AGA/GAP featured another day of four-ball competition as the 15th Founders Four-Ball took place at Glenmaura National Golf Club (par 71, 6,512 yards).
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In the Amateur Division, Honesdale Golf Club’s Eric Williams and Glenmaura’s own James Gardas carded a 6-under-par 65 to capture the title. They edged the Glenmaura duo of Eamon Evans and Sean Shanley by one stroke.
“Eamon and Sean were playing extremely hot, and it made sure that we had to step up our game, especially on the back nine,” Williams, 48, of Honesdale, Pa., said. “It’s so convenient following all of the scoring updates on Golf Genius to see where our standing was throughout the day.”
Williams fired off the team’s lone birdie on the front nine. On No. 4 (par 4, 374 yards), he hit a 9-iron from 139 yards to four feet. Things started to pick up as Williams and Gardas started their inward tour with birdies on Nos. 10 (par 5, 542 yards), 11 (par 3, 129 yards) and 12 (par 4, 377 yards).
“On No. 10, I was able to hit a pitching wedge to six feet to make the putt, and on No. 12, I used my wedge from 130 yards to 10 feet,” Williams said. “I was telling Jim that if we kept this up, we would have a great chance to win, and that’s what we were able to accomplish.”
The birdie momentum didn’t stop there as the duo carded two more on Nos. 14 (par 5, 543 yards) and 17 (par 4, 384 yards). The chemistry between Williams and Gardas played a significant factor in their win.
“It was great to get a win on a course we both know so well, and it’s always a great opportunity to play with Jim,” Williams said.
Senior & Super Senior
StoneHedge Golf Course’s Bob Andrejko and Pocono Farms Country Club’s Mark Bartkowski teamed up to claim victory in the Senior Division (par 71, 6,120 yards) with a score of 2-under-par 69. They outlasted Elkview Country Club’s Kenneth Bolcavage and Honesdale Golf Club’s Matt Froncek by one stroke.
Andrejko led the charge with a birdie on No. 4 (par 4, 348 yards), giving the duo a 1-under lead. On No. 6 (par 5, 491 yards), Bartkowski hit a pitching wedge 60 yards to two feet, setting him up to sink the birdie putt.
“I knew how important it was to come back and get that birdie putt,” Bartkowski, 57, of Roaring Brook Township, Pa., said. “We knew there were some strong players in the field, but we hung in there and got the job done. It’s always a pleasure playing with Bob. He has a great attitude out on the course and can keep things in perspective when playing.”
Berwick Golf Club’s Carl Hinkle and Randy Lynch captured the Super-Senior Division (par 71, 5,708 yards), outlasting six teams with a score of 3-under-par 68.
“I only played here once, and Carl only played here for a few times, so we didn’t know the course too well,” Lynch, 66, of Orangeville, Pa., said. “It took us a hole or two to adjust to the speed of the greens, but other than that, we played some pretty flawless golf.”
On No. 5 (par 4, 345 yards), Lynch hit an 8-iron from 130 yards to 20 feet for birdie. On No. 10 (par 5, 477 yards), he knocked a 53-degree gap wedge from 56 yards to five feet for another birdie. Lynch carded the team’s final birdie of the day No. 16 (par 4, 355 yards) thanks to a sand wedge from 75 yards to six feet.
“We were never that worried about losing our lead,” Lynch said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to compete with and a course to play at.”
GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The Association’s 300 Member Clubs and 80,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
