Mitch Allen found himself in a real quandary.

To have a shot at winning the Pequot Golf Club men’s club championship, his father Tom, whom he trailed by six shots entering into the third and final round, had to stumble badly.

When Tom did stumble to leave the door open, it was hard for Mitch to watch.

“I wanted him to win just as badly as I did,” Mitch said.

Prior to the start of the three-round event spread over a few weeks, Tom had similar mixed emotions.

“I’ll be honest, I was personally in a real quandary because I was going into the event with the idea that I was hoping that Mitchell would win,” said Tom, who lives in Gales Ferry and teaches and coaches golf at Grasso Tech.

They sort of both got their wish.

Mitch, 27, staged a remarkable rally to capture the men’s title, clinching it on the second playoff hole on Aug. 7. Then three days later, Tom won the senior club championship.

“It was so special that we both won our club championship,” Mitch said. “It was nuts. We were really pumped about that. Definitely one for the Allen books.”

Let’s start with Mitch’s march to victory at Pequot, which is in Stonington.

As he did while winning the junior club championship years ago, Mitch needed two extra holes to capture the men’s title.

“It was crazy,” Mitch said. “It brought back all the memories. I was definitely a lot more nervous this time.”

Facing a six-shot deficit heading into the final round, Mitch decided to go for birdies.

The strategy paid off as he roared back to tie his father and Jim Lathrop, a nine-time club champion, after nine holes.

Focused on his game, Tom didn’t realize until then that Mitch had moved into contention.

The drama built.

The three golfers were deadlocked in a three-way tie on the 18th tee.

“That’s pretty amazing in its own way after three rounds of golf,” Tom said. “You can’t ask for anything better than to watch your son grow up playing a sport and then find yourself in a competitive event head-to-head going into the last hole. That alone, as a parent, was priceless. No matter how it ended up.”

On the final hole, Tom got into trouble to basically knock him out of contention.

Lathrop chipped to within two feet, putting the pressure on Mitch.

Mitch needed to sink a 25-foot putt to force a playoff against Lathrop. After checking the putt over twice, he calmly drained it.

“I saw it go in and I did the old Tiger fist pump,” Mitch said. “It was sweet.”

By then, Tom had switched from competitor to Dad-mode. He took over caddying duties for his son during extra holes.

Mitch endured a nerve-racking moment on the first hole when his putt momentarily hung on the edge of the cup before falling in to keep him in the match.

“The putt sat there long enough for your heart to feel that pain,” Tom said.

On the second playoff hole, Lathrop’s tee shot landed in the fairway bunker and then his next shot ended up off the back of the green.

Fighting back tears on the green, Mitch finished off the match by sinking a three-footer and then celebrated with his father.

“It was pretty emotional, to say the least,” Mitch said. “We just hugged each other and said that we loved each other.”

More remarkable than Mitch’s comeback in the championship match is Tom’s recovery from a traumatic brain injury suffered during a fall early in 2020.

“That was really some hard news for me,” Mitch said. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to play with him again. That’s something we love doing together.”

Tom is back to playing golf at a high level after a long, difficult road to recovery.

His 18-hole senior match on Aug. 10 played out in similar fashion to the men’s club championship, with the exception that Tom won.

He jumped out in front, leading by four strokes before Brad Cole surged in front by one by the back nine. And the match was tied heading to the final hole.

Then Tom drained a 23-foot birdie putt for the win.

“I’m very thankful for a whole lot of things,” Tom said. I had every opportunity to not be here anymore… I’m just very thankful that I’m alive.”

So, with father and son each winning a club title, who has bragging rights?

“I would say there’s a lot of suspense and pressure heading into next year,” Tom said with a laugh. “To be continued… We’re both hoping to play next year.”

Short putts

• It was quite a day for John Crocker last Thursday in the Norwich Golf Course Senior Invitational. Crocker won the sophomore flight (60-69 years old) and earned the title of overall champion with a 1-under 70.

“As a 7 handicap at 69 years of age, golf is difficult now after two hip and knee replacements and age in general,” Crocker wrote in an email. “I hadn’t shot under par for 18 holes in over 10 years. But I caught lightning in a bottle Thursday. I had no thoughts of having a chance even after I birdied the last two hours. So many great players in the field, I am honored to have prevailed.”

Chris Maynard won the freshman flight (50-59) with a 72 and Doug Smith finished first in the junior flight (70 and over).

Net division winners in each category: Brian McNamara (66), freshman flight; Rocky Bedard (66), sophomore flight; and Norm Bourdon (68), junior flight.

• Norwich also crowned several other club champions last week.

Chris DeLucia added to his men’s club title total, posting a four-round total of 2-over 286 (71-74-69-72). He beat runner-up Todd Lavoie by seven strokes. Lavoie had rounds of 70, 72, 78 and 73.

Men’s flight winners were: David Bohara, first; David Viveiros, second; and David Fertman, third.

Lorie Jakubowski cruised to the women’s club championship title, posting a total net score of 136 (68-68).

• River Ridge Golf Course in Griswold recently completed its club championship matches, several of which were hotly-contested.

Glenn Gasparino captured the men’s club championship, finishing with a two-round total of 160 to narrowly beat Adam Gamache who shot a 161. Russ Phipps took third with a 172.

In the women’s club championship, Chris Wood fired a 147 to slip past Julie Bellavance who had a 148. Nancy Eisenhard placed third with a 162.

In the men’s senior division, Randy Baah (152) beat Bob Macek (153) by one stroke. Ken Deremiah (148) won the handicap division, with Gil Stailing (148), Dan Arnold (150) and Mike O’Brien (150) finishing close behind.

• Former UConn Avery Point baseball player Brett Shulick and Old Lyme graduate Matt Fuller combined to win the 82nd Connecticut Four-Ball Championship last Thursday at Wallingford Country Club. Shulick closed out the victory by sinking an 8-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to outlast two other duos.

Shulick and Fuller placed second last year in the event.

“It definitely means a lot,”said Shulick in a Connecticut State Golf Association release. “We have come close so many times. … We play a lot of golf together and we push each other and fortunately it was our day.”

Chris and Jeffrey DeLucia of Norwich Golf Course finished fifth.

• Bill Hermanson of East Lyme made a strong run at the 26th Super Senior Championship title on Monday before finishing in third place. He fired an even-par 69 at Longshore Golf Club in Westport. Frank Geiger placed first, beating Richard Stevens in a playoff.

Hermanson’s in second place in the 2022 Dick Siderowf senior player of the year race, trailing leader Dave Jones of Norwich.

• In the Connecticut PGA Open earlier this week, former Black Hall assistant pro Adam Rainaud tied for seventh at even par 144 (72-72) while playing at Lyman Orchards Golf Club. Defending champion Fletcher Babcock, a Killingly graduate, tied for 10th at 145 (71-74). Austin Cilley of Westerly tied for 16th at 146 (72-74).

Brent Ito shot an impressive 12-under par 132 (a course-record tying 64 and 68) over 36 holes.

• Tom Gardiner is the latest golfer to join the hole-in-one club, recently accomplishing the feat on the 149 yard, 12th hole at Pequot Golf Club.

Upcoming events

• Men’s club championship competition begins Saturday at Black Hall Club. The final round is set for Sunday, Aug. 28.

• Qualifying for the Great Neck men’s club championship starts on Saturday.

• Shennecossett will hold a member-member tournament this week. The senior club championship event starts on Aug. 27 and ends on Sept. 4.

• The 35th Connecticut Mid-Amateur will take place on Monday and Tuesday at Country Club of New Canaan.

• The Connecticut Assistant PGA Championship will run Aug. 29 at Hop Meadow Country Club in Simsbury.

• Mohegan Sun Golf Club in Baltic will host the PGA Pro-Veteran tournament on Sept. 7.

Please send golf results, hole-in-one information, etc., to g.keefe@theday.com