee incurred his third penalty stroke of the back nine on 18, but by that time Berliner had victory secured.
“It was back and forth all day,” Mabee said. “Then on the last four holes, I lost three golf balls.”
Chris Sanger of Woodstock finished third, shooting a 68. He was within one of the lead until he double-bogeyed 14. Justin Hearley of Burden Lake was fourth.