Denny McCarthy, 17, became the youngest Maryland Open champion in the 89-year history of the Maryland State Golf Association when he thwarted a fast-closing Keith Unikel to win by two strokes at Manor Country Club in Rockville, July 14. McCarthy, from Burtonsville, finished 68-64-70--202 to edge Unikel, from Bethesda, who shot 4-under-par 31 on the last nine for a round of 68 and a total of 204.

Such was Unikel's charge into contention that he went from six behind to one behind going to the 18th tee. Seemingly unfazed by this turn of events, McCarthy hit the fairway and drilled an iron shot to within 18 inches of the cup. When his opponent made a par-4, the final gap was two shots.

The previous youngest winner was Gary Marlowe, from Woodmont Country Club, who was 19 years, two months when, as an amateur (he won as a pro also), he won at Manor in 1978. In addition to a replica of the champiuonship trophy, McCarthy also won the Harry Pitt Bowl, which goes to the low amateur.

Earlier, McCarthy began a rainy morning (the storm lasted about three and a half holes) with a four-stroke margin on Unikel and Michael Meyer, from Rockville, and appeared to be in good shape when he chipped in for birdie at the par-5 fourth and holed an eight-foot birdie putt at the sixth. However, a shot into the trees to the right of the par-3 eighth led to a double bogey and an out-going par-matching 35. Unikel had 37 (to trail by six) and Meyer slipped back with 39.

Then Unikel began to make it iinteresting. He simply refused to let all the extra practice and conditioning that had gone into his preparation for the State Amateur and the Open go for nought.

While the leader was stringing fairways and greens for pars, Unikel, a finalist in the recent MSGA Amateur, was making birdie putts -- a 6-footer at 11; 12-footer at 13, 10-footer at 15. What had appeared to be a walk-in-the-park became a nail-biter. A McCarthy bogey at the 16th and an eight-foot birdie putt from Unikel at the 17th set up the climactic finish.

"At 18, I had 145 yards to the middle of the green, 149 to the pin, uphill and into the wind," McCarthy detailed later. "I had to be careful. The greens were soft and on some of them an approach shot would hit and spin out of control. And he [Unikel] had been playing really well -- extremely so on the back -- and I really thought he'd make birdie there."

The Georgetown Prep senior, who recently committed to the University of Virginia for 2011. had brought a confident but relaxed attitude -- "wanted to have fun"-- to the course the first two days and it didn't change for the final round. "I made some good pars early and managed the course pretty well, " he said.

Unikel pointed out that, "The way it was going, I thought I'd have to shoot 30 on the back. . .and I almost did. A lot of work went into it." He had won the Maryland Open at 19 in 1998 and that was a different time. Priorities change. "Denny is a great ball-striker and guys now are more mature at a younger age. Right now I'm not sure abut my golf. I'm not saying I won't play some tournaments, but I'm going to have to evaluate. . ."

Jeff Castle, a former MSGA Amateur champion, now playing from Towson Golf and Country Club, shot a final-round 68 for a total of 207 to be the low professional. Rounding out the top 10 were amateurs Chris Baloga 69-209; Meyer 74-210; John O'Leary, 68-211; Eric Cobb 72-212; amateur Nate Cohan 70-212; Eric Egloff 69-213; Jimmy Estes 71-213; amateur Jordan Steinfelder 73-213.

-Reported by John Stewart from Manor