Veteran local golfer Joe Meade rolled in an eagle putt on the first playoff hole and claimed his third Link Hills Men's Invitational Golf Tournament title Sunday afternoon.

Meade, who played golf professionally for a number of years before reclaiming his amateur status, built a substantial lead with a run of birdies on the front side Sunday, but then had to fend off Darius Hoese, who made a brilliant run of his own on the back nine holes to pull into a tie at the end of the 36-hole tournament.

"These young guys ...," Meade, now 41, smiled, "they're tough to beat. Darius played really well. He's a great guy. It was a fun round of golf. I really didn't know that we were tied at the end of regulation, but I knew that I had dropped a couple of shots and Darius had played really well."

It was a great finish for Hoese, who just over a month ago still had his left arm in a sling after sustaining a broken arm in an auto accident. Hoese has played collegiately at Walters State for the past two years, but the broken arm cost him a shot at playing with the Senators in this year's regional tournament and a subsequent berth in the national tourney.

"I played two good rounds," Hoese said when it was over Sunday. "The elbow still hurts some when I swing, but I'm glad to be able to play again."

While Meade didn't know the tourney was tied at the close of regulation, Hoese knew where he stood.

"I knew I got even with Joe when I made that eagle at No. 13 and he made bogey," Hoese said. "That was a three-shot swing. Then I made par at No. 14 and he made bogey so I was one-up. But I missed a short putt at No. 16 (a par-3 hole) and he tied it back up with a par."

Hoese's eagle at the par-4 No. 13 came when he holed out a 60-degree wedge from some 50 yds. short of the green after his tee shot cleared the woodland and came to rest in the left rough. From his vantage point below the green, Hoese couldn't see the shot go in, but it took one hop and disappeared into the cup.

Both golfers made par on the final two holes of regulation play, forcing a playoff which would start at No. 9, a par-5 hole.

Meade, a golfer well-known for his ability to hit the long ball, saved one of his best drives of the day for the playoff. He absolutely crushed it, and the ball sailed down the middle of the fairway between the rows of trees that guard both sides of the short grass, hit on the downslope at the steep hill and rolled all the way to the bottom, leaving him just a short wedge shot up the slope to the green.

Hoese also cranked out a good tee ball, but it stopped in the short rough on the downslope, leaving him a rather awkward downhill lie for his approach.

Both golfers hit the green on their second shot, but Meade's was much closer, and he drained about a 10-footer for the eagle after Hoese had come up short on his eagle putt.

Meade, Hoese and Boddie Bible all started the day at 1-under-par 70 after Saturday's opening round, which was played in extremely windy conditions. Bible played solidly as well Sunday, but could never get a run going. He finished with a 72 and settled for fourth place at 142, one stroke back of Kevin Kinser, who had Sunday's best round, a 4-under-par 67 that left him in third at 141.

Meade threatened to run away and hide from the field after putting together four staight birdies -- at No. 4, 5, 6 and 7 -- to open up a lead. He also made birdie at No. 9 and seemed to be in command, leading Hoese by four shots after Hoese made his only hiccup of the day, a double bogey at No. 10.

But then came the run by Hoese, who made birdie at No. 12, knocking his approach within two feet of the cup from the right rough, and the eagle at No. 13. Meade made bogey at No. 13 when his tee ball landed under a tree and his only shot was to punch back to the fairway, and he also made bogey at the par-3 No. 14 when he three-putted.

Suddenly Hoese was up by one shot, and it stayed that way until the par-3 No. 16 when Hoese three-putted, leaving him tied with Meade.

Justin Burns and Luke Fullen finished tied for fifth with totals of 143.

James Fender won the A Flight championship (76-73--149) by three shots over Mike Campbell and Bud McKinney, both of whom shot 74-78--152. Mark Stanifer was B Flight champion with a 157 (83-74), three shots better than Larry Sauceman (82-78--160).

Mike Poe captured the Seniors Flight with a 140 (72-68), edging Spencer Smith (70-72) by two strokes. Clifford Skeen (74-72--146) was best among the Over-60 golfers.