A determined James Stack carried some extra motivation into the Pequot Golf Club men's championship final round on Sunday.

A title victory would be Stack's second, tying his father, Hugh's, championship total.

Stack calmly and coolly closed out the win before a crowd that included his mother Laura, fiancee Jackie, his nieces and grandmother.

"It's been awhile," said Stack, who won his first title in 2010. "It feels great. My Dad has won two, as well, so I really wanted the second one to be tied with him. That was really important to me."

Stack, 29, earned his second championship.

He never could shake his stiff competition during the three rounds of stroke play. He entered Sunday's final round with a one-shot lead over seven-time champion James Lathrop. Two-time champ Chris Trisciuzzi also was in the hunt.

The riveting match took a surprising turn on No. 17.

Clinging to a one-shot lead, Lathrop uncharacteristically recorded a triple-bogey. While Stack struggled a bit that hole, finishing with a bogey, he carried a one-stroke edge heading to the 18th.

"It was very unexpected," Stack said. "The thing with Jim, I probably more than anybody else at that course can attest to the fact that he just doesn't make big numbers and he very rarely makes mistakes. It's something that I don't ever expect to see happen again. I was just happy that I was able to keep my head and capitalize on it."

Stack kept his composure and ended up with a match-clinching par on the final hole.

He placed second to Lathrop the previous four years.

"It obviously doesn't feel good to come that close and not win," Stack said of the last four years. "But, at the same time, it helped me this year. I was able to keep my mental game. My focus level was a little bit more where I needed to be. It helped the determination of closing it out this year."

Stack rode a hot putter throughout the three-round tournament. He racked up five birdies in the first 10 holes in the second round and three birdies in the first five holes in the final round. He finished at 6-over 180 (75-32-73) overall. Rain shortened the second round to nine holes.

Lathrop fired a 7-over 181 (74-34-73) while Trisciuzzi was at 8-over 182 (77-32-72). Tony Davidson was fourth at 184 (70-38-76).

After winning the match, Stack's mother called home to report the news to Hugh, who couldn't attend due to some back issues. Hugh, a long-time member at Pequot, won his titles in 1996 and 2008.

"He couldn't really speak," Stack said of his father's reaction. "He was just really overjoyed."

Golf has meant a lot to the Stack family throughout the years. Hugh played golf with his father and now with his son.

"It's been something that the Stack boys have passed on for a long time, so any time I win anything, even in high school and beyond that, it always makes him very happy," Stack said.

Stack also appreciated Jackie's support. The couple has been busy working on their new house in Uncasville, making it challenging for Stack to squeeze in some practice rounds before the championship tournament.

"She knows how much this tournament means to me," Stack said. "Club championship time she let me work and then go to the golf course every night."

Now Stack will focus his attention on working on the house and preparing for his wedding next June.

In the A Flight club championship, Richard Simonds won by four strokes over Ronald Hartman. Kevin Turley was third. James McPherson captured the B Flight with Erick Cerrone two shots behind in second.

Short putts

• Rain forced Shennecossett Golf Course to make some adjustments to its men's club championship tournament. The 36-hole final is set for Saturday, Aug. 25, with the first round teeing off at 8 a.m.

For the third straight year, there will be a new club champion.

It also will be an all-Fitch High School graduate final.

First-time finalists Corey Jones and Mike Rege, who graduated from Fitch in 2014 and 2005, respectively, will compete for the title. Jones reached the semifinals last year.

Jones, who lives near the course, has played under-par golf during tournament play. He knocked off two-time champion Steve Chevalier in the quarterfinals, setting up a tough semifinal match with veteran Rich Wilczewski on Sunday.

A big moment in the match came on the 15th hole, where Jones drained a 25-foot birdie putt to go 2-up. Wilczewski kept the pressure on but Jones secured the title by hitting a bunker shot from about 120 yards to within four feet of the pin and then sinking the putt on No. 17 to close it out.

Rege had a successful high school golf career, qualifying for the state tournament all four years.

In the women's club championship, Margaret Hirsch defeated Jessica Hewitt, 3 and 2, in the final last weekend.

• It was an impressive showing by local golfers at the 33rd Connecticut Public Links earlier this week at Timberlin Golf Course in Berlin. Josh Cameron and Chris DeLucia of Norwich Golf Course finished tied for third and fifth, respectively.

Cameron shot a two-round total of 1-under 143 (72-71) while DeLucia fired an even par 144 (72-72). John Abbott rode home course advantage to the title, winning by three strokes at 5-under 139 (69-70).

Justin Beal of Fox Hopyard Golf Club in East Haddam tied for seventh at 146 (73-73) and fellow member Julius Oppenheimer was ninth at 146 (76-72). James Lathrop of Pequot Golf Club and Tony Susi of Mohegan Sun Golf Club also made the cut.

• Howard and Sam Tryon of Great Neck Country Club in Waterford finished tied for second place at the CSGA's 20th Father&Son Net Tournament held Monday at Suffield Country Club. They combined for a 4-under 68, finishing two shots behind the winners.

Upcoming events

• Several local duos will be competing in the CSGA's 82nd Father & Son Championship on Monday at Wampanoag Country Club. Richard and Mark Broadbent of Shennecossett, Chris and Paul DeLucia of Norwich, Thomas and Sean Hardiman of Lake of Isles, Frank and Frank Villazante Jr. of Mohegan Sun and Norwich, Howard and Alex Tryon of Great Neck, Michael and Patrick Herilihy of Fox Hopyard as well as Jim (Shennecossett) and Shawn McMahon (Sudden Valley Golf Course) are signed up to play.

• Elmridge Golf Course's Senior Club Championship final match will tee off on Aug. 25.

• The 31st Connecticut Mid-Amateur is on Aug. 27 at Richter Park Golf Course in Danbury.

• The Pequot Golf Club women's club champion will be crowned on Aug. 28.

• Black Hall Club in Old Lyme is hosting the Connecticut PGA Assistants Championship on Tuesday, Sept. 4. The one-day event covers 36 holes.

• Please send golf results to g.keefe@theday.com