2025 Delaware Four-Ball: Odessa National

Odessa National and Kings Creek duos take titles

ODESSA, Del. – Jack Lenoir and Andrew Hess sat down at the bar wondering if they would get to be the home-club heroes.

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The tick of the nearby clock over their shoulders filled their nervous systems with angst. Hoping fate was on their side.

The Odessa National Golf Club pair’s dream was realized. Playing in the second group of the day, their best-ball 8-under-par 64 held up and they claimed the Delaware Four-Ball at Odessa National (par 72, 6,228 yards).

“The last few hours of the wait were really stressful,” Lenoir, 45, of Odessa, Del., said. “We were waiting in the clubhouse for about five hours wondering if what we did was good enough. We went to the putting green to stay loose but there’s an uneasiness and stress you can’t describe when things are out of your hands.”

Tyler and Jackson Debusschere of DuPont Country Club finished second with a 66.

Lenoir and Hess have been members at Odessa National for more than 20 years combined. They first met in 2018 in a Wednesday night league at the club. Since then they have become close adversaries and Hess said like brothers. 

“The big advantage for us was knowing the greens and being able to know the best misses,” Lenoir said. “Today was a rare day at Odessa because the wind wasn’t a factor. Usually the wind whips off the Delaware River at 20 to 40 miles per hour. The course plays so much different then.”

Through four holes, the Odessa National pair was 1 over. Not what you want in Four-Ball. But Lenoir lit the spark with a chip-in eagle on No. 5 (par 5, 470 yards). Birdies on the final three holes of the front nine, which included a chip-in birdie from Hess on No. 7 (par 4, 367 yards), put them in the thick of it. They turned in 4 under.

“We didn’t start well at all,” Hess, 33, of Bear, Del., said. “We needed a spark and then Jack chipped in for eagle on No. 5 and that changed everything for us. From that point we played the rest of the round in 9 under. Momentum changed really quickly and in a good way for us.” 

They would return home with 4 under on the second nine. Highlighted by Hess’ 30-footer for birdie on No. 15 (par 3, 200 yards). Lenoir would put the exclamation point on the victory with a 5-footer for birdie on No. 16 (par 5, 455 yards). 

“As a team we work quite well together,” Lenoir said. “I feel like I am a strong putter and Andrew’s length is a huge advantage here. What makes us special as a pair is our ability to not both have a bad hole on the same hole. Someone always steps up when the other person is in trouble. There’s a good synergy between us.”

When word became official in the Odessa Grille, a word couldn’t be heard. Hoots and hollers celebrating the home club champions. Hess and Lenoir, beaming with pride, raised their hands in celebration and waved to those at the club who were rooting for them.

“The best way to describe Odessa is together there is a great variety of different cartoon characters,” Lenoir said. “It’s a very blue-collar club where people have to earn the scores they shoot. We may not necessarily have great talent but we will work hard to shoot a solid score.”

Women’s Division

Jackie Everett and Lisa Schofield claimed the women’s Delaware Four-Ball title with a better-ball score of 75 at Odessa National (par 72, 5,284 yards). 

The Kings Creek Country Club duo met 40 years ago playing in charity golf events for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. They have been inseparable on the golf course ever since. 

“We ham and egg it really well as a team in this format,” Schofield, 62, of Rehoboth Beach, Del., said. “Jackie is a really great partner because she always keeps me positive. We are really lucky that we never have a bad hole at the same time.”

Both Kings Creek ladies knocked in a birdie throughout the round. Schofield rolled in an 8-footer on No. 4 (par 4, 202 yards) and Everett canned a 25-footer on No. 5 (par 5, 400 yards) for a red figure. 

Five of the six female participants in the field were from Kings Creek and they all drove together. For them it is the camaraderie of the ladies and at Kings Creek that push them to play golf whenever they can.

“For us it is an honor to win an event like this,” Everett, 65, of Rehoboth Beach, Del., said. “Anytime we can play in GAP events we will. We play in these things to hopefully get some other women from other clubs participating. These events are awesome.”

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.