Defending Champs tied for lead.
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Defending champions Paul Schlachter and Bill Kunsman of The Club at Nevillewood shot a six-under par 66 to grab a share of the first round lead at the Pennsylvania Golf Association Senior Better-Ball Championship. The Links at Gettysburg, par 72, 6,500 yards, played difficult with a constant breeze and plenty of hazards. Tied with the defending champions are first time Pa. Senior Better-Ball contestants, Bob Newcomer and Lance Smith of Outdoor Country Club.
"We hit the ball very good today, but could have scored better," said Paul Schlachter. "It was a challenging golf course today with all the wind."
As defending champions, there is some pressure to repeat and play well, but that didn’t slow this dynamic duo down. The group got off to a rocky start missing two putts inside of five feet, but managed to card birdies on No. 4 (par 5, 490 yard) and No. 6 (par 3, 144 yard) for a two-under par front nine. Schlachter then birdied four holes (No. 12, par 3 148 yard; No. 14, par 5, 535 yard; No. 15, par 3, 184 yard; No. 17, par 4 433 yard) on the back nine to grab the early lead.
Schlachter, 56, has won four Pennsylvania Golf Association titles. The 1998 Amateur Championship, the 2005 Middle-Amateur Championship, the 2004 Senior Championship and the 2005 Senior Better-Ball Championship with partner Bill Kunsman, 58.
Bob Newcomer, 57, and Lance Smith, 58, have played well in the State Team Championship finishing in third place twice, but this is there first attempt at the Senior Better-Ball Championship.
"The strength to our game is that we both drive the ball straight," said Newcomer. "We just try to have two guys in each hole, and did on all but two holes."
As always with the game of golf, putting can save the day, but for Newcomer and Smith putting landed them atop the leaderboard.
Similar to Schlachter and Kunsman, the Outdoor team did not card a score over par today. The group made seven birdies in total, doubling up on No. 4 (par 5, 490 yards.) A birdie on the opening hole started the day on the right foot (par 4, 359 yard). The teams other birdies came at No. 6 (par 3, 144 yard), No. 11 (Par 4 346 yard), No. 12 (Par 3, 148) and No. 18 (par 5, 491 yard).
Charles Watterson and Bill Douds of St. Clair Country Club carded a two-under par, 70 to grab the first round lead in the Super Senior Division. Watterson's eagle on the par 5 fourth hole got the team on track after an opening hole bogey. Three birdies on the back side secured the lead.
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Senior Division |
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|
Name |
Club |
Out |
In |
Total |
|
Paul Schlachter / Bill Kunsman |
The Club at Nevillewood |
34 |
32 |
66 |
|
Bob Newcomer / Lance Smith |
Out Door Country Club |
33 |
33 |
66 |
|
James Haynie / Stephen Daley |
Lu Lu Country Club |
33 |
35 |
68 |
|
Thomas Isola / Jack Holland |
Whitford Country Club (1) |
32 |
36 |
68 |
|
Thomas Mohr / Carl Everett |
Coatesville CC/Merion CC |
33 |
36 |
69 |
|
Frank Polizzi / Bernie Zbrzeznj |
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
32 |
37 |
69 |
|
John Gershey, Jr. / Charles Rogalla |
Country Club of Scranton |
35 |
35 |
70 |
|
Ralph Bincarowsky / Peter Smith |
The Kahkwa Club |
34 |
37 |
71 |
|
Terry Blackman / Dave Luzzi |
Rolling Hills Country Club (1) |
35 |
36 |
71 |
|
Frank Shuman / Peter Emigh |
Lehigh Country Club |
34 |
38 |
72 |
|
Mike Metz / Ed Hennigan |
Fox Hill Country Club |
35 |
37 |
72 |
|
Ronald Yarnell / Barry Emich |
Bent Creek Country Club (2) |
34 |
38 |
72 |
|
William Lawler / Ronald Pieczynski |
Fox Hill CC/Sand Springs CC |
35 |
37 |
72 |
|
Donald Ashley / Mark Shuman |
Philadelphia Country Club (1) |
35 |
37 |
72 |
|
Peter Leslie / Gibby Young |
Rolling Green GC/Hartefeld National |
33 |
39 |
72 |
|
Robert Marek / Jake Ruth |
Carlisle Country Club |
37 |
35 |
72 |
|
Thomas Verney / William Duncan |
Carlisle Country Club (2) |
32 |
40 |
72 |
|
Gary McQuone / George Anderson |
Allegheny CC/Beaver Lakes CC |
35 |
38 |
73 |
|
Todd Kennedy / Alan Beily |
CC of York/South Hills GC |
36 |
37 |
73 |
|
Ed Strickler / Steve Huston |
Huntingdon Country Club |
34 |
39 |
73 |
|
Tom Gauntlett / Carlyle Robinson |
Glen Oak CC/Fox Hill CC |
37 |
36 |
73 |
|
Lee Lykens / Milton Drennen |
Clearfield-Curwensville CC/Bent Creek CC |
37 |
36 |
73 |
|
Peter Dellovade / Robert Lazarchik |
Rolling Hills Country Club |
35 |
38 |
73 |
|
Ken Gaskill / Mark Battista |
Philadelphia Publinks |
33 |
40 |
73 |
|
Edward Gregorczyk / James Stanco |
Glenmaura National GC/Elmhurst CC |
36 |
37 |
73 |
|
John Trach / Raymond Mott |
CC of Harrisburg |
34 |
39 |
73 |
|
Tony Joseph / William Moot |
Windber Coutry Club |
37 |
37 |
74 |
|
Michael Sofranko / Curt Fromal |
Philadelphia Publinks/The Springhaven Club |
36 |
38 |
74 |
|
Gregory Smee / Thomas Fleig |
Colonial Country Club |
36 |
39 |
75 |
|
Larry Walker / Joseph Maxwell |
Hartefeld National |
39 |
36 |
75 |
|
Robert Gray / Daniel Kinney |
Bent Creek Country Club (4) |
36 |
39 |
75 |
|
Robert Schiller / Ed Roberts |
Old York Road Country Club |
36 |
40 |
76 |
|
Scott Yard / Robert Lee |
Whitford Country Club |
36 |
40 |
76 |
|
Peter Stanley / G. Clay von Seldeneck |
Sunnybrook Golf Club |
40 |
37 |
77 |
|
Gregory Gaul / John Snyder |
Merion GC/Waynesborough CC |
38 |
39 |
77 |
|
Giles Lanager / Merrill Dunlop |
Carlisle CC/Clearfield-Curwensville CC |
39 |
38 |
77 |
|
Herbert Gordon / John Doyle, III |
Doylestown Country Club |
37 |
40 |
77 |
|
Regis Ruane / James Alcorn |
Alcoma GC/Irwin CC |
37 |
40 |
77 |
|
Dave Moore / Gil Clark |
The Links At Gettysburg |
39 |
38 |
77 |
|
James Fogarty / Gerald Eckert |
Bent Creek Country Club (1) |
39 |
39 |
78 |
|
John Whitehead, Jr. / William Reuter |
Bent Creek Country Club (3) |
37 |
41 |
78 |
|
Jim Cotner / Tom Egli |
Bucknell Golf Club |
40 |
39 |
79 |
|
Charles Johanson / Vernon Kelly, Jr. |
Philadelphia Cricket Club |
38 |
42 |
80 |
|
Peter Gebhard / Michael Kanoff, Jr. |
Lebanon CC/Colonial CC |
41 |
40 |
81 |
|
David Kearney / Gregory Michael |
Lehigh Country Club (1) |
38 |
47 |
85 |
|
Super-Senior Division |
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|
Name |
Club |
Out |
In |
Total |
|
Charles Watterson / Bill Douds |
St. Clair Country Club |
37 |
33 |
70 |
|
Larry Loughner / Frank Carroll |
Conestoga Country Club |
35 |
36 |
71 |
|
Richard Smith / Warren Deakins |
Philadelphia Country Club |
33 |
39 |
72 |
|
Fred Tyler, Jr. / William Whitman |
Moselem Springs Golf Club |
34 |
39 |
73 |
|
Ernest Eichenberg, III / Richard Genoni |
Waynesborough Country Club |
36 |
37 |
73 |
|
James Sherratt / William Davidson |
Old York Road CC/Carlisle CC |
36 |
38 |
74 |
|
William Fager / Jim Callaghan |
Rolling Green Golf Club |
37 |
37 |
74 |
|
Bill Stasiulatis / James Hoffer |
West Shore Country Club |
37 |
38 |
75 |
|
Jim Ake / Kent Replogle |
Huntingdon CC/Hershey CC |
34 |
41 |
75 |
|
TJ Stoner / John Randloph |
The Links At Gettysburg/Chambersburg CC |
35 |
41 |
76 |
|
Peyton McDonald / Robert Farley |
Williamsport Country Club |
36 |
41 |
77 |
|
John Stevenson / Wayne Burt |
Carroll Valley Resort |
38 |
39 |
77 |
|
Danny Scheurich / Richard Cummings |
Lancaster Host Farm Resort/Meadia Heights GC |
38 |
41 |
79 |
|
Bob Carter / George Eisley |
Lebanon Country Club |
39 |
41 |
80 |