10th Delaware Super-Senior Championship: Round 2

Overbrook’s Mestre grabs first Delaware crown, Bennett takes Women’s title

MILTON, Del. – Even though Delaware isn’t Oscar Mestre’s home state, it has become his second home.

| Scorecards | History | Photo Gallery |

After being recruited to play soccer at the University of Delaware, he walked onto the golf team. In 2001, he was inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame. When he was President of GAP (2021-23), he helped facilitate the merger of the Delaware State Golf Association and GAP in 2022.

The First State is in his blood. But golfwise, he doesn’t have a Delaware trophy to his resume. That is until Tuesday.

Mestre fired a two-day total of 7-under-par 135, a tournament record, to take the 10th Delaware Super-Senior Championship at The Rookery Golf Club (par 71, 5,828 yards).

Sueann Bennett of Cripple Creek Golf & Country Club took the Women’s title (par 71, 4,990 yards) after a two-round total of 155.

“Winning something in Delaware is very meaningful,” Mestre, 65, of Berwyn, Pa., said. “I always wanted to win a Delaware event. The state has meant a lot to me. With the merging of GAP and the DSGA, I wanted to support it. I don’t get to come and play as many events as I would like but I do my best to support the events.

“You never know when your last win will be your last. You soak them in when you have the chance. I always think about Jack Nicklaus’ quote about if you aren’t nervous then you don’t care. It is obvious that I care. You always have the devil and the angel on your shoulder. Sticking to your gut and being committed is always the best way to handle nerves.”

Mestre opened the championship by shooting his age. His bogey-free 64 vaulted him to a four-shot lead after the first round. He fired a final round of 71. He won by four shots.

“What’s been motivating me is to shoot my age,” Mestre said. “Dave West asked me in the first round, if I ever shot my age before. I was keeping track of it coming down the stretch. I used to blow up after being a couple under. Ray Thompson once said to me, ‘You have to keep going and make birdies.’ I think about that a lot.”

In the final round, Mestre made the turn in 1 over needing a little bit of a spark. He would birdie three of his next four holes. He got it started with a birdie on No. 10 (par 5, 480 yards). He hit a 3-hybrid from 215 yards and two-putted from 22 feet. On No. 11 (par 4, 325 yards) he spun a 52-degree wedge from 110 yards to three feet. 

He’d end any discussion of a comeback with a birdie after a bunker blast to five feet on No. 13 (par 5, 466 yards).

“I didn’t know where I stood until like the 13th tee,” Mestre, of Overbrook Golf Club, said. “Once I made birdie there I knew I had some breathing room. I wanted to stay aggressive and try to keep making birdies.”

Mestre has been on a heater the last few weeks after qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur and finishing tied for third in the Pennsylvania Senior Amateur.

“With playing in the U.S. Senior Amateur next week, I wanted to play well in the PAGA Senior Amateur and in this to build momentum,” Mestre said. “The total mission is not accomplished but I put myself under a tremendous amount of heat and in both tournaments I performed well.”

Mestre grew up in the championship culture at Overbrook. Iron sharpening iron. He said its made him the player he is today.

“I think the reason for my success has been the culture at Overbrook,” Mestre said. “We have always had good players mentoring younger players. Chris Lange, Andy Thompson, Ray Thompson and Frank McFadden were a few of the people who looked after me. I have been fortunate to be in good health. I work hard at my conditioning and for my age I still hit it a good distance.

“I think it is important to be comfortable in your own skin. There are things I say to myself to get myself performing. The game doesn’t necessarily define me. Having a big lead is a semi-curse but I have been lucky to hold onto those leads when I have had the chances. I organize a scratch game on the weekends with our younger players. They hit it so much farther than I do but competing with them helps me keep the juices flowing.”

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 organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 130,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.