Idylwdyle Men's Invitational

After playing five rounds of golf over a period of slightly more than 48 hours, it was a pretty safe bet the last thing that either Bruce Helbig or Vince Palladino wanted was to play an extra hole or two. But with the tandem that have combined for eight Idylwdyle Men's Invitational golf championships going stroke for stroke, their final match would extend to a twentieth hole before Helbig would secure his 4th Idylwylde crown.

The additional drama was needed in large part due to Palladino's grittiness in battling back from a series of less than ideal shots as a gallery of one hundred or so followed the pair along the eighteenth fairway. From about 100 yards out, Palladino lofted his second shot into the back bunker but scrambled to successfully complete the up and down, culminated with a tricky 10-foot putt for par that brought a roar from the crowd.

While Helbig was nothing short of incredibly consistent in the end, Palladino drifted his tee shot on # 1 off to the right and behind some trees, leaving the five-time champion no alternative but to pitch back out to the fairway. He then proceeded to nail his third shot from 170 yards away to the green, catching the left-hand corner with a timely run-up bounce.

As both players recorded pars on the second hole, Palladino tempted fate once too often, driving his tee shot on # 3 out of bounds to the right, on the hillside slope adjacent to Ramsey Lake Road. By the time Helbig safely pitched his second shot the the middle of the green, Palladino was prepared to concede victory to an all-too-familiar foe at the historic Sudbury course.

"I've played Vince at least five or six times and often enough to know that Vince is never out of any match" said Helbig, a native Floridian who now calls Haileybury home. "He's a great competitor, one of the top two or three golfers in all of Northern Ontario and has been for the past 15 years or more" added Helbig, who notes his acquaintance with Palladino dates back to when the now-prominent Sudbury businessman was no more than 15 or 16 years of age.

Despite Palladino's up and down play as fatigue set in on both players, Helbig was adament not to look too far ahead. "I just wanted to concentrate on the task at hand, make a par or better" explained Helbig of his mindset after seeing Palladino miss-hit his tee shot on the second playoff hole.

The well-spoken champion noted that he attended his first Idywlylde Invitational in 1989, at the bequest of friend Scott Clements, when it was still a relative unknown in the local golfing world. "I was fortunate enough to win the tournament in my first year but I haven't played here since either '01 or '02", said Helbig.

If there was a turning point over the weekend for Helbig, it quite likely came in the semi-final battle with Cam Hreljac when Helbig found himself trailing by three after just four holes of play. "I just didn't quit - I just kept trying to keep it in play and hopefully would find my game. To win when you're not playing well is one of the keys for a match play event like this" acknowledged Helbig.

While he remains uncertain of whether he will return to Sudbury in 2007 with an opportunity to pull even with Palladino with five championships apiece, it's quite clear that Helbig looks forward to another shot at the challenging course with the ultra-fast greens and a chance to renew acquaintances with Palladino. "He's a gracious host and a wonderful champion" summarized Helbig.

Full results of the Championship Flight play and remaining flight winners are noted below

Friday - Qualifying Round

At the pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday, 2006 Idylwylde Men's Invitational tournament chairman Rob Coe noted that traditional playoff that generally concludes the opening qualifying round can often be one of the season highlights at the Walford Road course steeped in history. This year would be no different.

No less than seven golfers returned to the first tee after finishing tied at 76, with but one remaining spot available in the championship flight of sixteen. But as Jordan Lund, Todd Crowder, Ryan Whissell, Peter Balon, Jay Jewitt, Brandon Christo and defending champion teed up for their 19th hole, a group of fifteen competitors that included 5-time tournament champion Vince Palladino and traditional Lively front-runner Brent Hatton relaxed in the clubhouse.

They were among the fifteen golfers who shot 75 or better, qualifying for the top flight without the need of a playoff. First, back to the afore-mentioned overtime drama. Crowder, Whissell, Haggar and Lund fell by the wayside after Balon, Jewitt and Christo all birdied the first playoff hole, with Balon eliminated one hole later after a bogey on two.

After both Christo and Jewitt registered pars on the third hole, it came down to a fourth extra hole with the sun setting quickly before Jewitt, tournament champion in Blind River last month, survived to fill out the final slot. Winston Ivey of the Don Valley Golf & Country Club led all competitors by firing a one over par 71, one shot better than Mike Johnson of the Idylwylde.

Hatton and Sooite Allen Jones each finished at 73, with Andrew Fortier and Cam Hreljac another shot back. A total of nine golfers, including Palladino and four-time runner-up Bruce Helbig, narrowly avoided the playoff round, coming in with rounds of 75. Remaining championship qualifiers include: Mike Doniec, Sid Segsworth, Grant Fullerton, Shawn Heaphy, Jordan Leggett, Kyle Rank and John Wellard.

Match play begins Saturday morning with the final head to head battle set to begin Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. - public is welcome to attend at no charge.

Championship Flight

Winston Ivey defeats Jay Jewitt - 20th hole
Vince Palladino defeats John Wellard - 6 & 5
Kyle Rank defeats Allen Jones - 19th hole
Andrew Fortier defeats Shawn Heaphy - 5 & 4
Mike Johnson defeats Jordan Leggett - 1 up
Bruce Helbig defeats Sid Segsworth - 5 & 4
Grant Fullerton defeats Brent Hatton - 1 up
Cam Hreljac defeats Mike Doniec - 4 & 3

Palladino defeats Ivey - 1 up
Rank defeats Fortier - 7 & 6
Helbig defeats Johnson - 2 up
Hreljac defeats Fullerton - 2 & 1

First Flight

Ryan Haggar defeats Jim Christison
Brandon Moffat defeats Gianfranco Guida

Haggar wins First Flight over Moffat

Second Flight

Brad McMillan defeats Yves Fraser
Chad Zubriski defeats Darryl Whitford

McMillan wins Second Flight over Zubriski

Third Flight

Ryan Abresch defeats Mike Devine
Jesse Hiddleston defeats Richard Evoy

Hiddleston wins Third Flight over Abresch