75th Delaware Senior Amateur: Round 2

Bechtold and Keeney take titles

BRIDGEVILLE, Del. – Bob Bechtold’s introduction to the senior golf circuit was a painful one. 

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He missed a four-footer to qualify for the U.S. Senior Amateur at Talamore Country Club on July 29. He lost out on the spot in a playoff.

Just two weeks later, Bechtold had a 30-footer to win the Delaware Senior Amateur. He buried it.

Bechtold took the lessons learned and put them to use. He is the 75th Delaware Senior Amateur champion with a 36-hole total of 8-under-par 136 (68-68) at Heritage Shores (par 72, 6,192 yards).

“It took me a couple of days to get over that U.S. Senior Amateur qualifier,” Bechtold said. “I just didn’t finish at Talamore. Today I took my time just a little bit more and focused on executing as best as I could. I wanted to finish the job. I putted really well and took advantage of the par 3s.

“I didn’t want to let the anger get to me. I got a lesson recently from Jim Larkin at Fieldstone [Golf Club] and since then, I have been hitting the ball better. Knowing where your ball is going and having confidence in your strike is huge.”

He won by three shots over Bryan Taylor of Ocean City Golf Club who finished runner-up in the Delaware Super-Senior last week at Maple Dale Country Club.

“I’ve been close a lot of times in many different tournaments,” Bechtold, 55, of Avondale, Pa., said. “I was comfortable today overall. Bogeying the first hole today forced me to concentrate and lock in. My goal was to shoot another round of 4 under. I felt that if I did that, it was going to take a special round to beat me. It is always nice to win.”

Bechtold, who works in wealth management, made the turn in 4 under after going 5 under on Nos. 4-9. Including four consecutive birdies on Nos. 4-7.

His back nine of even par included a double bogey a bogey and three birdies. He took advantage of his steadfast iron play on Nos. 14 (par 3, 160 yards) and 16 (par 3, 180 yards). He launched a 7-iron to 20 feet on No. 14 and a 6-iron to eight feet on No. 16. He came down the last with a one-shot lead over Taylor. He played the four par 3s in 3 under Thursday.

“I felt comfortable off the tee so I didn’t have a lot of stress trying to keep the ball in play,” Bechtold, a Fieldstone member for more than 15 years, said. “The course was in really good shape and I was able to get comfortable on the greens. The greens were really smooth. If you were hitting your lines, you were making putts. I have always enjoyed playing here.”

After playing the last (par 5, 490 yards) as a three-shot hole, Bechtold faced a 30-footer from the fringe. As his ball dipped into the cup he let out a stern bellow. The small gallery of players surrounding the green erupted in applause.

“I looked at scoring at the turn,” Bechtold said. “After that, I didn’t want to look. I just wanted to play solid and add them up at the end. It was really nice to see that putt go in at the last. It is a great feeling to make a putt to win.”

Bechtold has been a mainstay on the Delaware and GAP circuits for decades going back to his days as a member of Cavaliers Country Club. The smooth-swinging lefty said he looks forward to his next opportunity to compete for senior glory.

“It’s crazy to think I am a senior now,” Bechtold said. “The good thing is it offers me more opportunities to play and compete. I love competing the most. senior golf I have learned isn’t as stressful as the amateur scene. Guys are out here to compete but enjoy themselves at the same time.”

Women’s Division

Wilmington Country Club’s Nicoll Keeney claims the women’s title for the fourth time in the last five years. Her total of 166 (79-87) was good enough for a one-shot victory over Beth Wagner of Bayside Resort Golf Club at Heritage Shores (par 73, 5,323 yards).

“I felt like I was playing way more conservatively than I usually do,” Keeney, 55, of Kennett Square, Pa., said. “I knew I didn’t have my best game but I was trying to stay focused and not allow anything outside my control affect me. Even in a year when I haven’t been playing my best, I am happy to win this event again.”

Keeney started her winning spree in 2022 and collected her trifecta with a victory in 2024 at Bear Trap Dunes. Golf didn’t become a staple in Keeney’s life until after college. She is an Athletic Hall of Fame member of Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Va. She was an All-American in lacrosse.

“I’ve been challenged in life and in golf a lot in the last couple of years,” Keeney said. “My golf game has changed and my Handicap Index has gone up. I’ve been battling hard and working hard. I am really proud of myself for hanging in there.

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 140,000 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.