31st Senior Four-Man Team

Merion members prevail in scorecard playoff

YARDLEY, Pa. — An unforgettable day at Merion Golf Club. An unforgettable day for four of its members.

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Bill Charpek, Robert Harrington, J. Kirk Luntey and Joe Roeder carded a 9-under-par 135 to capture 31^st Senior Four-Man Team at Yardley Country Club (par 72, 6,116 yards) Wednesday. Their victory, by virtue of a scorecard playoff, became official hours after John Peters holed out for eagle on Merion’s 18^th hole to capture the Pennsylvania Golf Association Amateur Championship.

The team of John Barry of Lancaster Country Club, Mark Cubberley of Mercer Oaks Golf Course, Tom DiCinti of Philadelphia Publinks GA and George Steinmetz of Spring Ford Country Club also finished at 9 under. The USGA-recommended scorecard tiebreaking method starts with back-nine totals. The Merion members inked 7 under compared to their counterparts 5 under.

The event’s scoring format is two best balls of four.

“It just took us awhile to get going on the front nine,” Roeder, 60, of Marlton, N.J., said. “[This win] is fantastic. As a new guy at Merion, it was exciting to play golf with those guys today. It was a total team effort. I’m just very happy to be a part of the team. I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re honored. Any GAP tournament you can win is a good win.”

“Getting toward the top of the leaderboard and having it hang in there for the afternoon … there were so many good teams. We managed to hang in there,” Luntey, 64, of Ardmore, Pa., said. “It’s always a fun tournament. I was lucky enough to pull together the other three guys.”

The Merion team pulled it together after a modest opening.

After draining a six-footer for birdie No. 6 (par 4, 306 yards), Roeder — somewhat sincerely, somewhat sarcastically — declared, “That’ll open the floodgates.” Charpek nudged those gates with a birdie on No. 8 (par 4, 346 yards). When Harrington knocked an 8-iron to 10 feet on No. 9 (par 3, 131 yards) and buried a right-to-left breaker, the gates flushed against the wall.

The par 4, 345-yard 12^th hole showcased the Merion team’s red synchronicity. Harrington knocked a 58-degreee wedge 86 yards to six inches. Charpek made a four-footer for birdie, Roeder a three-footer. Luntey arrived at the birdie table on No. 13 (par 5, 490 yards). He lifted a pitching wedge 95 yards uphill to 20 feet. The par 4, 417-yard 14^th hole fired up the team. Both Charpek and Luntey made 20-footers for birdie on Yardley’s most difficult hole Wednesday. The latter did so after a spectacular 6-rescue from 165 yards. Charpek continued the fireworks on No. 16 (par 4, 252 yards). Tempted by the distance, his aggressive tee shot unfortunately plummeted into the water. Penalty stroke incurred, Charpek then holed a sand wedge for birdie.

Roeder, who emphasized the keen course conditions and green complexes at Yardley, is responsible for converting what proved to be the decisive stroke. On Yardley’s finisher (par 4, 305 yards), he stuffed a 60-degree wedge from 38 yards to a foot. As customary, Roeder shook hands with his teammates. All smiles, but the enthusiasm seemed scarce.

The Merion members promptly went their separate ways, dismissing 9 under as just another number on a crowded leaderboard.

“Thinking that we got off to as slow a start as we did and that we missed a lot of good looks, we thought there were more birdies out there than we were able to capitalize on the front nine,” Luntey said. “We thought seven birdies on the back nine was pretty good, but only 2 under on the front, we didn’t think was good enough.”

Turns out it was. Furthermore, let’s put an assumption to rest. The Merion members, given work and family obligations, didn’t rush to their home course to see the Pennsylvania Amateur’s wild conclusion.

“I wish I’d been there. It had to be an amazing finish,” Luntey said. “I was watching it online and checking every 30 seconds.”

In between checks of the Senior Four-Man Team leaderboard.

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.