LEWISTON —So much for practice rounds and scouting reports.
Dwayne Randall, who’s been on his new job as the director of golf at Peek’n Peak for just six weeks, played his first round in Western New York on Monday and made it count.
Randall fired an even-par 70 at Niagara Falls Country Club, then got up and down from a bunker in a playoff hole to nip Kirk Stauffer and win the top prize of just over $1,000 in the Mizuno Western New York Open.
Randall said he’d played the equivalent of nine holes this season prior to Monday’s round, and expected to be a little rusty.
“Sometimes the hole keeps getting in the way of the ball,” Randall joked. “And those are good days.”
Randall said his only other round in New York state came at Turning Stone as he relocated to the Southern Tier from Cleveland just a few months ago.
“I went out there and played it pretty conservatively,” he said. “Sometimes that’s the best approach, but this was just one of those days.”
Stauffer’s 70 earned him 80 points in the player of the year standings, while Steve Barber was third with a 7-1 and three players — Rob Horak, Jeff Kaye and Pat Damore — finished at 72.
A logjam placed fourth as J.A. Sutherland, Michael O’Connor, Mike Kiel, Bobby Hogan, Mark Kirk and Tim Fires all finished with rounds of 73.
Mizuno WNY Open
Scores Monday at Niagara Falls Country Club. Par is 70.
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