Going wins City Championship
Last Modified: Tuesday, June 26, 2012 12:29 PM
By Jim Gazzolo / American Press
On the final day of the City Championship, Robby Going took what amounted to a victory lap.Entering Sunday a shot behind Nathan Allen, Going took the lead for good with birdies on the first two holes.
By the turn he had seized control. By No. 10, he ended all doubts.
Going ran away from the field at Mallard Cove Golf Course, firing a 4-under par 68. He won by three shots over Allen with a 3-day total of 6-under 210.
Allen was second with 213 and two-time defending champ Jacob Lejeune was third at 216.
“It feels great to win again,” said Going. “You never know how you are going to play when you start a round. Thankfully, I got a fast start and got some momentum from there.”
What was expected to be a three-way shootout turned into a rout when Going birdied three straight holes (6, 7, 8), finishing the front nine with a sizzling 5-under 31. The only other player to shot under par on Sunday was Billy Gabbert (71).
“There is nothing you can do when somebody goes out and shoots like that,” said Allen, who was four back at the turn. “It’s just the way it was out there.
“He definitely deserved to win today. He didn’t give any of us much of a chance.”
Any hope of a Going fold ended on the 10th hole.
Missing the green with his third shot on the par-5, Going just wanted to get his chip close. Instead, he put it in the bottom of the cup. Game, set, match.
“I had no intention of making it,” said Going. “I really just wanted to get it in range to save the par. That was one lucky break.”
After that shot, Going’s lead was six with just eight to play.
“I really enjoyed watching him play,” said Allen. “When somebody is playing that good, you just sit back and watch. Maybe I even lost a little focus in my own game, but you have to know what you are seeing and appreciate it.”
When the chip hit home, Going competed a run of 12 holes that included the last two on Saturday with eight birdies.
“Sometimes it is just your day,” said Going, who became a two-time winner Sunday. He also won the 2008 championship and finished runner-up to Lejeune the last two years, including losing in a playoff last summer.
“I have been on the other side so I know what it feels like,” said Going. “It is much more fun to win.”
Lejeune made some noise at times, but could never really get close enough to Going despite starting the day just a shot behind him and two off the lead pace of Allen.
“When he is six shots up, there is not much you can do,” said Lejeune. “Robby was just remarkable, fun to watch and play with.
“For me, I didn’t hit the ball well enough to win this weekend. But give Robby the credit, he started fast and never slowed up.”
Actually, Going proved he was human. After playing the final hole 3-under the first two rounds, Going double bogeyed 18 on Sunday.
“Not the way to finish a championship,” Going said.
It didn’t matter. He had a huge lead and had already received some congratulations from the crowd by the time he teed it up on that final hole.
The only thing that disappointed Allen was he could not hit a few putts early just to see what would have happened.
“With the way Robby was playing, I don’t think it would have mattered in the end, but I would have liked to have been a little closer just to see,”, said Allen.
Of course, but the back nine nobody had Going in their sights and the race was on for second place.
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