*Sigel Senior Amateur bracket
Cutrell, Schlachter, Sigel’s top seeds survive
ELVERSON, Pa.–There are no pictures on the scorecard and Arnold Cutrell of Greensburg, Pa., is glad for that. Somehow, someway the R. Jay Sigel Amateur Match Play Championship’s top seed survived not only the windy, wet and cold conditions of Stonewall on Monday but also a stiff challenge from Zak Drescher of Landisville, Pa., the ninth seed, to advance to the semifinals. Cutrell needed 20 holes to advance as he tries for his third Sigel Match Play title (2005-06).
“It was good golf up until the 18th hole,” said Cutrell.
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the 18th hole during his match with Arnie Cutrell. |
All Square heading down the final fairway, Cutrell shanked his third shot, a pitch from the right rough (after he took casual water relief) that almost struck his caddie. Drescher, who found the front right bunker with his lengthy second shot, pitched out long and left of the green. Cutrell chipped up to about six feet and Drescher did the same on the other side. Both players finished with double bogeys.
On the first extra hole, No. 1 (par 5, 511 yards), Drescher knocked his chip to four feet.
Cutrell, then, was left with a 37-yard pitch after his second shot just missed the right lateral hazard. With thoughts of No. 18 still on his mind, he flopped it up to five feet to match Drescher’s birdie.
“It was tough going down No. 1,” said Cutrell. “I was a little nervous on that chip shot [on No. 1] but I said it had to be an improvement over the last one.”
On the second playoff hole (No. 2, par 4, 389 yards), Cutrell found himself in the rough left of the green. He sculled his next shot across the putting surface and about a foot off, into the rough. Drescher, meanwhile, was just short, right of the green. He chipped his shot up to six feet short of the hole. Cutrell then delicately stopped his chip about three feet above the hole. Drescher pushed his first putt four feet past the hole and missed the comebacker for a double bogey six. Cutrell made his putt for bogey to win the match.
“I don’t even feel good about winning it that way,” said Cutrell. “You don’t want to win it like that.”
Said Drescher, “I just hit that second putt [on No. 2] too hard. I was lucky to be alive at that point anyway.”
Drescher, 19, a Campbell University sophomore, built a 2-up advantage through 14 holes. A two-putt par on No. 13 (par 4, 455 yards) and a tap-in birdie on No. 14 (par 4, 392 yards) had things well in hand. However, Cutrell responded with a two-putt par on No. 16 (par 4, 463 yards) and a wedge to six feet on No. 17 (par 3, 142 yards) to draw All Square.
Cutrell will face fifth seed Chip Lutz of Reading, Pa., at 8:20 a.m. tomorrow.
In other quarterfinal action, Eric Williams, the seventh seed, of Honesdale, Pa., upset No. 2 seed Sean Knapp of Oakmont, Pa., in 20 holes.
Williams, who missed a 3½ foot birdie putt on the first extra hole, No. 1, closed Knapp out on the second hole with a par.
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on No. 16. |
Knapp led Williams, 2-up, after eight holes, but took holes No. 9 (par 3, 229 yards) and No. 13 to bring the match back to All Square.
Williams then made a good up-and-down par save from 20 yards on No. 18 (par 4, 451 yards) to force extra holes.
In the R. Jay Sigel Senior Amateur bracket, top-seeded Paul Schlachter cruised into the semifinals with victories over No. 9 seed Ed Strickler, 3&2, and 16th-seeded David Gale of Chester Springs, Pa., the Stonewall Senior Amateur Champion, 7&6.
As the No. 1 seed a year ago in this event, Schlachter fell to Ed Chylinski in the second round. That defeat proved to be a decisive factor in Schlachter competing.
“Winning is the focus,” said Schlachter when asked if these two wins were a bit of redemption. “There is actually a very good senior event, the Carlton Woods Senior Invitational, which is a national senior invitational in Texas I passed on, because I wanted to see what I could do in this one. State titles are worth there weight in gold.”
Schlachter should know, he is a six-time state champion (1998 Amateur, 2004 Senior Amateur, 2005 Middle-Amateur, 2006 Senior Amateur and 2005 & 2007 Senior Better-Ball).
In his afternoon match with Strickler of Huntingdon, Pa., the 59-year-old Schlachter built a 3-up lead at the turn before a drive into the water on No. 3 (par 5, 536 yards) and into the hazard on No. 4 (par 4, 348 yards) brought Stickler to within a hole.
An up-and-down from the left greenside bunker on No. 5 (par 3, 178 yards) extended Schlachter’s advantage to two holes before he closed Strickler out on No. 7 (par 3, 156 yards) with a 9-iron to 10 feet for birdie.
“Pars were very good scores,” said Schlachter of battling the difficult conditions. “I think I was 4-over through 12 holes in the morning. It was tougher this afternoon with the rain. It seemed to get colder.”
In other quarterfinal senior action, Thomas Bartolacci, Jr., of Washington Crossing, Pa., parred the 19th hole to defeat David Brookreson of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. Brookreson trailed by two holes with two to play but forced extra time with two solid pars.
On the 19th hole, No. 10 (par 4, 371 yards), Bartolacci hit a driver and then 7-iron from 155 yards onto the green about 15 feet from the hole and Brookreson missed the putting surface short right. Bartolacci two putted for par and Brookreson failed to get up-and-down.
“I was lucky to beat him. He’s a grinder,” said Bartolacci, 57, of Brookreson. And about losing the final two holes, “It was just one of those things that can happen. You have to put it behind you. You can’t give up. It was hard to keep your focus all day. The [weather] was as bad as it could get.”
Amateur
Second round
1. Arnie Cutrell, Greensburg, Pa., d. 9. Zak Drescher, Landisville, Pa., 20 holes
5. Chip Lutz, Reading, Pa., d. 4. Adam Hofmann, Pittsburgh, Pa., 2&1
14. Tyler Brewington, Orangeville, Pa., d. 11. David Brown, Pittsburgh, Pa., 4&2
7. Eric Williams, Honesdale, Pa., d. 2. Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa., 20 holes
First round
1. Cutrell d. 16. Fred Snow, West Chester, Pa., 5&4
9. Drescher d. 8. Frank Fairman, Punxsutawney, Pa., 20 holes
4. Hofmann d. 13. Philip Arouca, Philadelphia, Pa., 4&2
5. Lutz d. 12. Warren Choate, Mountoursville, Pa., 4&3
14. Brewington d. 3. Cole Willcox, Berwyn, 3&1
11. Brown d. 6. Adam Cohan, Wayne, Pa., 3&2
2. Knapp d. 15. Michael Domenick, Phoenixville, Pa., 7&5
7. Williams d. 10. P. Chet Walsh, Wayne, Pa., 3&2
Senior
Second round
1. Paul Schlachter, Bridgeville, Pa., d. 9. Ed Strickler, Huntingdon, Pa., 3&2
12. Don Erickson, III, DuBois, Pa., d. 4. Ed Chylinski, King of Prussia, Pa., 2&1
6. Thomas Bartolacci, Jr., Washington Crossing, Pa., d. 3. David Brookreson, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., 19 holes
2. John Benson, Punxsutawney, Pa., d. 7. Frank Polizzi, Plymouth Meeting, Pa., 2&1
First round
1. Schlachter d. 16. David Gale, Chester Springs, Pa., 7&6
9. Strickler d. 8. Dennis Perna, Phoenixville, Pa., 1-up
4. Chylinski d. 13. Mike Nilon, Gladwyne, Pa., 3&2
12. Erickson, III d. 5. Joseph Cordaro, Pittsburgh, Pa., 19 holes
3. Brookreson d. Roc Irey, Jamison, Pa., 2-up
6. Bartolacci, Jr. d. 11. Bill Baloh, Herminie, Pa., 7&6
2. Benson d. 15. John Gonsior, Willow Grove, Pa., 3&2
7. Polizzi d. 10. Lee Lykens, Clearfield, Pa., 2&1