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MAHOPAC, N.Y. – Luke Hobika wins the 69th New York State Senior Amateur by one shot. A birdie on the 17th hole of the final round at Mahopac Golf Club helped him clinch his fourth state victory.

Related: Final Results / Photo Galleries / Rd 1 Recap

The Yahnundasis Golf Club and Drumlins Country Club member was part of a crowded leaderboard on Thursday. His playing partners, David Scialabba (Meadow Brook Club), and Philip Ohler (Forged Iron Golf), took turns with the lead for most of the day. Hobika never led until he reached the 18th tee box. He never wavered.

“It’s golf, it’s 18 holes, anything can happen, you can’t waste a shot,” Hobika said. “You may have good fortune… someone may make a couple bogeys coming in, it’s hard to win a golf tournament… You just have to be patient.”

Going into the final round, Hobika shared the lead with Ohler and Scialabba, at three-over. Ohler had the strongest start, one-under through the first six holes. He saved par from 12 feet on 3 and then birdied the fifth hole, a par-5. Hobika trailed by four shots after bogeying 1, 3, and 6. 

The seventh hole, a par-5, marked a shift as Ohler bogeyed, Scialabba parred, while Hobika found his first birdie. Ohler then bogeyed the following hole and only led his playing partners by one at the turn. A few holes ahead, Edward McCann (Wykagyl CC) made a charge with four birdies in the first ten holes to share the lead with Ohler.

On the back nine, Hobika bounced back from two bogeys with a birdie on 12, a par-3, while Ohler and Scialabba each made three pars. Scialabba birdied the 13th hole with Ohler bogeyed turning a one-stroke deficit to a one-stroke lead for the Meadow Brook Club member.

At the northern-most side of the Devereux Emmet design, Scialabba and Ohler played tug-of-war for the lead until the 15th green. Ohler couldn’t match a par by Scialabba and found himself one stroke behind tied with Hobika. All three contenders bogeyed 16 as Scialabba clung to a slim lead over Hobika and Ohler. 

On the 17th green, Scialabba and Ohler were staring at bogey after missing their third shots. Hobika found the green in two and thought his look at birdie was promising.

“I put [the approach shot] in a perfect spot, right below the pin,” Hobika said. “My pace was 10 paces and I had 10 paces to the hole… All I had to do was worry about the line.”

He drained it. Ohler bogeyed and Scialabba three-putted for double. Hobika’s first lead of the day was by two strokes and came with one hole left in the championship. A seasoned winner, Hobika found the final green in regulation to make a simple par for the win at seven-over. 

“I’m extremely happy,” Hobika said. “It’s the title that you want to win, I won a couple Mid-Ams so I want to add this to the resume. It feels to good to win a know that you could still play at a [championship] level.”

Ohler and Scialabba parred the final hole for rounds of six-over and to finish the tournament at nine-over. McCann had the low round of the day of two-over, 72, aided by five birdies. He finished at nine-over for the tournament, part of a three-way tie for runner-up. Dennis Lynch (Nassau Players Club) finished fifth at ten-over for tournament.