Rick Stimmel wins Tri-State PGA Open in playoff

Rick Stimmel admitted he started thinking about last year’s Tri-State Open during the final few holes of this year’s tournament Tuesday at Southpointe Golf Club.

And while he let his three-shot lead trickle away in 2022, the 55-year-old did enough to hold on and win this year’s title in a playoff. He had finished second four previous times.

Stimmel shot par on the first playoff hole (No. 18) to edge fellow amateur Rocco Salvitti for his first Tri-State Open title. Stimmel lost to amateur Brett Young in a three-hole playoff in 2022. He becomes the eighth amateur in the 60 years of the tournament to win.

“I’m fortunate that things turned out in my favor,” said Stimmel, who has competed in a playoff against Salvitti two previous times in the last nine months. “Rocco is so good. These young guys are so good, so when you win, you cherish it. The window of opportunity starts to dwindle a little bit.”

Salvitti, who recently graduated from Central Catholic and will attend Notre Dame, rallied during the final three holes with pars to force the playoff. A wind-blown chip shot on the playoff hole carried the ball off the back of the green. Salvitti then came up short on his first chip and finished with a double-bogey 6.

It was the second time since 2020 that Salvitti held the lead in the Open and came up short.

Stimmel, after a slow start, caught fire after an eagle on No. 6. He strung together four consecutive birdies (Nos. 8-11) and went to 6-under for the final round after an eagle on No. 15.

“On No. 6, I drove the ball to the bottom of the hill and had 105 yards in and chipped to within 4 feet and made it,” Stimmel said. “I hit a nice easy driver on No. 15 because it was playing downwind to the fringe and made a 20-footer.

“That saved me because there is no lead out here that feels like enough. I knew I had a three-shot lead: 16, 17 and 18 are not difficult, but if you hit it a hair off line, you’re making bogey or worse. I made one of the best bogeys I’ve ever made on No. 18.”

Salvitti, after two bogeys during his first four holes, found his groove and birdied three of the final four holes on the front nine.

But things changed on No. 12. His drive on the par-4 hole ended up in the front bunker right of the green. His chip from the bunker came out hot and sailed to the back of the green, leaving him with a 50-foot downhill putt. He three-putted for double bogey.

He had pars the rest of the way to force the tie.

“I hit a stock pitching wedge over the back,” Salvitti said. “The ball ended up in a high bunch of rough. I started off weak. I had it going until No. 12.”

Salvitti also had a great up-and-down for par on No. 16. His second shot came within three feet of the hole but caught a slope and rolled off the green into a bunker.

Stimmel said finally winning the Open is huge because of the great field of players.

“All these guys are my same friends for the last 30 years,” Stimmel said. “It means a lot. I lost to Sean (Knapp) one year. I lost to Brett. This is big because it’s among my friends and peers.”

Southpointe Golf Club pro Justin Collins, who finished third, took the low pro prize of $10,000. John Aber was the low Senior player.