Breckenridge, CO – (FCT) Down by 6 strokes with three holes to play, Clark Elliott finished with a net birdie, par, eagle to win his first title at the 2017 Frigidaire Classic played at the Breckenridge Golf Club in Breckenridge, Colorado. His finishing net-eagle was all the more impressive as the 462-yard, par 4 Bear #9 hole is the hardest hole on the course. He won by 2 strokes over runner-up Todd Elliott and 4 and 5 strokes over Blake and Scott Elliott, respectively.
It didn’t appear that Clark would claim his first title after Todd had a net-birdie on the par-5 15th to take his largest lead of the day. However, Clark calmly placed his tee shot on the green at 16 while Todd struggled to find the putting surface. Clark cut the deficit to 2 with a crucial net-birdie that gave him momentum for his monster comeback.
After Scott and Blake dropped shots at 17, the final hole came down to Todd and Clark. The challenger laced his best drive of the day to put himself in position to get on the green in regulation. Although his second shot ended up short of the green, his approach left him with only 12 feet to claim his first title.
“I wasn’t sure where I stood (in the tournament) when I got over that final putt” said the first time champion. “All I knew was that I wanted to make that putt. When it went in, I think everyone was shocked that I had pulled through for the victory.”
“Even though it looks like I choked down the stretch, I have to give it to Clark,” said the second place Todd. “He was rock solid over the last three holes and that made all the difference. I’ve been playing this course for longer than he’s been alive and have never played that hole as well as Clark just did. Congrats to him for taming the ‘Bear’ and pulling through for his first title.”
For Clark, this win puts him in the winner’s circle for the first time. Overall, though, a member of the next generation has his name on the coveted family treasure for the third straight year. With the way the young guns handle the pressure, it’s easy to see how that trend might continue.
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