Travis Bertoni didn’t wake up Sunday expecting to shoot a 64, even though he knew it would probably be enough to win at Chattahoochee.
“I just wanted to come out and chip away at the lead,” said Bertoni, who entered the fourth round of the Georgia Sports Orthopedic Specialists Classic one shot back of the lead. “I knew if I did that, it would give me a chance to win.”
Bertoni didn’t simply chip away at the lead, he came close to a course record. He fired five birdies on the front nine and played bogey-free golf all day en route to a 7-under par 64 in the final round — only a couple shots off the 18-hole course record — and won the tournament with a four-round total of 19-under par, 265. This marks the 25-year old Bertoni’s first win on the National Golf Association’s Hooters Tour.
“I really did the same thing all week,” said Bertoni of his first trip to Chattahoochee. “I was just very consistent.
“I don’t feel like I played great golf; I just didn’t make many mistakes.”
On the back nine, Bertoni made some remarkable saves after errant tee shots: He hit a 3-wood out of the rough from 260 yards out on No. 15 for an eventual birdie, then on No. 16 he used a 5-iron out of the bunker from 205 yards away and planted the ball within 20 feet of the cup before two-putting for par.
“That was good because I was just trying to keep my momentum going,” said Bertoni, who is from Paso Robles, Calif.
“Travis deserved to win today,” said Garrett Jones, who played with Bertoni in the leader’s group during the final round. “He hit a lot of shots close to the hole today.”
As impressive as his play was on No. 15 and 16, Bertoni was happier with what he did on the previous two holes.
On No. 14, he maneuvered a short pitch shot downhill to within a couple feet of the cup to save par. “That roll was so quick that I had to hit it very delicately,” said Bertoni, who never glanced at a leaderboard until No. 16.
However, his play on No. 15 was what really left the gallery impressed. After his tee shot landed along the cart path, he was awarded a free drop, which came to rest in a high patch of grass. On his second shot, he nailed a 3-wood out of the high grass.
It landed short on the green and ran to within about 12 feet of the cup. He two-putted for birdie on the par-5 hole.
Then on No. 16, his iron shot out of the bunker came to rest on the green and then two-putted for par. His skill with the putter more than compensated for missing two short putts early in the round for birdie.
Bertoni finished the weekend with 3-under par in the first round, 5-under par on Friday and a 4-under par on Saturday.
Bertoni best play on the weekend was on the Par 5 holes, with a combined 12-under par on Chattahoochee’s three longest. He eagled the par 5 No. 17 on Thursday and Friday, followed by an eagle on No. 6 Saturday, along with birdies on each of the par 5s on the back nine, which traditionally plays as the front nine at Chattahoochee.
During the final round, Bertoni birdied all three of the par 5 holes.
Roberto Castro, who played in college at Georgia Tech, finished second at 14-under par (270). He fired the weekend’s best round of 63 on Sunday with eight birdies (four on each side), only one shot off the course record at Chattahoochee. Castro entered the final round at 6-under par and well off the lead held by Jones and Brian Lamberti at 13-under after three rounds.
In the final round, Lamberti shot even par and finished in a three-way tie for third with Kyle Ellis and Matthew Anderson.
Jones played at 1-over par on Sunday and finished the weekend at 12-under par (272) and took sixth place.
“I missed too many putts today,” Jones said. “I just didn’t capitalize on my opportunities.”
“I just wanted to come out and chip away at the lead,” said Bertoni, who entered the fourth round of the Georgia Sports Orthopedic Specialists Classic one shot back of the lead. “I knew if I did that, it would give me a chance to win.”
Bertoni didn’t simply chip away at the lead, he came close to a course record. He fired five birdies on the front nine and played bogey-free golf all day en route to a 7-under par 64 in the final round — only a couple shots off the 18-hole course record — and won the tournament with a four-round total of 19-under par, 265. This marks the 25-year old Bertoni’s first win on the National Golf Association’s Hooters Tour.
“I really did the same thing all week,” said Bertoni of his first trip to Chattahoochee. “I was just very consistent.
“I don’t feel like I played great golf; I just didn’t make many mistakes.”
On the back nine, Bertoni made some remarkable saves after errant tee shots: He hit a 3-wood out of the rough from 260 yards out on No. 15 for an eventual birdie, then on No. 16 he used a 5-iron out of the bunker from 205 yards away and planted the ball within 20 feet of the cup before two-putting for par.
“That was good because I was just trying to keep my momentum going,” said Bertoni, who is from Paso Robles, Calif.
“Travis deserved to win today,” said Garrett Jones, who played with Bertoni in the leader’s group during the final round. “He hit a lot of shots close to the hole today.”
As impressive as his play was on No. 15 and 16, Bertoni was happier with what he did on the previous two holes.
On No. 14, he maneuvered a short pitch shot downhill to within a couple feet of the cup to save par. “That roll was so quick that I had to hit it very delicately,” said Bertoni, who never glanced at a leaderboard until No. 16.
However, his play on No. 15 was what really left the gallery impressed. After his tee shot landed along the cart path, he was awarded a free drop, which came to rest in a high patch of grass. On his second shot, he nailed a 3-wood out of the high grass.
It landed short on the green and ran to within about 12 feet of the cup. He two-putted for birdie on the par-5 hole.
Then on No. 16, his iron shot out of the bunker came to rest on the green and then two-putted for par. His skill with the putter more than compensated for missing two short putts early in the round for birdie.
Bertoni finished the weekend with 3-under par in the first round, 5-under par on Friday and a 4-under par on Saturday.
Bertoni best play on the weekend was on the Par 5 holes, with a combined 12-under par on Chattahoochee’s three longest. He eagled the par 5 No. 17 on Thursday and Friday, followed by an eagle on No. 6 Saturday, along with birdies on each of the par 5s on the back nine, which traditionally plays as the front nine at Chattahoochee.
During the final round, Bertoni birdied all three of the par 5 holes.
Roberto Castro, who played in college at Georgia Tech, finished second at 14-under par (270). He fired the weekend’s best round of 63 on Sunday with eight birdies (four on each side), only one shot off the course record at Chattahoochee. Castro entered the final round at 6-under par and well off the lead held by Jones and Brian Lamberti at 13-under after three rounds.
In the final round, Lamberti shot even par and finished in a three-way tie for third with Kyle Ellis and Matthew Anderson.
Jones played at 1-over par on Sunday and finished the weekend at 12-under par (272) and took sixth place.
“I missed too many putts today,” Jones said. “I just didn’t capitalize on my opportunities.”