Monday, Apr. 14, 2008

Levin storms to title in Canadian tour event

Overcomes 8-shot deficit in last 9 holes to win International

When hope vanishes, think of Elk Grove's Spencer Levin.

When the business deal falls through and you're sure your job is history, think of Spencer Levin.

When your girlfriend says, "See ya," and you haven't a clue why, think of Spencer Levin.

From here on, Levin goes down in local golf lore as the patron saint of all lost causes. He won the Spring International, the Canadian Tour season opener presented by Foster Farms Dairy on Sunday, and afterward he still was a bit dazed.

So would you, if you trailed by eight strokes with nine holes to go.

Levin, 23, wearily lifted his arms after he tapped in his 18-inch putt for par on the second playoff hole to defeat Andrew Parr. They spent the last five hours in a head-to-head duel and eventually tied at 15-under 273, the lean 6-foot-4-inch Parr (70) from Ontario vs. the counter-punching 5-10 Levin (69) from the valley.

Parr, out in 32, landed haymakers. It was his tournament. He led ex-Stanford star Joel Kribel by six strokes and Levin by eight as the leaders stepped onto the back nine.

"I thought there was no chance," Levin admitted later. Next to him sat his ceremonial first-prize check for $16,000, living proof that there was a chance if you believed in all those clichés about never giving up and fighting until the last putt was holed.

Which is all good, but not even Levin bought into a comeback as he walked to the 10th tee.

"I just bogeyed 9 and he (Parr) birdied," he said. "I was thinking, 'I'll just play hard on the back nine and maybe shoot even par and get a decent finish.' "

So Levin holed a 25-chip for eagle at the par-5 10th, while Parr birdied. Entertaining but no cause for concern.

On the 11th, Levin buried a 40-footer for birdie, only to watch Parr roll in a 25-footer on top of him for birdie.

"I'm still not even thinking about it," Levin said.

But the high-strung former low-amateur at the 2004 U.S. Open -- remember his hole-in-one and tie for 13th? -- continued his run with birdies at the 12th and 13th, while Parr bogeyed both.

Maybe, Levin allowed.

"But I was still four down with four to go," he said.

And then Levin, who birdied 15, watched while Parr bogeyed all four coming home. The events at the 325-yard 18th hole, the driveable par-4, was a golf soap opera.

Parr, still leading by one, drove into a green-side bunker while Levin pushed his tee shot into the trees, only to find an opening for a pitch to about 8 feet. Parr splashed long and then, from about 20 feet away, he chili-dipped his chip about one foot.

Incredibly, Levin's 8-footer meant victory.

"I bogeyed that hole the first three days by putting and chipping long," Levin said. "I thought, 'Don't knock it way by.' So, of course, I leave it short."

Levin, whose issues with anger management sometimes have interfered with his first-rate game, didn't get rattled this time. After he missed the cut last week at the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship, he worked on his swing for three consecutive days at Wildhawk Golf Club (near Elk Grove) with his father, Don Levin, a member of the PGA Tour in the early 1980s.

"It paid off," Levin said.

It nearly paid off for Parr, a Texas A&M product who lost and regained his Canadian Tour card last year. Had he won, his victory would have been well-received. He suffered a mild stroke last winter, which means he probably can handle a disappointment on the golf course.

That said, Parr's game and his fortune faded during the playoff. He and Levin matched pars on the first hole, though Levin nearly forgot to re-mark his ball before he knocked in a short putt for par. Only reminders from Parr and a spectator at the back of the green saved Levin from a penalty and defeat.

"Good break," Levin admitted.

On their repeat trip to 18, Levin safely laid up and pitched to 18 feet. Parr drove into the trees to the right for the second consecutive time, then flop-pitched about six feet short of the green, chipped 12 feet short and missed the par putt. An amazing turnaround was completed.

"You can look at it either way," Levin said. "I did shoot 30 on the back nine, so that's pretty good. Andrew is a great guy and he played well. I know it's a tough loss for him but I'm sure he'll have a great year."

Levin, who returns to the Nationwide Tour next week, always has been a fascinating study. As he displayed at Shinnecock Hills four years ago, he's got serious game. Still, how he, not Parr, took the victory swig of Foster Farms milk will make for lively conversation at Del Rio for years.

"I've never won a tournament," Levin said, "when I thought I had no chance with nine holes to go."