8th GAP/DSGA Super-Senior Championship: Day Two

Wilmington’s Walczak shoots his age to take the title

MIDDLETOWN, Del. – Each morning, Steve Walczak takes 20 minutes to meditate and get his mind and spirits right.

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Just after that, he focuses on stretching and doing some yoga to get his body right.

Wednesday, Walczak went to his happy place in the tune of a final-round 66 to claim the 8th GAP/DSGA Super-Senior Championship at Frog Hollow Golf Club (par 71, 5,843 yards).

His two-day total of 6 under was good enough for a three-shot victory over Day One leader Jack Conway of Little Mill Country Club.

Walczak’s 66 signified the first time he shot his age.

“It feels like a relief after shooting my age,” Walczak, of Wilmington, Del., said. “I’ve had a couple other chances the last couple of years. When you start to think about it you don’t score as well. I am kind of happy that it has passed now and I don’t have to worry about it. I didn’t know that my birdie at the last did it. It’s pretty cool.”

This victory adds a new piece of Delaware hardware to his trophy case. He’s won the Delaware Mid-Open and Mid-Amateur twice (2005, 2007) as well as the Delaware Senior Amateur in 2015.

The Wilmington Country Club member found his stride in the tune of a 4 under pace through his first 10 holes. Then his meditation and mindfulness came into play.

His display of mental focus was in full force following his three final-round bogeys. He bogeyed Nos. 11 (par 5, 514 yards), 13 (par 4, 317 yards) and 17 (par 4, 375 yards), but on the subsequent holes he carded a red figure.

“When I don’t hit good shots most of the time it comes down to my lack of concentration and mental focus,” Walczak said. “So when I get out of sorts, I remind myself to focus on the target. That’s why I am able to recover well because I just move on and get locked back in.”

A stunning 3-putt bogey from 15 feet on No. 13 cut his lead to just two after Conway rolled in his first birdie of the day. On No. 14 (par 3, 155 yards), the wistful Walczak stepped on a 7-iron to five feet to regain his three-shot advantage. He added another birdie thanks to another 7-iron to 10-feet on No. 16 (par 3, 165 yards).

In the final round, Walczak played the five par threes in 3 under. He won by three shots. He also birdied No. 8 (par 3, 134 yards) thanks to a stellar 9-iron.

“The yardages were perfect for me on the par 3’s I birdied,” Walczak said. “I knew I could hit them how I wanted to and not get into any trouble. Those turned out to be a huge help to me today.”

Walczak sealed the deal with a 20-footer for birdie at the last (par 5, 510 yards). Putting an exclamation mark on what has been a grand summer soiree.

He won the Frank H. Chapman Cup Super Senior at Penn Oaks Golf Club in June and teamed up with clubmate Jeff Homer to win the Deeg Sezna Monday at Radley Run. This win completes a triumvirate of additions to his trophy case this season.

“This summer has been quite enjoyable,” Walczak said. “I’ve been playing well pretty much all summer long. Maybe a little too much. This is probably the best stretch of golf I have had. Having a stretch like this helps your confidence. I felt strongly about my ability to go out and win this tournament today. That feeling has been building all summer long.”

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 340 Member Clubs and 100,000 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.