A 20-year-old Elmira man who attends the University of Waterloo on a golf scholarship will have his name engraved on the Inco trophy after winning the Idylwylde Men's Invitational Golf Tournament on Sunday.
Garrett Rank, runner-up last year, met Sudbury's own Vince Palladino, 37, in the final round of the tournament that brought 190 of Canada's best amateur golfers to the city.
"We were tied at 18," Rank said. "We both hit drives down the middle. Me and my caddy decided to go for it. We thought we'd hit a three wood. It turned out I hit a really good shot to the right front of the green for an eagle. Vince hit an excellent shot under pressure. He was 10 feet away. My hit was two inches short. He conceded. I made four. He just missed the birdie. He made five."
Both Palladino and club pro Paul Schweyer said Rank's drive down the middle was one of the best shots they'd ever seen.
"He hit the best shot I've seen under pressure with a three wood on the fairway into the wind," Palladino said. Schweyer said point blank, "It was the best shot of the tournament."
Rank will go home with a watch, a leather jacket and a lot of memories.
"Yep, I'll be back next year," he said. "The people here make it a really nice time."
Palladino, who played in his seventh final, said he couldn't have asked for a closer game.
He said of Rank: "He's big league caliber. He's got the talent. He's got the fire."
Both men, said Schweyer, played their hearts out.
