Like a Hurricane building strength as it heads towards the east coast, so said Rich Antczak, describing Andy Swanson as quite the golfing force this season.

When Andy won the Shore Gate Tournament in June, the most difficult rated course challenge on the Tour, the OCAGA News hailed it as a turning point in the early season.  Two time Champion, Michael Lazarchick was in first place with Paul Ruth close in second place. Rob Juliano was third despite throwing in the towel, withdrawing from frustration at the Gate. Bob Sweideck was in fourth place. At the Pheasant the very next tournament, Paul Ruth won, breaking the tour low net record with a 54, erasing Lazarchick’s strong low gross 84 by an 8 stroke net victory! Andy managed to finish in 2^nd place between the two.

When Andy missed the 2nd tournament of the year, Emerald Links, won by Lazarchick, his fans were despondent. Historically few people who skipped a tournament, made the final four. Playing on his home course to end July however, Andy tied Ruth’s low net record, vaulting into third place. Then, he sent a chill throughout his fan base, choosing to skip the Vineyards. With Ruth and Juliano finishing 1,2 and Lazarchick comfortably over 20 points ahead in the points standing, all looking strong towards securing a final four appearance, he was back in a battle for the final spot! No one had ever missed two tournaments and made the finals.

Avalon was the next test and would shake the OCAGA Tour! Andy Swanson won, beating Paul, Rob and Lazarchick in Gross Score, sending the VEGAS odds makers into a quandary. Back in the days of folklore, during the 20^th century before the first OCAGA News was offered online, Joe Belmonte opened with three victories on the Tour, first ever to take three during one season. Tommy Hunt tied that record during 2012 when he did it. Then during 2015 Glenn Hamm took three in a row during a late season hot streak. While they all made the finals, none won the Title during their record year. Andy had again climbed into the final four, but now the question was, will he become the first 3 time winner to not make the finals?  Glenn Hamm and Phil Stocker with 6 Championships between them, were lurking as Twisted Dune, the final regular season challenge.

Glen Hamm put on a spirited show beating second place finisher Rob Juliano by 5 full strokes, but Andy Swanson was just two more back, taking 3^rd place, holding Glenn out of the finals by 2 regular season points!

On Championship Sunday, Andy won the first hole outright with a par. The doctor caught him on 2, held tight on 3 and had a great opportunity on 4 to take the lead. With a monster drive he was 90 yards from the pin. Both Andy and Rob had sliced their drives far right. Off a decent drive, Paul missed his second shot delivering a bad slice. LZ was focused and sent a beautiful shot towards the green. But it was cool and quite windy, a swirling, changing direction with little warning, type wind.  His ball dropped into the trap short of the green. He flew the green in his attempt to get out of the trap, the first of several missed opportuities. At the turn Andy was at 45, with LZ at 46, Rob at 47 and Paul at 52.  The doctor would not catch Andy and after blowing a great opportunity on 12 and a missed drive to the par 3,  13^th, he felt defeated and faded. Paul Ruth who stated he was out of contention after 9, made a spirted string of pars on the back, but never really got close. Rob Juliano however, started dropping putts at 12, including 15 and 20 footers, expressing a jubelent surprise each step, as he chipped away, until he caught Andy on 16.

Clutch performances make Champions. Andy and Rob sent monster drives down the fairway on 17. The gallery marveled at power of youth! While Rob bounced over the green into the rough, needing to save a bogey, Andy used the security of his favored 3 wood to drop the ball on the green, close enough to yield a tap in par. Both delivered monster drives on 18 and Rob followed, hitting the front of the green in two. Andy, watched his ball fade strong right of the green, over the car path, with a big tree guarding the pathway to the hole. With a deep breath and a gutt check, his third shot was dropped between the two traps on each side of the green, spinning right, bouncing up to the left fringe. Wow, it was an exciting masterful recovery, but still farther away than Rob. With his fourth, Andy putted his way to two feet above the hole. Rob’s 20 footer third shot uphill slipped about four feet past the hole. Yeah, this was a tension filled classic battle! While far shorter than what he had sunk during most of his back 9 frenzy, the putt to win the hole with par and tie the match, was not to be had. Andy Swanson dropped his bogey, center of the cup, to become 2019 OCAGA Champion!