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Hatalsky - First champion in Puerto Vallarta, defeats Simpson by one stroke
Provide by Ambito - Photos by Max Toledo
Morris Hatalsky experienced victory in Mexico again, just as he did 37 years ago, when he was invited to play an international tournament at age 17, and won with a great performance. Today, after so many years, history repeats  itself and with a conservative final round, he was able to manage the pressure put on him by the other players and get away with victory.
Hatalsky had a great day on Sunday. He started out with two quick birdies to increase his advantage. He marked consecutive pars till hole 10, when he scored another birdie. It was all pars from then on, while the other players had to take risks as they tried to catch up with the leader.
“Today I played more conservatively than in the first two days. I knew that if the wind blew, they would have to take more risks to catch up” said Hatalsky after the tournament that represented his first victory since 2003. “I missed a putt at the 16th hole, which would have otherwise given me a more comfortable advantage, but when Scott (Simpson) made bogey at the 17 and missed the putt at the 18, I decided to play on the center of the green and to stay away from the creek”. “Winning is a great feeling; especially in Puerto Vallarta, where we have been treated marvelously. We are all very happy and eager to come back next year to this beautiful place. In fact, we want to come back every year” said the first winner of the Puerto Vallarta Blue Agave Golf Classic.
Tom Kite tried to reach the victory. He passed the first nine holes with a mark of four under par, coming just two strokes behind the leader. Birdie at number 1 and 3, eagle at 8, par 5, and no bogeys, gave the best round of the day to the winner of the 1992 US Open, winner of over 35 tournaments throughout his career. At hole 8, both Kite and R.W. Eaks eagled.
But the close was not like he had envisioned. With pars from 10 to 13, ad a bogey at 14, Birdie at 15, another at 16, but finished up with bogeys at the last two holes, thus losing any chance to catch up with the leaders.
Hatalsky, the Puerto Vallarta Blue Agave Golf Classic Champion, had played the last 47 holes with just 15 birdies and a double bogey. He operated with the two-stroke  leadership he had, and with a bogey at 18 he could still keep the first place trophy and check.
At a certain moment, R.W. Eaks, the other player chasing the leader, came just one stroke away thanks to birdies at 1,4, eagle at 8 and more birdies at 10, 12 and 13. But after a bogeying the 6, the most difficult hole that day, lost concentration and bogeyed the 14 just when he was a stroke away and putting pressure on the leader. He closed with bogey at 16 and double bogey at 18.
The last three holes were a battle between Hatalsky, playing conservatively, and Simpson, taking chances at every hole. His strategy proved right at holes 13 and 16, two birdies brought him close to the leader, just one stroke behind; but a bad shot at 17 resulted in a very unfortunate bogey. At the last hole, a great approach might have given him a birdie, but he missed and had to take par.
Source: Ambito Puerto Vallarta Weekly Newspaper
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