Bell hangs on during marathon to secure LGCC club championship

POISED AND POSED: Brian Bell outlasted Ricky Gloria for the La Grande Country Club gross championship Sunday. The Observer/PAUL HARDER

Brian Bell and Ricky Gloria can attest that sometimes it is.

Both golfers squared off Sunday at the La Grande Country Club for the club championship Sunday in a 36-hole match.

“It’s a really tough challenge,” Bell said. “It’s more of a mental contest than anything else.

“I remember those days in college when walking 36 holes a day wasn’t a big deal. It’s not that way anymore. We were riding in a cart and it was still tough.”

The golfers got a slight reprieve from the heat. After several days in the 90s, Sunday’s breeze dipped the temperature to a more manageable level.

“It felt pretty good out there,” Bell said. “The breeze was nice. But when it stopped it heated up pretty quick.”

Gloria charged out on the first 18 holes, building a four up advantage.

Bell slowly began to work his way back into the match. With nine holes left in match it was all square.

“I knew I had to pick it up,” Bell said. “That’s some of the best golf I’ve seen Ricky play. He did a great job.”

The pressure for both players appeared transparent at times. Approach shots sailed over the greens on one hole, and came up 15 feet short on the next hole.

Bell had a chance to seal the match on the 34th hole.

Up two with three holes left, his drive went left into the trees. Gloria grinded his way to a bogey. Bell missed a putt to push.

“I would have played the hole differently if I knew what Ricky was going to make,” Bell said. “I had a tough shot, and tried to do a little too much.”

Gloria kept coming, making a 17-foot putt on the next hole to even the match with a hole to play.

On the par-5 525-yard finishing hole, Gloria found trouble after laying up short of the hole. His 123-yard approach shot sailed right into the trees. He wound up with a bogey.

Bell finished with a par to clinch the championship.

“It could have gone either way,” Bell said. “Ricky’s shot was just unfortunate. You don’t want to see something like that happen.

“It’s my fourth or fifth time winning, but it still feels really good.”

Seth Pennington was the 2008 winner.

The net championship featured just as much drama.

Clint Williams and Matt Scarfo battled back and forth through 36 holes.

Williams came into the last hole trailing by one. He stuck a 3-iron approach on the green and made an eagle putt to force a playoff hole.

Scarfo’s drive sailed left, and Williams took advantage, winning the match on the 37th hole.