Schlachter and Cordaro repeat
as Senior Better-Ball Champs
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.–Paul Schlachter of Bridgeville, Pa., and Joseph Cordaro of Pittsburgh, Pa., carded a final-round 66 to finish at 14-under par and capture the Senior Better-Ball Championship at Toftrees Golf Club (par 72, 6,597 yards) Tuesday for their second State Better-Ball title in a row. The pair won last year’s contest at Williamsport Country Club after Schlachter, the 2008 Sr. Sigel Match Play Champion, chipped in for eagle on the final hole.
However, Schlachter and Cordaro quickly shot into the lead with birdies on four of the first six holes to go out with a 4-under-par 32 while Rose and Irey stumbled out of the gate with a bogey on the 399-yard first hole.
Although Rose and Irey followed up their bogey with a birdie on the very next hole (par 5, 486 yards), the pair could only finish in eighth place with a two-round total of 5-under par 139.
The defending champions in Schlachter and Cordaro, however, seemed to be on cruise control all day until they came to the par 5 14th hole (583 yards) and saw the leaderboard for the first time to see their lead shrink because of a new threat from an unexpected team.
"We came to the tee [on No. 14] and saw that Benson and Erickson had posted 10-under and we kind of choked," said Cordaro of John Benson of Punxsutawney, Pa., and Don Erickson, III of DuBois, Pa., score, which was within four strokes of their lead with five holes to play.
Benson and Erickson started their day in a tie for eighth place after shooting a three-under par 69 for round 1. The duo began the final round with two birdies to go out in 2-under par 34 and finished the back nine with a 5-under-par 31.
But when it came down to it, Benson and Erickson’s final round surge had little affect on the defending champs as Schlachter and Cordaro played the final five holes at even-par to win back-to-back titles as Benson and Erickson placed second with a two-round total of 134.
Super Senior Division
In the Super-Senior division the competition was tight. Heading into the final round the leaders, Peter Gebhard of Lebanon, Pa., and Michael Kanoff, Jr. of Harrisburg, Pa., sat with a comfortable three-shot lead. They finished the first round with a championship-best back-nine score of 6-under-par 30.
"We left a lot out there," Sherrat said. "We thought we had a shot but it was tough to just make pars coming down the stretch."
Gebhard and Kanoff, who were tied for the lead coming to 16th hole, but a double-bogey on the par 4 18th hole (359 yards) placed them in a tie for third place with Charles Watterson of Presto, Pa., and Bill Douds of Bethel Park, Pa., with a 4-under-par 140.
Created in 1909 with the intention of promoting the interests of golf throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Golf Association (PGA) is the authoritative body of amateur golf in the state. The Association’s focus is to promote growth, preserve traditions and protect the integrity of the game through its competitions and member services. The Association’s individual members and 300 Member Clubs are spread across the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Senior Results |
|||
Name |
Rnd 1 |
Rnd 2 |
Total |
Schlachter, Paul / Cordaro, Joseph M. |
64 |
66 |
130 |
Benson, John / Erickson III, Don H |
69 |
65 |
134 |
Choate, Warren J. / Duffy, Mike |
68 |
68 |
136 |
Anderson, George B / Foster, Stephen M |
69 |
67 |
136 |
Newcomer, Bob / Smith, Lance |
70 |
67 |
137 |
DeNezza, Dave / Allshouse, Bob |
68 |
69 |
137 |
Over, Alan R. / Tompos, Andy |
66 |
72 |
138 |
Rose, Michael / Irey, Roc |
64 |
75 |
139 |
Haynie, James R. / Daley, Stephen E. |
69 |
71 |
140 |
Scarpetta, Jr., Vincent A. / Richards, Donald A. |
70 |
71 |
141 |
Ashley, Donald / Shuman, Mark E. |
68 |
73 |
141 |
Kennedy, Todd R / Lankford, Dennis L |
69 |
72 |
141 |
Pappas, Sr., Edward H. / Klagholz, Martin |
68 |
73 |
141 |
Hennigan, Ed / Elias, George |
71 |
70 |
141 |
Smee, Gregory M / Fleig, Thomas |
74 |
68 |
142 |
Gaskill, Ken / Battista, Mark A |
69 |
73 |
142 |
Scott, Craig / Swiger, Wally J |
70 |
73 |
143 |
Sylves, James P / Reeve, Roy B |
70 |
73 |
143 |
Polizzi, Frank S. / Zbrzeznj, Bernie |
70 |
74 |
144 |
Strickler, Ed / Huston, Steve |
70 |
75 |
145 |
Davis, David L / Ranck, Jeff |
75 |
70 |
145 |
Saylor, Phil / Smith, Michael B. |
73 |
72 |
145 |
Yard, William S. / Webb, John |
74 |
72 |
146 |
Gershey, Jr., John N. / Rogalla, Charles S. |
75 |
71 |
146 |
Patrylo, Robert J / Kelly, Jr., Vernon C. |
72 |
75 |
147 |
Shuman, Frank T. / Shuman, Clyde W |
73 |
74 |
147 |
Lykens, Lee / Drennen, Milton H. |
74 |
73 |
147 |
Gudmestad, Del / Dingle, Gary |
74 |
73 |
147 |
Daley, Thomas L / Riley, Fred |
75 |
73 |
148 |
McFarland, Ned M. / MacWhinnie, Bob |
71 |
77 |
148 |
Schiller, Robert / Roberts, Ed M |
72 |
78 |
150 |
Beily, Alan / Carns, John |
75 |
75 |
150 |
Snyder, John C. / Gaul, Gregory I. |
75 |
77 |
152 |
Yarnell, Ronald R. / Emich, Barry J |
75 |
77 |
152 |
Fogarty, James / Eckert, Gerald C. |
77 |
79 |
156 |
Verney, Thomas P. / Duncan, William A |
78 |
78 |
156 |
McDonald, Peyton D / Twigg, Russel W. |
76 |
81 |
157 |
Joseph, Tony / Moot, William E. |
81 |
77 |
158 |
Gray, Robert R / Faiola, Herman |
80 |
80 |
160 |
Hull, Pete / Picking, Ken |
82 |
89 |
171 |
Super-Senior Better-Ball Results |
|||
Knox, King T. / Sherratt, James R. |
69 |
68 |
137 |
Fry, Gary D / Reish, Gale |
68 |
71 |
139 |
Watterson, Charles / Douds, Bill |
68 |
72 |
140 |
Gebhard, Peter N. / Kanoff, Jr., Michael |
65 |
75 |
140 |
Smith, Richard A. / Deakins, Warren W. |
72 |
69 |
141 |
McQuone, Gary H. / Lamb, Don W. |
71 |
71 |
142 |
Stasiulatis, William / Hoffer, James |
71 |
73 |
144 |
Callaghan, Jim J. / Fromal, Curt |
72 |
73 |
145 |
Scheurich, Danny G / Wirth, Harry |
74 |
74 |
148 |
Stanley, Peter G / von Seldeneck, Clay |
77 |
76 |
153 |