Lucas Politano shanked his second shot on the second playoff hole of the 118th Vermont Amateur, his ball plunged deep in the soaked rough some 170 yards from the green on the par-5 No. 18.
The teenager stayed upbeat.
"The first thought I had was, 'I couldn’t believe I just did that.' Next thought, 'We still have a chance at making birdie here,'" Politano said.
The senior-to-be at Otter Valley Union High School delivered a delicate yet brilliant shot, softly bouncing his approach about 20 feet from the pin. He then rolled in the birdie attempt.
"I had to refocus real quick. I had a gap but I had to get it over a little tree and I just it a perfect shot, I guess," said Politano, who used a seven-iron to get out of trouble.
And after Walker Allen just missed his retort to send the playoff to another hole, Politano hugged his caddie for a rare moment in the tournament's cherished history: The 17-year-old became the youngest Vermont Amateur champion in 25 years, surviving a four-person playoff to close the rain-shortened, 54-hole championship at Burlington Country Club on Thursday.
At 16 years old, only Dustin Cone (1999), Tommy Pierce (1935) and Les Mercer (1921) were younger than Politano when they claimed their titles.
[Editor's note: See below for the full leaderboard]
Politano also joined his sister, Mia, as Vermont Amateur champions. Mia Politano captured the women's title in 2022.
"I think it’s awesome to do it a couple years after her," Lucas Politano said. "It’s great, you always want to write your name on the Amateur trophy."
Politano's victory capped a tournament that dealt with heavy rain and thunderstorms this week. Vermont Golf Association officials were forced to suspend play Wednesday and then shortened the tournament from its traditional 72 holes to just 54.
Politano, Allen, Michael Walsh and Travis Russell all finished at 1-under 212 — the only golfers in red in a remarkably tight leaderboard. Two-time champions Bryson Richards (2021, 2023) and Evan Russell (2013, 2014), Travis Russell's younger brother, were one and two shots, respectively, back of the leaders. Garren Poirier, the 2020 winner, finished three shots behind.
On the 18th hole before the playoff, Politano rattled in a birdie to join the four-person group while Russell pushed his birdie attempt wide that would've won the title outright.
The foursome returned to the 18th green to start the playoff. Allen and Politano notched birdies, but Travis Russell and Walsh, a BCC member, exited with pars. Allen and Politano went back again to tee off at No. 18. After both had good drives in the fairway, Politano knocked his second shot into the rough and Allen couldn't avoid a bunker to the left of the green.
Politano, the two-time Vermont high school D-II state champion, then dropped his approach onto the green. Allen, who shot 67 Thursday for the tournament's low round, coolly got out of the bunker to give himself a chance at birdie. But Allen couldn't hole his putt to extend the championship to a third playoff hole.
Politano moved into serious contention with a 68 on Wednesday. His day on Thursday started poorly: A front-nine 39 featured five bogeys and just two birdies. But Politano closed with a back-nine 33, including a must-have birdie on the No. 18 to make the playoff.
"I just remembered how much I worked for this. You can’t really ever completely get rid of the nerves," Politano said. "But you can always go back to the basics and go back to what you remember and go from there."
Led by Walsh, Burlington Country Club captured the McCullough Cup. The last time BCC hosted the Vermont Amateur, the tournament also needed a playoff to determine a winner. In 2014, Evan Russell survived five playoff holes for the second of back-to-back crowns.
Final Vermont Amateur leaderboard
Thursday (after three rounds)
At Burlington Country Club
Par 71
Lucas Politano (Ralph Myhre) ... 72-68-72—212 (won playoff after two holes)
Walker Allen (Neshobe) ... 73-72-67—212
Michael Walsh (Burlington) ... 72-70-70—212
Travis Russell (Lakeside) ... 70-69-73—212
Bryson Richards (Barre) ... 70-72-71—213
Evan Russell (VT National) ... 68-75-71—214
Garren Poirier (Rutland) ... 70-72-73—215
Alex Leonard (Burlington) ... 75-71-71—217
Taylor Bellemare (Ekwanok) ... 77-69-72—218
Cory Jozefiak (802 Golf Academy) ... 75-72-72—219
Garret Cameron (Barre) ... 74-74-71—219
Ryan Porter (Rutland) ... 71-74-74—219
Bryan Smith (Burlington) ... 73-78-69—220
Cameron O'Connell (Burlington) ... 78-72-70—220
Eric Lajeunesse (Barre) ... 77-74-70—221
Austin Giroux (Newport) ... 72-76-75—223
Troy Goliber (VT National) ... 73-78-73—224
Mathew Smith (Manchester) ... 73-76-76—225
Nate Godbout (Rocky Ridge) ... 80-74-71—225
Cody Semmelrock (Williston) ... 75-74-77—226
Ryan Manley (VT National) ... 73-80-73—226
Chaney Noyes (Burlington) ... 77-75-75—227
Riley Richards (Barre) ... 78-72-78—228
Nick Ojala (Proctor-Pittsford) ... 77-76-75—228
Sebastian Pell (Rutland) ... 77-76-75—228
Charlie Davis (Ekwanok) ... 77-74-77—229
Evan Forrest (Burlington) ... 81-73-76—230
Ryan Shields (VT National) ... 73-76-81—230
Ben Spittle (Blush Hill) ... 77-76-77—230
Alec Carew (West Bolton) ... 76-79-77—231
Brody Yates (Kwiniaska) ... 76-78-77—231
Lance Robinson (CC of VT) ... 78-75-78—231
Frankie Sanborn (Rutland) ... 75-75-82—232
Sean Keogh (Lakeside) ... 78-77-78—233
Jeffrey Maier (Williston) ... 74-77-83—234
Brian Cain (CC of VT) ... 78-77-79—234
Charles McNeeley (CC of VT) ... 81-74-80—235
Owen Benoit (Champlain) ... 74-77-84—235
Cameron Saia (Burlington) ... 79-76-81—236
Adam Berger (Burlington) ... 78-73-86—237
Stephen Richards (Kwiniaska) ... 78-76-238—238
Note: For the full results, including those who did not make the cut, visit golfgenius.
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.
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