Nevillewood’s Schlachter earns Senior Amateur title
BETHLEHEM, Pa.-Paul Schlachter of The Club at Nevillewood, a honors history teacher at Upper St. Clair High School in Pittsburgh, added another chapter to his impressive textbook sized resume on Tuesday at Saucon Valley CC (par 72, 6, 575 yards, Grace Course).Schlachter, 55, of Pittsburgh, earned his first Pennsylvania Senior Amateur Championship (55 years of age and older) title with a final score of even-par 144 on the difficult Grace Course with its treacherous greens. Schlachter carded rounds of 68-76 to distance himself from the other 131 players in the field.
He adds the Senior Amateur title to a list of accomplishments that already includes the 1988 Pennsylvania Amateur Championship and five USGA National Championship appearances.
"It’s a big deal to win both the state Amateur and Senior, especially for the resume," said Schlachter. "It’s terrific and at a place like this, it’s wonderful. Pennsylvania’s [viewed as] one of the top states for golf.
Thomas R. Davis of Saucon Valley CC and Michael Sanger of Merion GC tied for second at 146, two strokes behind the leader. David K. Brookreson of Huntingdon Valley CC and Peter Smith of The Kahkwa Club placed fourth at 151.
Schlachter entered the final day of the 36-hole tournament with a four-shot lead over Davis and company. However, a 2-over-par 38 on the front preceded bogeys on No. 10 (par 5, 515 yards) and No. 13 (par 4, 328 yards) to drop Schlachter to even par. He drilled a 6-iron to three feet on No. 14 (par 3, 150 yards) to get back into red figures, but failed to get up and down on No. 18 (par 4, 405 yards) to finish with a second-round 76. The day was a reversal of his torrid opening-round 68 (which including an opening-nine score of 31, on the back side).
"I kept making the wrong choices with my irons," said Schlachter, who registered only nine greens in regulation. "I didn’t hit it solid. I was just hanging on. I bogeyed the second hole (No. 2, par 4, 384 yards) from the right rough and was never sharp the rest of the day."
A constant breeze, those lightening greens and the pressures of a final round appeared to take its toll on everybody, however.
Davis, who began play in the afternoon, and after Schlachter finished, grabbed the lead at the turn, knowing what he had to do. Starting on the back nine, Davis netted birdies on No. 16 (par 4, 425 yards) and No. 17 (par 4, 410 yards) to finish the front with an impressive 1-under-par 35. At the time, he led Schlachter by two strokes.
"I’ve never been in that position before," said Davis, 55, a rookie when it comes to state championship tournaments. Jokingly, he added, "I kept saying to my caddie tell me when we are having fun."
The fun stopped on No. 3 (par 3, 180 yards). His 18-degree hybrid club from the tee stayed straight instead of with the draw he needed. He failed to get up and down from the right bunker.
The turning point then came a few holes later on No. 8 (par 4, 382 yards), his 17th hole.
A drive left Davis with 155 yards. His 8-iron to a tight hole location came up a yard short and into the left bunker. He just missed saving par.
The difference between victory and second place came in his sand game. Davis had four sand save opportunities and failed to convert any of them.
Mike Rose of Ashbourne CC registered the highlight of the day. On No. 14 (par 3, 150 yards), Rose holed out for an ace with a 7-iron. Maybe even more impressively, the other two players in his group, Peter Smith of The Kahkwa Club and Todd R. Kennedy of the CC of York, both posted birdies on the hole.
Super-Senior Division
In the Super-Senior Division, Richard Smith of Philadelphia CC and Walter Kuharchik of Fox Hill CC ended the two days tied at 157 (13-over-par) and had to decide the Super-Senior Division in a playoff.
Smith, 67, of Villanova, Pa., carded a par on the first extra hole (no. 18, par 4, 390 yards) and Kuharchik a bogey.
It is the first Super-Senior Division (65 years of age and older) for Smith.
| Senior Division (55 years of age and older) | ||
| Name | Club | Score |
| Paul Schlachter | Club at Nevillewood | 68-76--144 |
| Michael Sanger | Merion GC | 74-72--146 |
| Thomas R. Davis | Saucon Valley CC | 72-74--146 |
| David K. Brookreson | Huntingdon Valley CC | 77-74--151 |
| Peter Smith | Kahkwa Club | 75-76--151 |
| Jay Howson | St. Davids GC | 76-76--152 |
| Stephen M. Foster | Diamond Run GC | 75-77--152 |
| Larry L. Novinger | Harrisburg North GC | 80-73--153 |
| Ed Hennigan | Fox Hill CC | 75-78--153 |
| Michael Rose | Ashbourne CC | 75-78--153 |
| Michael McAdams | Longue Vue Club | 82-72--154 |
| Ronald Pieczynski | Irem Temple CC | 75-79--154 |
| Jerry Janeski | Bent Creek CC | 79-75--154 |
| Don Donatoni | White Manor CC | 76-78--154 |
| Michael G. Anton | Lookaway GC | 75-79--154 |
| Ned McFarland | St. Clair CC | 80-76--156 |
| Frank Polizzi | Whitemarsh Valley CC | 79-77--156 |
| Phil Saylor | Sunnehanna CC | 78-78--156 |
| William P. Lawler | Fox Hill CC | 73-83--156 |
| Michael C. Rowland | Lehigh CC | 75-81--156 |
| Doug Dick | Chester Valley CC | 82-77--157 |
| Mike McGuire | Hannastown GC | 76-81--157 |
| Lee Lykens | Clearfield-Curwensville CC | 76-82--158 |
| Jim Haynie | Lu Lu CC | 77-81--158 |
| William B. Whitman | Berkshire CC | 79-80--159 |
| Robert Marek | Carlisle CC | 77-82--159 |
| Philip M. Tredway | Kahkwa Club | 79-80--159 |
| Jim Walters | Sunnehanna CC | 81-78--159 |
| Daniel B. Burton | Bent Creek CC | 76-84--160 |
| Don Lamb | Montour Heights CC | 78-82--160 |
| David R. Gale | Stonewall | 83-77--160 |
| Stephen Daley | Lu Lu CC | 78-82--160 |
| Kenneth Gaskill | Philadelphia Publinks | 78-83--161 |
| Curt Fromal | Springhaven Club | 78-83--161 |
| Todd R. Kennedy | CC of York | 83-78--161 |
| Charles J. Whipple | Huntingdon Valley CC | 82-79--161 |
| Edward Gregrczyk | Glenmaura National GC | 82-80--162 |
| Charles McClaskey | Wyncote GC | 80-82--162 |
| Don Neill | Talamore at Oak Terrace CC | 82-80--162 |
| Ross K. Van Wagenen | Windber CC | 87-75--162 |
| Ed Strickler | Huntingdon CC | 79-83--162 |
| Edward K. Houser | Hershey GC | 81-81--162 |
| David A. Kearney | Lehigh CC | 82-81--163 |
| Scott Yard | Whitford CC | 83-81--164 |
| Edward M. Tansey, Sr. | Kahkwa Club | 79-85--164 |
| Rich Kovacs | Green Pond GC | 84-80--164 |
| Michael Egan | Lookaway GC | 82-82--164 |
| Andy Tompos | Lancaster Host Resort | 84-80--164 |
| Frank T. Shuman | Lookaway GC | 79-85--164 |
| Neil McDermott | Llanerch CC | 85-80--165 |
| Jamie McWilliams | Yardley CC | 83-82--165 |
| Bill Kunsman | Club at Nevilewood | 82-83--165 |
| Vernon Kelly, Jr. | Philadelphia Cricket Club | 88-78--166 |
| Bill Stasiulatis | West Shore CC | 84-82--166 |
| Phil Schaltenbrand | Nemacolin CC | 82-84--166 |
| Ralph Bincarowsky | Kahkwa Club | 83-83--166 |
| O. Gordon Brewer | Huntingdon Valley CC | 84-83--167 |
| Larry E. Casebeer | Hershey GC | 85-82--167 |
| Brian Bezark | Lu Lu CC | 86-81--167 |
| Samuel J. Kursh | Stonewall | 82-85--167 |
| Carlyle Robinson | Fox Hill CC | 83-84--167 |
| Christopher S. Frazier | Sunnybrook GC | 83-84--167 |
| Thomas Fleig | Colonial CC | 85-82--167 |
| Carl B. Everett | Merion GC | 86-82--168 |
| Gregory Smee | Colonial CC | 82-86--168 |
| George Elias | Sand Springs CC | 82-86--168 |
| Edward E. Bondi | Huntingdon Valley CC | 82-87--169 |
| Herbert Gordon | Doylestown CC | 83-87--170 |
| James P. Sylves | State College Elks CC | 92-78--170 |
| Donald C. Galbraith | Stonewall | 83-87--170 |
| Pete Emigh | Lehigh CC | 88-82--170 |
| A. Kent Weymouth | Lu Lu CC | 85-85--170 |
| Jim Hoffer | West Shore CC | 86-85--171 |
| Bernie E. Zbrzeznj | Whitemarsh Valley CC | 86-85--171 |
| Andrew Beechko | CC of Scranton | 90-82--172 |
| Gary H. McQuone | Allegheny CC | 88-84--172 |
| Joseph F. Virdone | Philadelphia CC | 88-84--172 |
| Douglas R. Chambers | Longue Vue Club | 89-83--172 |
| Bill Coyle | Saucon Valley CC | 79-93--172 |
| Richard T. Ford | Club at Nevillewood | 87-85--172 |
| John O'Sullivan | Chester Valley CC | 87-85--172 |
| William E. Moot | Windber CC | 82-91--173 |
| David A. Jones | Windber CC | 90-84--174 |
| Charles S. Rogalla | CC of Scranton | 89-85--174 |
| Steve Huston | Huntingdon CC | 86-88--174 |
| Mike Szymanski | Blue Ridge CC | 90-87--177 |
| John P. Pagana | Susquehanna Valley CC | 93-85--178 |
| Tom Verney | Carlisle CC | 90-88--178 |
| Ed M. Roberts | Old York Road CC | 88-90--178 |
| Norm Kulujian | Lookaway GC | 89-90--179 |
| Louis P. DeGennaro | CC of Scranton | 93-86--179 |
| Gordon Bennet | Northampton CC | 91-90--181 |
| Milton H. Drennen | Bent Creek CC | 90-91--181 |
| Michael J. Brigandi | State College Elks CC | 91-91--182 |
| Don Warner | State College Elks CC | 92-92--184 |
| Richard C. Daniels | Club at Nevillewood | 90-94--184 |
| Bob Brooker | Blue Bell CC | 90-95--185 |
| Richard C. Franklin | Stonewall | 91-94--185 |
| Bill Kinley | Williamsport CC | 92-94--186 |
| Geoffery R. Chambers | North Fork G & TC | 96-91--187 |
| Murray Felzer | White Manor CC | 91-98--189 |
| Clyde Fuller | State College Elks CC | 94-97--191 |
| Thomas Kaczor | Yardley CC | 88-NC--NC |
| Stephen R. Stelecki | Saucon Valley CC | 87-WD--WD |
| Terrance J. Sawyer | Yardley CC | 83-WD--WD |
| Theodore A. Beringer | Philadelphia CC | 81-WD--WD |
| Super-Senior (65 years of age and older) | ||
| *Richard A. Smith | Philadelphia CC | 79-78--157 |
| Walter A. Kuharchik | Fox Hill CC | 75-82--157 |
| Leon Buchter | Golden Oaks CC | 82-78--160 |
| James R. Sherratt | Old York Road CC | 83-78--161 |
| Rich Jacob | Pittsburgh Field Club | 79-84--163 |
| Fran Tusak | Silver Creek CC | 82-85--167 |
| Tony Joseph | Windber CC | 86-81--167 |
| Tom Conboy | Sandy Run CC | 82-86--168 |
| James J Ginsberg | Philmont CC | 83-85--168 |
| Merv Isaacman | Blue Ridge CC | 82-88--170 |
| Robert J. Farley | Williamsport CC | 79-91--170 |
| Merrill A. Dunlop | Clearfield-Curwensville CC | 88-84--172 |
| William H. Bayles, Jr. | Phoenixville CC | 84-88--172 |
| George S. Thorbahn | Rolling Green GC | 87-86--173 |
| Peyton D. McDonald | Williamsport CC | 91-85--176 |
| Rocco J. Limongell | Fox Hill CC | 85-92--177 |
| W. Robert Van Zandt | Springhaven Club | 89-88--177 |
| Jim Ake | Huntingdon CC | 93-86--179 |
| Frank J. Taylor | Kahkwa Club | 89-90--179 |
| Rod Eaken | Berkshire CC | 89-91--180 |
| Kent Replogle | Hershey GC | 85-96--181 |
| George Becker, Jr. | Doylestown CC | 92-100--192 |
| Dennis A. McLaughlin | Pinecrest CC | 91-WD--WD |
| Fred Tyler, Jr. | Reading CC | 91-WD--WD |
| Pete Walk | Edgewood CC | 83-WD--WD |
| WD-withdrawal | ||
| NC-no card | ||
| *-won in playoff | ||