Home sweet home.
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A pair of Frosty Valley members capitalized on the setting for the 2nd Central Stroke Play Championship Monday. Sean Duffy and Jason Troutman carded respective 1-under-par 71s to finish tied atop the Amateur Division leaderboard at Frosty Valley (par 72, 6,676 yards).
“I think anytime you get the chance to play your home course is always a confidence booster,” Duffy, 48, of Danville, Pa., said. “The greens at Frosty Valley are difficult no matter how many times you play there, and having that feel for the course conditions gave me a huge advantage.”
A welcome sight when countering a huge disadvantage. Duffy struggled on Nos. 8 (par 3, 166 yards), 9 (par 4, 420 yards), and 10 (par 4, 391 yards) as he bogeyed three straight holes to move to 3 over. Things quickly changed as Duffy fired off an eagle on No. 11 (par 5, 542 yards) following a hybrid to 20 feet.
“After making that eagle, I just put myself in cruise control for the rest of the round because I knew how important that shot was to put myself back in it,” Duffy said.
Duffy didn’t look back as he carded birdies on Nos. 13 (par 5, 516 yards) and 17 (par 4, 369 yards). A 3-wood that landed greenside right set up his birdie on No. 13. Duffy hit a wedge from 50 yards to three feet on No. 17.
“I didn’t have the greatest performance on the front nine, but I made sure to play my best on the back nine, and that allowed me to come out with a victory,” Duffy said.
Senior & Super-Senior Divisions
StoneHedge Golf Course’s Bob Andrejko carded an even-par 72 to take the Senior Division (par 72, 5,984 yards).
Like Duffy, Andrejko also fired off his first birdie of the day on No. 5 (par 5, 524 yards). He nearly reached the green in two with a 5-wood, which allowed a comfortable chip to two feet. His next birdie came on No. 7 (par 4, 339 yards) as he hit 7-iron 150 yards uphill and into the wind to 25 feet.
“I knew how important it was not to make any big mistakes,” Andrejko, 62, of Jessup, Pa., said. “Some of the smaller greens were very quick, and that’s when I knew I had to make good iron shots.”
Andrejko’s birdie momentum didn’t stop there as he carded two more on Nos. 14 (par 4, 300 yards) and 18 (par 4, 307 yards): an 8-iron to three feet on the former, a 5-iron from 180 yards to 15 feet on the latter.
“My biggest takeaway from the day was to hang in there and keep plugging away,” Andrejko, who won the Senior title a year ago at Bucknell Golf Club, said. “I knew that Frosty Valley was going to be a tough course to play, but I was fortunate enough to come out with a victory.”
David Suitch of Valley Country Club came out as the Super-Senior champion (par 72, 5,394 yards) with a 10-over-par 82 in an eight-player field. Frosty Valley gave Suitch nostalgia as he played at the same course during his college days at Bloomsburg University (1973-77).
“I know the course fairly well, but a lot has changed since playing in college,” Suitch, 67, of Mountain Top, Pa., said. “I’m playing age-appropriate tees, competing against my peers and having a great time doing it.”
The par 5, 433-yard No. 5 stood out as a highlight. Suitch’s 5-iron came downhill into the middle of the green, setting him up for a comfortable two-putt for birdie.
“Without a doubt, that was my best shot of the day,” Suitch said. “I thought the course played tough enough where I didn’t have my best game, but I was able to get the job done.”
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.
