Dino Lucchesi says he’s not really a jacket-and-tie kind of guy.
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“I don’t even wear one,” he said, laughing.
He does now.
After limping in with a 3-over-par final-round score of 75 Thursday at Kemper Lakes, Lucchesi regrouped in time to beat Medinah’s Mike Harrigan by one shot in a mandatory three-hole playoff to win the first Illinois PGA Championship of his career.
After nine tries and four near misses, the Bittersweet CC assistant and former Nike Tour player also took home the $8,500 first prize, Motorola Western Open exemption and spiffy navy blue sport coat that went with it.
“I’m so happy right now I don’t know what to say,” said Lucchesi, who tied for second last year, third in 1995, sixth in 1990 and 16th in 1996. “I’ve been dreaming about winning this for a long, long time. To add my name to the list of guys who are on that trophy means more than I can say.”
For Lucchesi, waiting in the dentist’s office would have been easier than Thursday. “It’s hard to hit it when you’re shaking,” he said. The 1993 Illinois Open champ survived a 2-hour rain and lightning delay, a double bogey at the 11th (where he hit into the water), a bogey at the par-5 15th that dropped him into a tie with the charging Harrigan, and the letdown of bogeying the 384-yard par-4 18th when his 5-foot par putt to win slid by the cup on the left.
Harrigan used an eagle on No. 7 and birdies at 13 and 14 for a final-round 72 that caught Lucchesi at even-par 216.
When Lucchesi lofted a perfect wedge shot on the first playoff hole–the 378-yard No. 1–to within 4 feet of the flag and rolled in the putt for a birdie and a one-shot lead, however, Harrigan’s long IPGA Championship nightmare remained intact.
“He put a lot of pressure on me by making that birdie,” said Harrigan, who finished second for the fifth time. “I was playing from behind after that.”
Lucchesi, who’ll bid for his first U.S. Open berth in sectional qualifying June 8 at George Dunne National, would like nothing better than to play the Olympic Club in San Francisco and Cog Hill’s Dubsdread back to back. He said getting married in September and putting in extra work on his short game were his winning combination this week.
“You don’t even know how good marriage is for you,” laughed Dino, “but it is. I’m able to keep my composure now–which is saying something for an Italian.”
Thursday wasn’t as kind to Doug Bauman. The Biltmore head pro’s bid to become only the third player to win three straight IPGA titles was derailed by his 76-79 finish. First-round leader Kevin Kwak shot 81 to tie for 14th.