The winners of the last two Brewer Cups, Bob Beck of Lehigh
Country Club and Bert Kosup of The Ridge at Back Brook proved to be a
formidable team in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Senior 27-Hole
Challenge Tuesday at French Creek Golf Club in East Nantmeal, Chester County.
Beck won this year’s Brewer Cup, presented by Callaway Golf,
at Overbrook Golf Club while Kosup captured the Cup last summer.
The 27-Hole Challenge presented a unique challenge at the
6,294-yard, par-71 French Creek layout, designed by Gil Hanse, who received
quite a bit of acclaim for the job he did building the Olympic Golf Course for
the return of golf to the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. The first nine holes
are better-ball of partners, the second nine are select drive/alternate shot
and the final nine are aggregate total.
The 56-year-old Beck and Kosup, 61, went 34, 34 and 71 for a
2-under 139 total, which gave them a four-shot edge over the Lancaster Country
Club pair of Kenneth Phillips and Daniel Burton, who trailed by just a shot
after going 33-36 heading into the final nine before posting an aggregate 74
for a 2-over 143 total.
Beck and Kosup might have wrapped up the title at the par-5
fourth hole on their final nine as both made birdie, Beck reaching the green in
two with a 3-hybrid and two-putting from 15 feet and Kosup dropping a 12-foot
birdie try.
“I think his strength is that he doesn’t have a weakness,”
Kosup told the GAP website concerning Beck’s game. “He hit the ball very well
today. He hits the ball very far off the tee – 30 yards past me. He’s very
consistent and makes being his partner pretty easy.”
Robert Wagner of Merion Golf Club and John Leboeuf of
Philadelphia Country Club finished alone in third place with nines of 34, 37
and 74 for a 145 total.
Six teams finished tied for fourth at 146.
The pair of Bob Majczan of Lookaway Golf Club and James
Prendergast of Bellewood Country Club and the Cedarbrook Country Club duo of
Jack O’Hara and Vince Yost both finished strong with identical aggregate totals
of 70 on their final nine.
Majczan and Prendergast had a 35 in the better-ball opening
nine, but struggled to a 41 in the alternate-shot second nine. O’Hara and Yost
went 37-39 in their first 18 holes.
Also in the group at 146 were: Wild Quail Golf & Country
Club’s Alan Wagenschnur and Buddy Reed (35-37-74); Jim Yenser of Raven’s Claw
Golf Club and David West of Whitford Country Club (34-37-75); Alan Van Horn of
Commonwealth National Golf Club and Duke Delcher of Sandy Run Country Club
(35-39-72); and the Commonwealth National pair of John Alterman and John Nottage
(36-36-74).
Charles Dowds III of Applebrook Golf Club and Mark Szilagyi
of Brookside Country Club got off to a fast start with a 32 on their opening
better-ball nine, but cooled off with nines of 41 and 74 to finish in a tie for
10th at 147.
They were joined at that figure by Ray Pyontek of Mercer
Oaks Golf Club and Gregory Buliga of Yardley Country Club (33-38-76) and Gary
E. Daniels of Applebrook and Michael Rose of Talamore Country Club (34-38-75).
The winning team in the Super-Senior division took shape at
this year’s Brewer Cup. Saucon Valley Country Club’s Robin McCool defeated
Frank Polizzi of Whitemarsh Valley Country Club at Overbrook in the Brewer Cup
Super-Senior final and afterward McCool asked Polizzi if he’d like to team up
for the 27-Hole Challenge.
McCool and Polizzi fired a 32 on the better-ball opening
nine at French Creek and never looked back, adding an alternate-shot 38 and an
aggregate total of 71 to finish at 141, finishing five shots clear of the
field.
On the opening nine, Polizzi hit a pitching wedge to four
feet at the short par-3 third and made birdie, McCool dropped in a six-foot
birdie putt for birdie at the par-5 fourth and then nearly holed his approach
to the par-5 sixth for a tap-in birdie and Polizzi finished off the blazing
start by knocking a gap wedge four feet away and making the birdie putt at the
ninth.
Craig Scott of Great Bear Golf Club and GAP legend David
Brookerson of Huntingdon Valley Country Club (34-39-73) and the Rolling Green
Golf Club duo of Edward Pappas and Robert Billings (35-40-71) shared second
place at 146.
Reigning three-time GAP Super-Senior Player of the Year Don
Donatoni of White Manor Country Club and Steve Tagert of Spring-Ford Country
Club had nines of 34, 38 and 75 to finish alone in fourth place at 147. The
Lookaway pair of Thomas Mallouk and Michael Anton went 34, 39 and 75 to finish
fifth at 148.
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