ROSLYN, N.Y. (September 25, 2024) – Firm, fast greens and challenging scoring conditions led to a three-way tie after 36 holes of the Long Island Senior Open Championship Sponsored by Steve Madden , with Steve Donnelly of host Engineers Country Club emerging victorious after what turned into a four-hole playoff.
Donnelly, who is in his first season at Engineers, Scott Wise of North Hills and MGA eClub New York City member and amateur Noah Pilipski all finished the 36 holes at 9-over 151. The playoff began as a three-hole aggregate and after two holes, all three players teed off on the par-4 18th tied with nine strokes. While Pilipski made bogey, Wise drained a 35-footer for par and Donnelly made a seven-footer to get up and down from behind the green.
On the first playoff hole, Wise for the second straight time found the right fairway bunker which led to bogey. Donnelly found the left half of the putting green and sank another seven-footer for par to secure the victory.
“I just tried to stay focused and move on to the next shot,” said Donnelly about his playoff performance. “Scott made an unbelievable par putt on 18 in the aggregate, so he made my putt look very long and that was the best putt I’ve hit in a long time. It was a grind.”
The two days proved challenging for the field as they navigated Engineers’ undulating greens and firm conditions. For Donnelly, he thinks his increased familiarity of being at Engineers this season no doubt helped save him a few shots.
“You have more of a clue of what quadrants you have to land it in, or how short you have to land it because the greens are so unbelievably firm and fast,” he said. “It wasn’t a standard yardage. If you had a 170-yard shot, you may have to play it 135 yards, so that local knowledge definitely helped.”
Donnelly also credited his mindset, knowing that it would be a tough two days of competition.
“Keeping patient was the key,” said the 56-year-old. “You had to know that everybody was going to make some tough numbers – bogeys, three putts – so if you made one of those, you had to let it roll off your back because everyone was going to make one.”
Donnelly opened the championship with a 1-over 71 on Tuesday before posting 8-over 79 on Wednesday – when the scoring average was 81.1. Wise set the pace in round one with an even-par 71 before carding a 9-over 80 on Wednesday. Pilipski posted rounds of 76-75 to get into the playoff and finish third.
“It’s a huge win for me,” said Donnelly. “I go into every tournament thinking I have a chance to win, but I just haven’t gotten it done. To finally get it done at Engineers, it’s perfect.”
