DeCarlo & Wisniewski Repeat as Best-Ball Champions

Doug DeCarlo and Connor Wisniewski repeated as champions of the SDGA Best Ball Championship on Sunday. The group fired a pair of 67s to finish at 10-under, winning by one stroke. 

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DeCarlo, a member of the NYSGA eClub, and Wisniewski, a member of Drumlins Golf Club, started off hot during the first round at Radisson Greens GC on Saturday. Wisniewski rolled in a birdie on the first hole, then DeCarlo complemented with another birdie on the second. DeCarlo would go on to record four birdies in the back nine, including back-to-back 3s on 12 and 13. Collectively, the pair finished with three straight birdies to close out the opening round, shooting a five-under 67, finishing day one in a three-way tie for second.

Only Andrew Brunozzi (Yahnundasis GC) and John Gruninger (Bellevue CC) went lower in the first round, both with a 66. Carl Schimenti and Andrew Turker (both of Robert Trent Jones GC at Cornell University), as well as the Elms Golf Club duo of Robert Dye and Kyle Hughes, also finished Saturday at 67.

On Sunday, at Shenandoah GC, the leaders slipped out of the gate, both bogeying the second hole. Wisniewski pounced on the opportunity with three birdies on the front nine, including a 2 on the par-3 9th hole. Through 27 holes, DeCarlo and Wisniewski were tied at seven-under with Brunozzi and Gruninger. Schimenti and Turker, as well as Alex Town (NYSGA eClub) and Mitchell Weigand (Beaver Meadows Golf Club), were at six-under.

With the tournament on the line, DeCarlo caught fire on the final nine with three birdies. The duo had no bogeys through the last 15 holes. After birdies on the 12th and 13th holes, Brunozzi and Gruninger had to settle for pars the rest of the way. A par from Wisniewski on 18 was enough to seal the victory for the second consecutive year. 

DeCarlo and Wisniewski had the lowest final round of the tournament with a 67. They were one of 11 of the 36 groups in red figures on Sunday. Eighteen teams finished under par on Saturday. 

Brunozzi and Gruninger finished in second at nine-under; they finished in third during last year’s event. Town and Weigand, as well as Schimenti and Turker, finished eight under par, tied for third place. Rounding out the top five was Adam Butch and Michael Deblois of Cavalry Club, who shot five-under for the tournament.