Southern Tier native and fan favorite makes surprising run at the DSGO

8/19/2012 (Updated 11:20:37 PM)

ENDICOTT -- He said "it would take a miracle" to climb the leaderboard and win the 2012 Dick's Sporting Goods Open.  Heading into the afternoon, Horsheads native Joey Sindelar was tied for 13th and six shots off of the lead, its safe to say, Sindelar found his miracle. 

He birdied the 3rd, 5th, 11th, 12th, 15th, and 18th holes and went bogey free to end his day at -6.  Paired with his previous scores of a -5 round 1 and a -1 round 2, he found his way to the top of the leaderboard at -12 for the tournament, and in serious contention for the title. 

If all the cards had fallen in Sindelar's favor he could have been part of a six person playoff with eventual champion Willie Wood, runner-up Michael Allen, Brad Faxon, Tom Lehman, and Kenny Perry. 

However, two groups after Sindelar finished, Allen sunk a birdie putt on 18, putting Sindelar tied for second.  Wood's birdie putt on 18 forced the playoff with Allen and finalized Sindelar's standing. 

The winner of the 1985 and 1987 BC Open would finish the tournament tied for third at -12 with Perry, Lehman and Faxon. 

It was a surprising and welcome end to another year for the Southern Tier native in front of his home crowd.