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Thursday, July 11, 2019

Russo proves he's all the way back by beating Mendez for Brewer Cup title at Fieldstone


   It had been a year since Joe Russo’s panic disorder manifested itself to the point that he passed out after coming out of the toll booth on the Walt Whitman Bridge on his way to the Brewer Cup at Old York Road Country Club.
   That the 61-year-old Russo was posing with the Brewer Cup trophy at Fieldstone Golf Club after winning the 2019 edition of one of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s major championships for seniors Wednesday is a testament to his perseverance and to his talent. The 12th Brewer Cup was presented by Callaway Golf.
   As I’ve mentioned many times before, this is a tough group of senior players that shows up for the big GAP events. Russo, who plays out of Laurel Creek Country Club, had a battle on his hands with Rand Mendez, who was playing on his home course at Fieldstone, the Wilmington, Del. layout that is, like so many courses in the Philadelphia area, something of a hidden gem.
   Russo won three straight holes on the back nine of the 6,404-yard, par-71 Fieldstone layout to turn a 1-down deficit into a 2-up advantage on his way to a 3 and 1 victory. Russo, a retired police officer who lives in Sewell, N.J., had begun the day with an impressive 6 and 5 win over Michael Vassil of the Country Club of Scranton in the semifinals.
   “Last year at this time I was waiting for someone to come pick me up, waiting to drive my car home while I was suffering a panic attack,” Russo told the GAP website. “That’s what makes this one so special and it’s even tough to put into words what it was like. It’s a bit of sweet revenge on the Brewer Cup considering I couldn’t even make it to the tee last year.”
   Russo, who has been able to get his panic disorder under control with medication, had to birdie the first hole of a 6-for-2 playoff in Monday’s qualifying just to get into the Senior Division match-play bracket. That’s just how competitive it is on GAP’s senior circuit.
   Berkshire Country Club’s Byron Whitman, coming off a win in last month’s Frank H. Chapman Memorial Cup (Gross) at Moselem Springs Golf Club, earned medalist honors in qualifying with a 2-under 69. Gregory Bulliga of Yardley Country Club was a shot behind Whitman in second with a 1-under 70.
   But Robert Gill of Fox Hill Country Club ousted Whitman with a 4 and 3 decision in the opening round of match play while Russo was taking out Bulliga with a 2 and 1 victory.
   On the other side of the bracket, Mendez knocked off one the region’s top senior players, LuLu Country Club’s Glenn Smeraglio with a 2 and 1 victory.
   In Tuesday afternoon’s quarterfinals, Russo advanced with a 3 and 2 decision over Thomas Soares of Lehigh Country Club while Mendez was claiming a 3 and 2 win over Gill.
   While Russo was gaining momentum with his easy win over Vassil in one semifinal Wednesday morning, Mendez was knocking off another tough customer in Overbrook Golf Club’s Oscar Mestre with a 3 and 1 victory.
   Mendez got the jump in the final with a birdie at the second hole, but Russo immediately evened the match by winning the par-3 third hole with a birdie of his own.
   Russo got a nose in front when his 5-iron shot at the 180-yard, par-3 eighth hole finished 10 feet from the hole and he converted the birdie try. But he gave away the 10th hole by making a bogey and fell 1-down with a double bogey at the 11th hole.
   Russo evened the match when he holed a six-foot birdie putt after his approach to the 12th hole with a sand wedge. Mendez then played a little giveaway as he made bogeys on the next two holes and Russo took advantage by winning both holes to grab a 2-up advantage.
   It looked like Mendez might have a chance to get back in the match when Russo’s drive at the par-4 17th hole finished under a tree. But Russo punched a 4-iron and the ball got under the tree limbs and ran all the way onto the green enabling Russo to end the match with a par.
   The Super-Senior title went to Robin McCool of Saucon Valley Country Club, who rolled to a 7 & 6 decision over past GAP president Dan Burton of Lancaster Country Club in Wednesday’s final.
   It was the fourth Brewer Cup title for the 68-year-old Center Valley resident as McCool was the Senior Division champion in 2010 and 2013 and added his first Super-Senior success in 2016.
   McCool played flawless golf in the final as he was 4-under for the 12 holes that the match lasted.
   McCool also benefited from a hot stretch of golf by the 70-year-old Burton earlier in the day when he was 4-under for a four-hole span from the 11th to the 14th holes while taking out the reigning six-time GAP Super-Senior Player of the Year, Don Donatoni of White Manor Country Club, 3 and 1, in the semifinals.
   McCool needed 19 holes to outlast Applebrook Golf Club’s Gary Daniels in the other semifinal.
   Donatoni was stalking his sixth Brewer Cup Super-Senior title in the last seven years when he earned medalist honors in Monday’s qualifying with a 1-under 70 on a Fieldstone course that plays to 5,966 yards for the Super-Senior set.
   McCool has operated in Donatoni’s shadow in the Super-Senior ranks the last few years, but when he gets a shot, he’s proven he can finish the job.



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