Golf’s goofy side reared its nervous and wind-whipped head in the closing moments of Sunday’s 56th Mid-Pacific Open. A final round full of great golf shots from Nick Mason and Jesse Mueller ultimately came down to two tiny putts that were missed.
Mason, who gave one away on the 71st hole when he muffed a short birdie opportunity, captured his second championship at Lanikai in three years when Mueller did the same on the final green.
Ironically, many of the great shots that preceded those holes were putts.
"I putted so good this week," said Mason, a Leilehua and Hawaii Hilo alum who now heads to the Web.com Tour. "I missed one putt from inside 10 feet all week and that was on 17."
He and Mueller, an Arizona pro, came into that hole even. Mueller’s approach shot found the bunker, while Mason stuck his within 3 feet of the pin. Mueller took bogey, but Mason could not convert the easy birdie.
"I wasn’t nervous the entire tournament until I got over my putt on 17," Mason said. "I’ve been more comfortable in the lead lately. Hit a great shot in, but hit a bad putt, pulled it. I was lucky enough that it didn’t matter as much because Jesse made a bogey."
Mason took a one-shot advantage to the 18th, where Mueller put his approach 3 feet above the hole. Needing birdie to force a playoff, it was his turn to miss.
"I just hit a terrible putt on the last hole," said Mueller, who has Hawaii State and Pearl open titles on his resume. "I played pretty well all week, then hit a good shot on the last hole and just hit a terrible putt."
Mason, 31, called what happened on the final hole a "flip-flop."
"Jesse played unbelievable today," said Mason, who finished at 10-under-par 278. "People who have never hit that putt in their life, I don’t care if it’s for a million or $14,000, it doesn’t make any difference. It’s very hard to hit that putt.
"I didn’t really want to win like that. I was more than happy to go to a playoff, but I’ll take it. But I did shoot 66 today."
Mueller finished with a 70. He was the only golfer to break par Saturday, carving a 4-under-par 68 through huge gusts at Mid-Pacific Country Club to take a three-shot advantage into the final round.
MASON HAS BEEN practicing every day at Hoakalei, since edging Dean Wilson in a playoff to win his second Hawaii State Open in December. That training helped him birdie four of the first five holes Sunday to catch up quick.
"Some days, as golfers, your body just feels good," he said. "My body felt totally different today. Maybe it was because the wind wasn’t blowing so hard. The first three days, every swing was so hard to keep your balance.
"A good start when you’re behind is huge."
They were still even, at 8 under, when they made the turn. Another bunker-induced bogey dropped Mueller a shot back at the 10th.
Both birdied the 12th — Mason hitting to 4 feet and Mueller dropping it inside that — and Mueller soared back into a share of first with a 25-foot birdie putt on the 14th. A minute later, Mason followed with a 12-footer for par.
If it wasn’t match play before, it was then. Mason hit a phenomenal shot from a terrible lie on the 15th to save par, while Mueller lipped out his birdie putt. Both one-putted the next hole for birdie before they got tight on Mid-Pacific’s last two treacherous greens.
TWO YEARS AGO, Mason won his first Mid-Pacific title when be outlasted 2011 champion Nathan Lashley in a playoff. Along with his State Opens — here and in a few other states — Mason also has four Hilo Invitational championships.
Now it is time to go back to Monday qualifying on the mainland.
"I got to get out there, it’s about time," he said. "I think I’m finally ready."
California pro Eric Meichtry took third at 69—284. Dean Wilson shot 70 and was fourth at 286. Reigning Manoa Cup champ Jared Sawada (74—291) finished fifth, followed by Punahou sophomore Kyle Suppa (72—292).
Suppa, who won the State Stroke Play title last month, was low amateur, beating teammate PJ Samiere by a shot. Samiere and pros Parker McLachlin, Jacob Grodzinsky and TJ Kua, the 2013 champion, all shot 73 the final day to tie for seventh.
