Team Cuccinotti finds the winning formula to capture Father & Son (Older) crown at Kennett Square

 

   The select drive/alternate shot format utilized for the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Father & Son (Older) Championship, contested Tuesday at Kennett Square Golf & Country Club, can be tricky.

   But the Talamore Country Club pair of Stephen Cuccinotti and son Sal Cuccinotti took the mystery out of the format by hitting 16 greens in regulation and making enough putts to card a 1-under-par 70 that gave them a three-shot victory. And it could have been even better.

   “We rolled a lot of putts right off the hole,” Stephen Cuccinotti, a 63-year-old Philadelphia resident, told the GAP website. “Every hole, we had a look at birdie. And we hit some really good putts that edged out. We could’ve been 5- or 6-under.”

   Stephen Cuccinotti, winner of GAP’s 2016 Tee if Forward – Fall Net Championship, had played the 6,130-yard, par-71 Kennett Square layout once 25 years ago when he was a member at nearby Concord Country Club. Sal Cuccinotti, a 33-year-old Yardley resident, had never seen the course before. None of it mattered much.

   After opening the round with eight straight pars, Team Cuccinotti got it into red figures at the 453-yard, par-5 ninth hole when dad converted a tough, left-to-right breaking downhill putt after Sal Cuccinotti’s flop shot stopped 12 feet from the hole.

   Sal Cuccinotti’s tee shot with a pitching wedge at the 135-yard, par-3 11^th hole finished 18 feet from the hole and dad again found the line on another downhill left-to-right breaker for a birdie that got the Cuccinottis to 2-under.

   Stephen Cuccinotti missed the green with his approach to the 352-yard, par-4 14^th hole and couldn’t convert an 18-foot putt for par and the bogey there was the only blemish on the card for Team Cuccinotti.

   Three teams – the Doylestown Country Club duo of Brian Trymbiski and Brian Trymbiski, the Manufacturers Golf & Country Club tandem of Jimmy Muller and Max Muller and the Riverton Country Club pair of Phillip Villari and Phil Villari -- finished in a tie for second place, each posting a 2-over 73, three shots behind Team Cuccinotti.

   Looks like Team Trymbiski was awarded second place and Team Muller third place in a scorecard playoff.

   Four more teams finished in a tie for fifth place at 6-over 77, including Adam Mowery of DuPont Country Club and Theodore Mowery of West Shore Country Club, Brad Cornforth of Radley Run Country Club and Doug Cornforth of Loch Nairn Golf Club, Brian Rothaus of Philmont Country Club and Zachary Rothaus of Five Ponds Golf Club and The 1912 Club pair of Michael Furman and Edward Furman.

   The host club’s team of Bill Holt and Will Holt comprised one of three teams that finished in a tie for ninth place at 7-over 78. Will Holt was a fledgling sports writer during my days at the Delaware County Daily Times before the newspaper business was in its death throes, but came to his senses and got in a line of work that allowed him more time to play golf. Pretty sure he has a couple of club championships at Kennett Square to his credit.

   Joining Team Holt at 78 were the Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association entry of Lincoln Allan and Chase Allan and the Indian Valley Country Club pair of Dwight Dudas and Matt Dudas.

   The RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve duo of Michael Angelos and Mike Angelos and the Chester Valley Golf Club tandem of Michael Grimes and Gary Grimes finished in a tie for 12^th place, each signing for a 79.

   In the Super-Senior Division, the Huntingdon Valley Country Club pair of Jack Seese and Sean Seese displayed an even better mastery of the select drive/alternate shot format than the Cuccinottis did in the Championship Division as Team Seese didn’t miss a green on its way to a 4-under 67 that gave it a three-shot victory.

   Team Seese had a GAP Father & Son title on its resume, but it was in 2003 and the Seeses haven’t seriously contended since then.

   “When you hit 18 greens, there’s not a lot of stress,” Jack Seese, a 67-year-old Meadowbrook resident told the GAP website.

   Team Seese made an early bogey at the fourth hole, but got that shot right back when Jack Seese fired a 6-iron to six feet at the 159-yard, par-3 fifth hole and Sean Seese, a 37-year-old Rydal resident who was a standout at Saint Joseph’s, converted the birdie try.

   Jack Seese had a wedge in his hands after Sean Seese left him 40 yards away at the 323-yard, par-4 sixth hole. Dad drilled it to eight feet and Sean Seese made the putt to get the pair to 1-under.

   Sean Seese got the putter going after Jack Seese’s 9-iron at the 117-yard, par-3 11^th hole finished 30 feet from the hole and Sean Seese buried the long birdie putt. Sean Seese then bombed a drive at the 350-yard, par-4 15^th hole that left dad just 60 yards to negotiate. Jack Seese wedged it to nine feet and Sean Seese did the rest to get Team Seese to 3-under.

   Team Seese finished it up at the 447-yard, par-5 closing hole in style. Dad’s low runner put the Seeses on top of a greenside bunker and Sean Seese chipped it to four feet. Jack Seese dropped the birdie putt for a 4-under total over a Kennett Square layout that measured 5,773 yards for the Super-Senior Division.

   Ryan O’Leary of Makefield Highlands Golf Club and Robert O’Leary of Lookaway Golf Club comprised the only other team to finish under par in the Super-Senior Division as Team O’Leary carded a 1-under 70 to finish alone in second place.

   Vince Scarpetta Jr. of Nittany Country Club and Stephen Scarpetta of Glenmaura National Golf Club and the White Manor Country Club duo of Larry Borowsky and Alan Borowsky each matched par with 71s to share third place.

   The Springhaven Club tandem of Rich Thon and Jesse Thon and Chris Yard of Whitford Country Club and Scott Yard of Applecross Country Club each posted a solid 1-over 72 and shared fifth place.

   It was four more shots back to a three-team deadlock for seventh place at 5-over 76 that included the Merchantville Country Club duo of Brian Herman and Jim Herman, Joe Dulka of DuPont Country Club and Joe  Dulka of Bellewood  Country Club and Marty Klagholz of Aronimink Golf Club and Jeff Klagholz of Applebrook Golf Club.

   Rounding out the top 10 were two teams – the Penn Oaks Golf Club tandem of Phil Petroll and Pete Petroll and Gene Carroll of Chester Valley and Ryan Carroll of Avalon Golf Club – that finished in a tie for 10^th place, each registering a 6-over 77.