SUMMIT TWP — The rain eventually went away. Bennett Smith's golf game stuck around.

Smith, 27, returned from an approximate 90-minute rain delay Sunday to birdie two of the final three holes and win the 17th annual Butler Eagle Amateur Open at Hiland Golf Course.

A member of the Butler Eagle Board of Directors and a Pittsburgh resident, Smith carded a 3-under-par 67 to win the championship flight by a stroke over Ryan Pinkerton. Both played the afternoon round and were forced to the clubhouse with a few holes left to play when heavy storms rolled in.

Three players from the uninterrupted morning round — Mike Marron, Jim Hepler and three-time defending champion Sean Knapp — finished two strokes back at 69.

“I finished strong and that meant a lot,” said Smith, playing in the Eagle Amateur for the first time. “Those back-to-back birdies proved to be the difference.

“The rain delay didn't really bother me. I felt like I was hitting the ball well all day.”

Smith closed his round on Hiland's first three holes. He birdied No. 1 and 2 before finishing with a par on the par-3 No. 3.

Smith withstood a late charge by Pinkerton, who eagled the par-4 No. 1 hole, then birdied No. 2 to finish his round. Smith was playing a hole in front of Pinkerton.

“I knew what he was doing and what I had to do,” Pinkerton said. “When his (Smith's) drive was headed a little right on his last hole, I thought I had a chance.

“Hey, I'll take a 68. That might win this thing on some days. I'm very happy with the way I played.”

The delay did affect Jeremy Plaisted, who, like Smith, was 1-under par when the rains hit. He finished with a 2-over-par 72, struggling on the first two holes he played after the stoppage.

“You never want to have to stop playing when things are going well,” Plaisted said during the delay. “The course will play a little differently now. ... It's unfortunate, but what can you do?”

Smith had six birdies and three bogeys on the day. His most memorable shot of the round was his drive off the tee on the par-4, 275-yard No. 8 hole.

“I hit a real solid 3-wood and put it on the green, then two-putted for birdie,” he said. “That was a big shot early in my round.”

Knapp, Hepler and Marron all returned to the course early Sunday evening in anticipation of a possible playoff, but Smith eliminated that possibility.

“I'm good friends with Sean,” Smith said. “He's one of the reasons I decided to play.”

Knapp was bidding to become the first golfer to win four consecutive Butler County Opens or Butler Eagle Amateur Opens.

“I wasn't consistent enough today,” said Knapp, who had four birdies and three bogeys. “The shots I was making the past three years, I wasn't making today.

“The greens were firm and the course was in great shape. I just didn't play well enough to win.”

Marron played in Knapp's foursome and secured his 69 despite getting a triple-bogey on the par-3 No. 9 hole.

“Just a bad hole,” he said. “It cost me. This was an ideal morning to play, too. The greens were perfect and there was no wind.”

Hepler won this tournament in 1996 and experienced an up-and-down round Sunday while trying to top the 128-golfer field.

“Six birdies and five bogeys. ... This was a roller-coaster ride for me,” Hepler said. “I'd gain ground, then give it right back.

“Six birdies in a round is usually enough to win this, but I had some bad lies and tough shots to go along with them.

John Brough III won the first flight with a 71. Dave McPeak carded a 79 to win the second flight and Ron Vodenichar shot an 82 to win the third.

Tanya Wilkinson fired a 77 to win the women's division. Four golfers — Bill Black, Dave Hungerman, Tim Mitro and Bob McFeaters — tied for the seniors (age 50 and older) division title with a 71.

Notes: Matt Eshelman scored an eagle on the par-4, 446-yard No. 18 hole. He carded a 71 for the day. ... Rob Voltz was at even par with five holes remaining when the rains came. He finished at 2-over. ... Despite a poor weather forecast, all but one of the 129 registered golfers reported to play.

<B>Championship Flight</B>Bennett Smith 33-34-67Ryan Pinkerton 33-35-68Jim Hepler 36-33-69Sean Knapp 37-32-69Mike Marron 35-34-69Pat Preston 35-35-70Bill Black 36-35-71Stephan Carlsson 34-37-71Matt Eshelman 36-35-71Brian Giesler 36-35-71Dave Hungerman 33-38-71Bob McFeaters 34-37-71Tim Mitro 33-38-71Troy Nunes 36-35-71Rob Stoops 35-36-71Jeff Birckbichler 36-36-72Ted Marron 37-35-72Jeremy Plaisted 37-35-72Dave Ruffaner 35-37-72Steve Steighner 37-35-72Rob Voltz 36-36-72Corey Morabito 36-37-73Ryan Prokay 34-39-73Bob Yuhas 36-37-73Bill Christie 40-34-74Ken Fair 37-38-75Corky Mowery 39-36-75Chuck Young 35-40-75Ryan Goldner 35-41-76Mark Marion 37-39-76Jerry Marron 41-35-76Justin Maskal 38-38-76Mike Brady 36-41-77Matt Edgar 41-36-77Bob Sampson 37-40-77Mark Young 40-37-77Bob Jackson 39-39-78Dan Lemmon 36-42-78Nathan Bilski 42-37-79Jim Simmons 40-39-79John Carpenter 40-40-80Jim Fortuna 39-41-80Brian Wimer 41-39-80Ira Handler 40-41-81Gene Seezox 41-43-84Jared Farabee 40-45-85Chud Carless 45-41-86Greg Chiappini 41-45-86<B>First Flight</B>John Brough III 35-36-71John Bard 36-36-72Mark Bosak 35-37-72Walt Call 35-39-73Dave McCue 36-38-74Dave Poulick 41-33-74Don Clark 37-38-75Matt Krchnac 35-40-75Ryan McKivigan 36-39-75Dale Rusnak 36-39-75Brian Filges 35-42-77Tanya Wilkinson 37-40-77John Plunkard 37-41-78Pete Brough 40-39-79John Cross 38-41-79Gary Renwick 37-42-79Dave Trainor 39-40-79Tom Hunter 42-38-80Travis Shingleton 42-38-80Sam Courtney 40-41-81Don Hartshorne 38-43-81Todd Simmons 41-40-81Bob Jarecki 41-41-82Len Vogel 41-41-82Steve Chiappini 40-43-83Sharon Goncz 42-41-83John Mohr 42-41-83Dan Pflueger 42-41-83Marsha Wilson 41-42-83Brady Randall 42-42-84Pat Seybert 46-38-84John Brough Jr. 43-42-85Dave Korn 44-41-85Linda Murrman 43-42-85Dennis Newell 41-44-85Joe Penrod 41-44-85Travis Twentier 45-40-85Greg Hesidence 38-48-86Tom Watson 44-42-86Norm Nelson 43-44-87Steve Smith 43-44-87Ed Weaver 43-44-87Jay Frederick 43-47-90Doug Simmons 48-43-91Tim Beck 45-47-92<B>Second Flight</B>Dave McPeak 38-41-79Nathan Black 38-42-80Bob Martz 39-43-82Rebecca Gilson 42-42-84Bill Uram 45-41-86Beaner Scott 43-44-87Jeff Bitzer 43-46-89Mark Stulginsky 43-46-89Carol Trainor 44-45-89Diane Young 42-47-89Don Leslie 46-45-91Jim Russell 46-45-91Ed Desmond 45-48-93Ken Randall 47-48-95Andy Stoughton 50-45-95<B>Third Flight</B>Ron Vodenichar 41-41-82Dan Parr 40-45-85Brenda Lemmon 41-46-87Cheryll Cranmer 43-45-88Bob Wright 44-46-90Cheryl Hartshorne 41-51-92Denny Hemphill 49-43-92Robert Ryder 47-46-93Steve Newcomb 45-49-94Dan Vernon 49-45-94Keith Wilson 47-47-94Glenn Fleming 47-49-96Bill Pettigrew 50-46-96Bill Spangler 45-53-98Liz Turner 49-50-99