Berkery cashes in at Casino Classic
Niall Berkery used back-to-back-to-back eagles at Twin Lakes’ 11th, 12th and 13th holes to rise out of the congested field of 30 and take charge of the 2012 Casino Classic. A birdie at the 18th provided the final cushion for his first Tour win, posting a 37-32 – 69, 2-strokes better than playing partner Erik Meland. Berkery’s maiden Tour victory, worth $32, comes in his 15th start and grants an exemption into the EASTERN Championship in late August.
Meland (36-35 – 71) posted 6 birdies, 6 pars and 6 bogies to finish at even par. His 4th top-4 of the year pushed his earnings up to $79.50 (3rd overall) and to the top of the East money standings ($56.00). Joe Robar (35-37 – 72) and Jan Cepiga (36-36 – 72) tied for 3rd. Robar, the defending champ, likely would have have forced a playoff for the 3rd time in Casino Classic history if not for a double-bogey, bogey finish. Cepiga recorded his first career top-4 finish in 8 starts
Berkery was the only player to record 3 consecutive birdies (or better) and collected an additional $20 for the feat. Other players pulled a chip out of a bag corresponding to the number of a hole in which they recorded a birdie (or better). Those players included Berkery and 6 others – each taking a $10 bill for the good fortune.
Full results and history: Casino Classic
← All newsAll Casino Classic storiesCasino Classic history & results
