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STAMFORD, Conn. Three players were tied for the lead going into the final two holes of Sunday's final round of the Stamford Amateur Golf Championship at Sterling Farms. The youngest, Alexander Rossetti, played them the best.
Rossetti, a June graduate of Westhill High School, shot a 6-over-par 78 to finish at 225 for the 54-hole tournament. He won by one stroke over Jim Romaniello and Cahal McMonagle, who each shot 79 in the final round.
The difference was the 17th hole. All three players missed the green on the 232-yard par-3, a hole that has decided past Stamford Amateur winners. Rossetti saved par from the bunker, converting a 12-foot putt. McMonagle couldn't get up and down out of a bunker. Romaniello chipped to within three feet. His par putt narrowly stayed out of the cup. "I think after seeing my putt his got a lot longer,'' Rossetti said.
On the final 487-yard, par-5 18th, Rossetti reached in two. Romaniello, knowing he needed a big drive, pushed his shot right and was never in position to make the birdie he needed to extend the match. McMonagle was just off the green in two, but his chip rolled well past the pin. He also settled for par. Rossetti left his first putt well short, but managed to calm his nerves and get his par and the win.
"I was telling myself hit it hard,'' said Rossetti, who had Zach Eisen as his caddy. "I was so nervous, it didn't go anywhere. I then hit it by the hole and I had to make a short one coming back. When it went in Jim said 'Congratulations, you won the tournament. I had no idea."
All three players started the final round tied for the lead. Rossetti rallied after taking a triple bogey on the first hole. He played his best on the back nine, when he shot a 1-over-par 37. McMonagle and Romaniello, both long-time tournament participants, hung with the teenager until the final two holes.
"This tournament has always meant a lot to me,'' said Rossetti, who will attend Elon University in North Carolina. "It's my town championship. I grew up playing this course. It's a perfect ending. If someone wrote a story like this, I wouldn't believe it."
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