Norwalk Golfer Tommy McDonagh: 2 Wins in 3 Days

When his four-foot putt dropped in the hole on Tuesday afternoon, Tommy McDonagh had completed one of the most jaw-dropping, I'm-going-to- tell-my-grandkids-about-this-one stretches of golf in local amateur history. 

McDonagh's birdie on the fifth playoff hole and 41st of his day, secured the at the Somerset Hills Country Club in New Jersey. The victory over Joe Saladino of Long Island came  three days after the Norwalk resident and former St. Luke's golfer captured the for the second time in his career.

"I'm super tired and wiped out, but I'm really happy to be a champion," McDonagh told Patch. "I've won tournaments before but I've never been hot like this. I've never hit the ball like I've been hitting it. Hopefully, I can keep it going." 

McDonagh, who will be a senior at Penn State in the fall, played 195 holes, won two sudden death playoffs, and captured two of the most prestigious championships in the tri-state area — over a nine day stretch. In between, there were 4 a.m. wake-up calls, three-hour rain delays, and fatigue that sapped every ounce of energy from McDonagh's 22-year old body. 

"I could hardly do a fist bump after I won the Ike Championship because I was so tired,"said McDonagh, who plays with the intensity of a linebacker on a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter. "I was really happy the way I hung in there mentally. I had to trick myself sometimes after hitting some bad shots. But I kept my head in there and made the shots when I had to."

As anyone who has ever played golf understands,  stringing together three great rounds is an accomplishment. Completing nine in a row is astonishing. The game can humble, frustrate, and destroy your self-confidence with a missed three-foot putt. It can test your will and mental toughness. It doesn't usually allow for a stretch of  golf that McDonagh just put his signature on. 

"I don't go into a tournament without thinking I can win," he said. "I've put a lot of work into my game and it's nice to see that it's paying off. I'm proud of the way I stayed positive and didn't let any bad shots effect me. Everybody I played against in the tournaments had the same will I did, but I think my mental game was the difference." 

Less than 12 hours after returing from New Jersey with his Ike Championship trophy, McDonagh was back at the Shorehaven Country Club, working on his game. Next up for McDonagh is the New England Amateur in East Providence, Rhode Island July 17-20.

Editor's note: This article previously appeared in New Canaan Patch.