An early 15-shot deficit was nothing for Ives Hill Country Club to overcome. Neither was a three-shot spread that faced one of Ives Hill's best, John Bufalini, heading into the final round.

By the conclusion Saturday of the 72nd annual Northern New York Golf Association Tournament, host Ives Hill had rallied to win yet another team championship, its record 29th, and Bufalini had secured the club's 11th individual championship in the last 13 years.

Ives Hill turned back a stiff challenge from first-day leader Watertown Golf Club to claim the title by five shots, 927-932. Massena took third (947) followed by Carlowden (968) and Potsdam (995).

Watertown started the day a shot ahead of Ives Hill, and extended the lead to 16 shots after the first two players from each club had finished. But Ives Hill's depth finally prevailed, as Paul Ahlgrim and his father, Steve, made up those 15 shots with stellar rounds (75 and 74), and Bufalini was six shots better than longtime buddy and playing partner Bob Hughes of WGC, who shot 74.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't know where we stood until I got to the 18th tee," said Bufalini, who was tied for third in the individual competition starting his round but passed both first-day medalist Jeff Fallon of Ives Hill and runner-up Joe Tufo of WGC with identical nines of 2-under-par 34. "Dave Gerken (an Ives Hill member) came up to me and asked me where I stood. I told him, and he said we were in good shape.''

Fallon fired a 76 Saturday to finish second, five strokes behind Bufalini at 147. Tufo matched that 76 and he and clubmate Hughes tied for third at 148. Nick Miller of Potsdam (75-74) and Tupper Lake's Mike Roberts (74-75) tied for fourth at 149.

For Bufalini, his fourth NNYGA individual crown capped off a summer in which he claimed a second consecutive men's city crown and qualified for the New York State amateur along with his son, Michael.

"Playing with Bob (Hughes) always elevates my game," said Bufalini, who also won NNYGA titles in 1999, 2001 and 2002. "Winning this title means so much because the competition is so stiff. And it's so much fun playing with these guys."

Bufalini began his round with a birdie-3 from three feet on the first hole. After a bogey on No. 2, he sunk a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 4, ran off four straight pars then finished the front nine with a 3-foot birdie on the par-5 ninth hole.

"I played a lot smarter today," Bufalini said. "My irons were much crisper and I just felt more confident with them."

Bufalini put a new set of Titleist irons in his bag right after the state amateur. "They help me hit the ball higher, which is a better ball flight for me. The good shots seem more solid than with the older clubs," he said.

A double-bogey-5 on the 10th hole produced Bufalini's lone stray shot when he flew the green with his tee shot. But he rebounded quickly with an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 11 and added a 12-footer on 14, a 15-footer on 17 and a 3-footer on 18, all for birdie.

"The key was when I hit a fairway and a good iron shot, I made the putt today," Bufalini said.

Fallon struggled on the outward nine, making five bogeys and no birdies for a 41. But he recovered nicely on the back side, making all pars and a birdie for a 35.

"I hit it good enough, but I missed a lot of 6- and 8-footers," Fallon said.

For Tufo, consecutive bogeys on holes 7-9 led to an opening side of 3-over-par 39. His back side of 37 could have been a lot better if not for a double-bogey-7 on the par-5 13th hole where he hit his second shot out of bounds.

"I should have been smarter than that and not try to hit a hook with a 3-wood," Tufo said.

Massena's Matt Viskovich recorded rounds of 74 and 72 (146) to capture the junior title. Ives Hill's Michael Bufalini was runner-up (76-74—150).

Steve Gebo of Ives Hill won the seniors title with a two day total of 155 (76-79). Paul Lambert of Massena was second at 157 (76-81).

In the super senior division, Potsdam's Pete Shelly took first at 159 (79-80). Joe Parisian of Watertown and Dick Barlow from St. Lawrence tied for second at 167.

Next year's tournament will be hosted by Tupper Lake.