Bergs win playoff in 20th Gannon Mixed Classic

LYNN – For the second straight year, it took a playoff to settle the champion of the Gannon Mixed Classic at Gannon Golf Course in Lynn. And with the sun setting on a picture perfect Sunday, John and Phyllis Berg gained a little measure of revenge on the tournament, which was being played for the 20th time.After losing a sudden-death playoff to Jay and Jane Fiste last year, the Bergs stormed out of a tightly bunched pack of teams with a final round of 8-under par to push their way into a playoff with Steve Ross-Laurie Lynch, who had come from four shots off the pace to tie.In the playoff, the Bergs each hit their balls into the trees left of the fairway on the dogleg right par-4 first hole. Ross striped his drive down the middle while Lynch’s ball found the fairway bunker on the corner of the dogleg.Ross was first to play after Phyllis Berg chipped out from the trees, but he chunked his iron shot from 149 yards, coming up woefully short of the green. Lynch was next and her shot from the bunker caught an overhanging tree limb and dropped into the rough 90 yards short.John Berg’s ball was on the adjacent fifth fairway. His recovery shot hit off a branch and kicked across the fairway into the right rough short of the green. He then played a stellar pitch shot, stopping the ball eight feet above the hole.Lynch’s effort from the rough had just trickled over the back of the green, swinging the pressure back to Ross, who hit an admirable shot that stopped 15 feet behind the cup.Berg was first to putt on the green, and he slid his slick downhill putt into the cup for a par. Ross was next, but his putt to keep the playoff going grazed the left edge of the hole.The Bergs were one of 11 teams that came into Sunday’s final round within four shots of the lead after a Saturday opening round that was action-packed.Judy Johnson-Bill McCarthy; the Fistes; Pat Ryback-Bill Ouellette; and Patty Roderick-Derek Delutes all had a share of the lead after round one at 9-under. Johnson-McCarthy and Ryback-Ouellette would each miss the playoff by one shot, finishing in a tie for third at 13-under.Reid Cassidy-Dawn Baribeau and Eloise-Dan Deveney also finished in the tie for third at minus-13. Lynch and Ross came into the day Sunday at 5-under, but their round of minus-9 was the best on Sunday, leapfrogging them up the leaderboard.