Page 40 - PPA National Championship 2022

tournament director, Todd Lecka, decided that instead of the leaders teeing

off last in the order of their first day play, the players would be paired by
nd
th
st
rd
th
positions of 1 , 3 , and 5 place players in the last group. Then 2 , 4 and
th
6 place players in the next to last group and so on. Marcellino was in the
nd
2 to last group, paired with Charlie Connor of Greenville, SC and Chuck
Schafer of Atlanta, GA. It could not have been a better pairing for
Marcellino, especially as the tournament progressed. The more Marcellino

played himself closer to the lead, the more his playing partners were
supportive. Interestingly, Lecka, with one round remaining, saw that

Marcellino was in the lead by two strokes and decided to let the group

behind them play through so that Marcellino would be in the last group to
finish. Marcellino was focused and unperturbed with the adjustments – even

when Lecka delayed Marcellino’s group so the finishing players could

converge on the closing holes. With three holes to play, the spectators
gathered and watched, along with Marcellino’s dad. At this point, Marcellino

had maintained his two-stroke lead. He made a par on 16 and stepped up to
th
the 17 hole, which was a traditional water hole with water on each side of a
14-inch-wide strip of carpet to get to the hole. As Marcellino looked at the

end of the hole, he

noticed his 62-year-old
dad among the crowd,

and his dad had his arms
stretched out directly

from his sides – shaped

just like a cross.
Marcellino, bewildered,

had no idea what his dad

was trying to
communicate. The putt

on 17 easily avoided the
Bob Marcellino