Kowalski wins Tri-State Open in sudden death playoff over Gee

Amateur Darin Kowalski was sitting on the porch at Southpointe Golf Club sipping a cold beverage and watching the field finish the final round of the Tri-State PGA Open on Tuesday.

He had finished the best round of the tournament, a 4-under-par, and finished the two-day event at even par 144. He played his final 14 holes at 6-under.

He finished around 1 p.m. and waited an hour for the leader, Oakmont Country Club pro Devin Gee, whom he trailed by three strokes.

But Gee struggled down the stretch, making bogey on Nos. 16, 17 and 18, to finish tied with Kowalski and force a sudden-death playoff.

Kowalski parred the first playoff to edge Gee, who bogeyed, to win his first Tri-State Open title.

Kowalski was the fourth consecutive amateur to win the title and the 11th amateur overall.

“I would never root for someone to make bogey,” Kowalski said. “But to squeak in the playoff was awesome. We spoke about how phenomenal this area is, and we all keep pushing each other and this is the result.

“My plan was to play well and put as much pressure on Devin as possible. I knew he was playing good golf, but I knew the final stretch was tough.”

Gee seemed to be in control until the end.

Sure, he was disappointed not to earn his second Tri-State Open title — he won in 2020 — but to soften the pain was a $10,000 check to the top pro.

Kowalski earned a trophy and $1,000 pro shop credit.

“It is an honor to put my name on the Bob Ford Trophy,” Kowalski said. “The names on the trophy speak for themselves.”

Gee said the final three holes are extremely difficult.

“Every hole out there is hard,” Gee said. “I hit a couple poor shots, and it cost me. It is a fine line between par, birdie or other.”

Carter Pitcairn and Eddie Perrino tied for third, Tommy Nettles was fifth and last year’s winner, Austin Lemieux, was sixth.