It all boils down to the flat stick, no matter how well you hit the ball.

Anders Mattson, who has been working at Saratoga National Golf Club since 2002, hits the ball great, but it was his putter that really rose to the occasion during today's final round in the Northeastern New York PGA Stroke Play Championship at The Edisdon Club.

Mattson, 29, fired a five-under-par 67 in the final round, which included seven birdies. He finished the two-day event with a seven-under-par 137 and earned $2,300. He was three shots ahead of Cobleskill Golf & Country Club head pro Bob Meheran and Taconic Golf Club head pro Rick Pohle, who took home $1,600 each.

After making the turn with a 35, Mattson birdied the 10th, 11th and 12th holes on the back side. He added birdies on the 15th and 17th holes, as well, to go eight under, but he bogeyed the final hole after failing to get up and down from a bunker.

Mattson said he didn't know what to expect from the greens at The Edison Club, because Monday was the first time he ever played there. Not knowing how the ball was supposed to break turned out to be an advantage, as he played much less break than a lot of the other local club pros.

The next major event on the club pros' schedule is the NENYPGA Match Play Championship, to be held at Wolferts Roost Country Club Sept. 22-24.