Hertzog comes on strong to beat Oakley in a playoff and capture the Pro-Am for Wishes

   The Country Club of York’s Terry Hertzog, one of the Philadelphia Section PGA’s talented group of senior players, rallied with a 4-under-par 67 in the second round and then defeated Zac Oakley of Bidermann Golf Club in a playoff to capture the 12^th Pro-Am for Wishes last week at Penn Oaks Golf Club, where Chester County meets Delaware County south of West Chester.

   Oakley, who was the low pro in the Philadelphia Open earlier this summer at Huntingdon Valley Country Club, had grabbed the lead with an opening round of 4-under 67 Aug. 25.

   But Hertzog, coming off a tie for third in the Philadelphia Senior PGA Professional Championship at Applebrook Golf Club, got it going in round 2 last Monday right from the start, making a birdie at the first hole.

   Hertzog, who had opened with a 1-over 72, made a birdie at the eighth hole to make the turn at 2-under for the day and 1-under for the championship. He added three more birdies on the incoming nine, including a critical one at the 18^th hole, to offset his lone bogey of the day to finish 4-under for the day. That gave him a 3-under 139 total for the championship.

   It looked like Oakley was going to run away with the title when he had a couple of birdies and an eagle around a bogey early in his second round to reach 7-under for the championship. But he made a couple of bogeys coming home and then made a double bogey at the finishing hole to card a 1-over 72 and fall into a tie with Hertzog at 3-under.

   Hertzog then hit his approach close at the first hole at Penn Oaks and converted the birdie try to put a quick end to the playoff.

   John Appleget, a teaching pro at The Shore Club and another of the Section’s senior standouts, was the only other player under par in round 2, firing a 2-under 69. Combined with his opening-round 72, it enabled Appleget to finish alone in third place at 1-under 141, two shots behind the top two.

   Spring Ford Country Club head pro Rich Steinmetz and Lookaway Golf Club assistant pro Michael Little shared fourth place, each landing on even-par 142. Steinmetz added a 1-over 72 to his opening round of 1-under 70. Little was among the leaders after an opening-round 69 before adding a 2-over 73 in round 2.

   Dustin Willis of Dustin Willis Golf was another player on the leaderboard after opening with a 2-under 69 before adding a 3-over 74 to finish in a tie for sixth place with Mark Sheftic, the head of instruction at Merion Golf Club, at 1-over 143. Sheftic matched par in round 2 with a 71 after opening with a 72.

   Billy Stewart, a teaching pro at The ACE Club and the reigning Philadelphia Section PGA Omega Player of the Year, shared eighth place with Radley Run Country Club assistant pro Brett Melton and Dave Quinn of Laurel Creek Country Club at 2-over 144.

   Stewart and Melton each added a 2-over 73 to an opening-round 71 while Quinn opened with a 1-under 70 before adding a 3-over 74 in round 2.

   Four more players, including Greg Farrow, the head pro at Deerwood Country Club, Matthew Cocco, an assistant pro at Overbrook Golf Club, Michael Tobiason of Deerfield Country Club and Parks Price out of the Country Club of York pro shop, finished in a tie for 11^th place at 3-over 145.

   Farrow opened with a 1-under 70 before posting a 4-over 75 in round 2, Price was on the leaderboard with an opening-round 69 before carding a 5-over 76 in round 2, Cocco matched par in the second round with a 71 after opening with a 74 and Tobiason added a 73 to his opening-round 72.

   Hertzog made it a sweep for the day as he topped the senior division. Appleget was the runnerup and Laurel Creek’s Quinn finished third among the senior pros.

   The Philadelphia Section PGA’s pros will be chasing the biggest prize for a Section PGA event in the country Tuesday in the rescheduled Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic at Sunnybrook Golf Club.

   The event, sponsored by the Haverford Trust Company, offers a top prize of $100,000. The Haverford Trust Company also sponsors the season-long points race that ultimately decides the Omega Player of the Year.

   The Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic is traditionally played the day after Memorial Day, but severe weather forced the postponement of the event, which was then rescheduled for the day after Labor Day.