Not-So-Sudden Death: Kevin Aylwin wins Florida Tour tournament on seventh playoff hole

DAYTONA BEACH — After a handful of chances and a six-pack of playoff holes, Kevin Aylwin had to hit a very bad shot on the seventh “sudden death” hole in order to win the Daytona Beach Open.

Aylwin, of New Smyrna Beach, missed the green long and left on the par-4 seventh hole, but proceeded to pitch in with a lob wedge to win the Florida Tour event at the Daytona municipal’s North Course. The win was worth $2,000.

“When it came out, I knew it was on a good line but I was, you know, kinda just hoping it would go in at that point,” Aylwin said. 

Aylwin shot rounds of 68-66 at the historic muni while Sullivan, a former University of Michigan golfer, followed a Saturday 72 with a 10-under 62 Sunday to tie Aylwin, who saw birdie putts burn the edge on the final two holes of regulation.

Being a municipal golf course, adjustments had to be made to accommodate the golf-playing (and paying) public, so instead of following the modern norm of replaying the 18th for the playoff, Aylwin and Sullivan started their playoff on the par-4 first hole.

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They would continue along the front nine as long as the playoff lasted, and boy did it last, with both players seeing birdie putts skirt the cup’s edge through the first four holes.

Both birdied the funky par-4 fifth, and Sullivan saw a 6-footer sneak past the edge on the par-3 sixth, setting up the par-4 seventh, where both hit poor approaches that might've been hampered by an inconsistent east (and sometimes northeast) wind. 

“I was 145 out, 9-iron, and that’s usually my bread-and-butter,” said Aylwin, who then fell back on another strength — a solid short game.

After Aylwin holed his pitch from roughly 20 yards, Sullivan scared the flag stick but saw his pitch slide past.

"Classic case of not putting well for two days and then that happens," Aylwin said.