Sycamore Golf Club's (North Manchester) Quinn Griffing took the title of the third and final event of the 1997 Ping/Pepsi Tournament Series Tuesday at the South Bend Country Club. Griffing posted a three-under par 68 for a one-shot victory.

Griffing had birdies on No. 12, 15 and 16 in heavy rain with his longest birdie putt of the front side on No. 16 from 15 feet away. He went on to birdie No. 2 and No. 5 on his second nine, while also bogeying No. 8 and No. 13.

"I just missed the wind on No. 8," Griffing said. "I hit a sandwedge and it fell short. I couldn't get up and down."

In a two-way tie for second were Crooked Lake Golf Course's (Columbia City) Bill Schumaker and Stonehenge Executive Course's (Warsaw) Denny Hepler at 2-under 69.

Schumaker got it to 4-under par at one point during his round, but started making bogeys and came up only 2-under. After a 1-over par first nine, Hepler came back with four birdies and a bogey on his second nine for a 3-under 33.

Senior Pros Take Fourth Straight Challenge Cup Title

The Indiana Section PGA team captured its fourth straight title in the IGA-PGA Senior Challenge Cup matches held Tuesday at The Golf Club of Indiana (Zionsville).

After taking a commanding 4-0 lead in the morning Four Ball matches, the senior pros coasted to a 5-3 win in the afternoon singles matches and a 9-3 win in the overall competition.

Helping to lead the way was Stonehenge pro Dave Schumaker, who posted a 2-0 record for the day. Over the past four years, Schumaker has a 3-0-1 record in the competition.

The series now stands at PGA 5, IGA 1 and 1 tie.

In the regular IGA-PGA Challenge Cup, the two sides battled to a 12-12 tie in the 27th annual competition. The IGA rebounded from a 5-3 deficit in the morning Four Ball matches to take a 9-7 advantage in the afternoon singles matches.

Warsaw's Jerry Nelson teamed up with John "Spider" Miller, the 1996 USGA Mid-Amateur Champion, for a morning victory over Sycamore Golf Club's Todd Sandow and Quinn Griffing. Miller then beat Sandow in the afternoon, while Griffing beat Nelson.

The series now stands at PGA 14, IGA 10 and 3 ties.

Witt Makes Birdie For Mid-Am Victory

Bob Witt Jr. of Fishers took the title of the 1997 Indiana Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship with a birdie putt on the final hole at Tippecanoe Lake Country Club. Witt, tied with Connersville's Randy Nichols going into the 18th hole, sunk an 8-footer for his first IGA title Tuesday.

After Monday's first round of competition, three players stood at 4-under par; Witt, Nichols and Carmel's Doc O'Neal. Witt was the first to jump ahead, making two 30-foot birdie putts on the front side. A bogey on No. 9 gave Witt a 1-under 34 and a one- and two- shot lead over O'Neal and Nichols respectively. O'Neal turned at even-par and Nichols at 1-over.

Witt played the next six holes at another 1-under par for a tournament total of 6-under. Nichols, the defending champ and leader of the IGA amateur of the year race for the third consecutive year, poured on the steam on the back side, also getting a tournament total of 6-under par through 16 holes.

O'Neal, who missed several birdie opportunities throughout the back side, stood at 5-under after 16. All three players narrowly missed birdie putts on No. 17. Witt had the longest and after hitting it, started walking to the hole immediately.

"I thought I made it," he said. "It went right over the mark where I was aiming."

On 18, Witt punched a 5-iron shot into the wind from 163 yards to eight feet from the hole. Nichols' approach shot landed just outside of Witt at about nine feet away. Nichols putted first and just missed.

Witt rolled his in for the win.

"I made those all through the tournament so I was confident," Witt said. "It was downhill and dead straight. I really putted well today and yesterday."

His putting proved to be the most important part of his game and that last one let him capture his first state title, including his junior days.

The birdie on No. 18 let Witt add a 3-under 67 to his first round of 66 for a 7-under 133 two-day total. Nichols finished with a 68 and 6-under 134 total, while O'Neal, the runner-up in this year's Indiana Amateur, finished with a 69 and a 5-under 135.

Warsaw's Jerry Nelson finished fourth with a 3-under total of 137. Nelson had rounds of 69 and 68. Also, Warsaw's Tom Heuer finished in a tie for 81st with a 154, 14-over par. Bob Miller of Syracuse was in 89th with a 16-over. Jay Shively of Warsaw was in 101st place with a 21-over 161. [[In-content Ad]]