WODONGA’s Peter Miller overcame a broken down car and a playoff to take the North East District title at the weekend.
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The +1 handicapper finished the 27-hole tournament at Wodonga at 2-over par in a tie with Vaughan Saunders.
But in fading light on Sunday Miller “monstered” a drive down the par-5 seventh, the first of three planned play-off holes — with his three-wood coming to rest on the green.
Saunders was short and right but hit his third to about five feet, only to miss the putt for birdie.
Miller said he took a while to get going after a few hiccups on the way to the course.
He had a flat tyre in his wife’s car and no jack, but a service station attendant turned taxi driver to get him to the course in time to go out with the last seeded group in the tournament.
“There was a lot of bad golf, mixed with a lot of really good golf in that first nine,” he said.
“The course was wet so it was playing pretty long as well but I settled into a rhythm and was able to put a decent score on the board.
“I don’t think I could ever do that again on the seventh, normally I’m 60 metres out for two and it was at the end of 27 holes, cold and wet — it had to be the adrenaline.”
Miller said the playoff could have easily involved four players.
“Dale Crothers and Justin Gamble were tied coming down the last (the par-4 ninth in the A-grade event) and both had double bogeys,” he said.
“We all play this event as part of the criteria to go to Country Week later in the year, but I didn’t really think I was a chance of winning it.”