OWASCO - When Kyle Krickovich won the club championship at Highland Golf Club this year, his father, Ed, was quick to remind him that he still needs six more titles to match his seven.
“It's a challenge I've got with my Dad,” Kyle said. “He's so competitive, even at his age - he's 66. He never won a thing at my age. He won his first (club championship) in 1980 and won at least one in each of the next three decades - that's pretty impressive.”
But when Kyle took home his first Cayuga County District Championship on Sunday, it didn't take long for him to remind his father that they're now tied in that department, with one championship apiece.
“I've won one now so I can tell him that I've got that on him,” Kyle said.
In fact, Kyle defeated Matt Steigerwald who edged Ed in 2005 for the District title. Ed had to have fluid drained from his knee early in July and hadn't fully recovered in time to challenge in the tournament in which his name annually appears near the top of the leaderboard.
“It was a horrible July for him,” Kyle said of his father. “If he was healthy, though, it would have been a heck of a final round. I'd love to play against him and Matt for the championship.”
Kyle held off Steigerwald for a one-shot victory at Dutch Hollow Country Club, Sunday. He's challenged in the tournament in past years but didn't quite understand the meaning of pressure until he faced a couple knee-knocking putts while in the lead down the final stretch of the back-nine.
“Your true character comes out in these kinds of tournaments,” Kyle said. “In Thursday night men's leagues everybody's posting 36s. But you find yourself standing over three-footers in the District and it's a little different.”
Kyle missed the 2005 District to play in a tournament in Syracuse. A year off apparently didn't faze him much, as he led the tournament wire-to-wire.
“The last month I've played the best golf of my life,” Kyle said.
“The game's come pretty easy, it's just been a matter of getting used to the courses. I hadn't played Dutch in over two years so that was a little different. It's a tough course, it can fool you. It's a real shot-makers course and I felt my driver and irons put me in good positions...I hit a lot of greens in regulation.”
Although he struggled for a five-hole stretch on Sunday when he gave away a six-stroke lead, Kyle stepped up his game when it mattered, converting a sand save on No. 16 and getting up-and-down on No. 18 to secure the victory.
“Just playing golf with my Dad over the years, it gives you a competitive attitude,” Kyle said. “It helps in these situations. Matt made a great comeback. Six up with eight to play - it's the only game in the world where you can come back from that. But I knew Matt wasn't going to give up and I knew I had to keep fighting.”
While he still has a long way to go before he matches his father in club championships, Kyle plans on returning next summer to defend his District crown.
“I've played in this five or six times and have finished second, third and fourth,” he said. “It's nice to get that monkey off my back.”
But when Kyle took home his first Cayuga County District Championship on Sunday, it didn't take long for him to remind his father that they're now tied in that department, with one championship apiece.
“I've won one now so I can tell him that I've got that on him,” Kyle said.
In fact, Kyle defeated Matt Steigerwald who edged Ed in 2005 for the District title. Ed had to have fluid drained from his knee early in July and hadn't fully recovered in time to challenge in the tournament in which his name annually appears near the top of the leaderboard.
“It was a horrible July for him,” Kyle said of his father. “If he was healthy, though, it would have been a heck of a final round. I'd love to play against him and Matt for the championship.”
Kyle held off Steigerwald for a one-shot victory at Dutch Hollow Country Club, Sunday. He's challenged in the tournament in past years but didn't quite understand the meaning of pressure until he faced a couple knee-knocking putts while in the lead down the final stretch of the back-nine.
“Your true character comes out in these kinds of tournaments,” Kyle said. “In Thursday night men's leagues everybody's posting 36s. But you find yourself standing over three-footers in the District and it's a little different.”
Kyle missed the 2005 District to play in a tournament in Syracuse. A year off apparently didn't faze him much, as he led the tournament wire-to-wire.
“The last month I've played the best golf of my life,” Kyle said.
“The game's come pretty easy, it's just been a matter of getting used to the courses. I hadn't played Dutch in over two years so that was a little different. It's a tough course, it can fool you. It's a real shot-makers course and I felt my driver and irons put me in good positions...I hit a lot of greens in regulation.”
Although he struggled for a five-hole stretch on Sunday when he gave away a six-stroke lead, Kyle stepped up his game when it mattered, converting a sand save on No. 16 and getting up-and-down on No. 18 to secure the victory.
“Just playing golf with my Dad over the years, it gives you a competitive attitude,” Kyle said. “It helps in these situations. Matt made a great comeback. Six up with eight to play - it's the only game in the world where you can come back from that. But I knew Matt wasn't going to give up and I knew I had to keep fighting.”
While he still has a long way to go before he matches his father in club championships, Kyle plans on returning next summer to defend his District crown.
“I've played in this five or six times and have finished second, third and fourth,” he said. “It's nice to get that monkey off my back.”
