Boland claims Gannon Club Championship

LYNN – John Boland – who twice previously had finished as a runner-up in the Gannon Men’s Club Championship – ran out to a 5-up lead after the first 18 of the 36-hole final at Gannon Golf Course on Saturday and was able to close out Ben Friedman, 3 & 2, to claim his first title.Click here for a photo gallery.Boland played 3-over par golf for his 33 holes of work on Saturday and was more than a little amazed at the outcome afterwards.”It’s a complete blur right now,” Boland said. “I was just trying so hard to keep up with Ben because I knew he could light it up at any time. I have so much respect for all the guys who have won here before and now I’m up there with them. That’s just amazing to me.”The match was a tooth-and-nail affair for the first nine holes on Saturday before Boland went on a run to begin the back nine of the opening round. Playing holes 10-14 in 1-under, he turned a match that was even at the time into a 5-up advantage that was too much for Friedman to make up.”John is too good of a player to give a 5 up lead to,” Friedman said. “I fought hard and never gave up. I’m proud of how I competed and now I know that I can win this one day.”Friedman tried to make things interesting early in the second 18, cutting the lead to 3-up through 21 holes before Boland responded with a birdie on the difficult fourth hole to go 4-up. He extended the lead back to 5-up through 27.Friedman cut the lead to 3-up with a birdie at the par-5 15th, the 32nd hole of the match, but the two halved the 33rd hole with pars to finish the match.”We all joke and talk about having our name on the plaque up here,” Boland said. “And to be runner-up twice was certainly an honor. But this tops it and it’s an unbelievable feeling.”