They've walked the city fairways together so many times over the last 30-plus years, sometimes as just friends, often as clubmates, and dozens of times in area tournaments, including the city men's championships each season since they were teenagers.

But John Bufalini and Bob Hughes have never quite experienced a day together like Sunday at Watertown Golf Club. Going head-to-head for the city crown for only the second time in their illustrious careers, they played what will go down as a classic, yet unconventional match.

Inclement weather, which included two extended rain delays, prolonged the match for hours, as play began at 8 a.m. and finished just before 7 p.m. Bufalini won the final two holes of the opening 18, saw Hughes trim his lead to just one with five holes remaining, then hung on for a 2-and-1 victory.

"That was one of the most enjoyable days I've ever had playing golf,'' said Bufalini, who earned his fourth city crown and became the first back-to-back winner since Hughes won three times in a row from 2000-2002. "Bob always brings out the best in anybody he plays. I knew I had to play very good to beat him.''

Hughes, bidding for his 12th city title, said, "Too many lose shots hurt me. And when I got behind, I had to shoot right at the pins.''

Bufalini seized a tenuous 1-up lead after the first nine holes, shooting 2-under-par 34, while Hughes fired a 35.

The match was all square when the rain became heavy on the 15th hole. Facing a 6-foot par putt with Bufalini already in with par, Hughes missed and fell one hole behind.

"I probably should have backed off that one,'' Hughes said later.

After halving 16 with pars, they headed for the clubhouse to wait for the rain to subside. An hour and a half later, they finished the final two holes in a still steady rain.

Bufalini parred 17, but Hughes hit his second shot left, pitched to the fringe and missed a delicate par put to drop another shot.

On 18, Hughes had a bad lie in the right rough and came up short on his second shot. It didn't matter because Bufalini drained a 20 footer for birdie to go 3-up.

"I rolled the ball on the greens really well and my pace was excellent,'' said Bufalini. "But you know Bob is going to go on a birdie run at some point, so no lead is safe.''

Said Hughes: "Playing a good friend, you know what to expect. John is going to be very consistent and not give you any holes.''

With the rain still widespread, it was decided to come back at 4 p.m. for the final 18 holes.

Hughes began the final 18 with a flourish, making birdie on 2 and 3. Bufalini stood over his birdie putt on No. 3 knowing the momentum could switch if he didn't drop his putt.

But he calmly sank the 10-footer, which did as much for his psyche as anything.

"Mentally, that was a huge make,'' said Bufalini. "Those are the kind of putts you need to beat a great player on a run.''

Bufalini then birdied No. 5, with a beautiful iron to 6 feet, and No. 6 with a gimme as Hughes struggled to a bogey-6.

But Bufalini's 4-up lead was trimmed in half at the turn when Hughes made birdie putts on 9 and 10.

"At the start we talked about how we hoped it would be a close match, and that we both would play well,'' Bufalini said. "Against such a good friend, I knew it would also be a grind-it-out kind of round.''

A beautiful pitch by Hughes to a foot on No. 12 led to a birdie-3 and only a one-hole deficit. But after 14 was halved with pars, Hughes hit a confusing second shot from just over 100 yards on No. 15 that ended up under a bush, forcing him to take an unplayable lie.

"I'm not sure what happened,'' Hughes said. "I got a little ahead of the shot and it just squirted right.''

Bufalini eventually made a birdie on that hole anyway. But he gave a hole back with a bogey on 16 when Hughes hit another fabulous chip to a foot for par.

On 17, facing an almost impossible third shot from behind the green. Hughes hit a perfect pitch to about 6 feet. After Bufalini made par from the fringe, Hughes just missed his putt to stay alive.

Bufalini and his son, Michael, who caddied for his dad, now head off to Albany to play in the State Men's Amateur this week.

"It will hard to top this week,'' Bufalini said. "I just hope Bob and I have a chance to do this again.''

Dave Gerken beat Tyler Woodward 2 and 1 for the first-flight title.