Ashley, Emmel, Shuman, Smith take Senior Four-Man Team

  FLEETWOOD, Pa. – Although it took a match of cards to do it, reigning Senior Four-Man Team champions Donald Ashley, Richard Smith and Mark Shuman, with the help of newcomer John Emmel, Jr., repeated as champions after carding a 7-under-par 137 at Golden Oaks GC (par 72, 6,280 yards).

  The team edged out Matthew Bellis of Commonwealth National GC, Neil McDermott of Llanerch CC, Michael Rose of Philmont CC and Don Donatoni of White Manor CC in a scorecard playoff to take the 19^th edition of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Senior Four-Man Team Thursday.

  “[Mark] Shuman was huge for us,” said Ashley, who hails from Philadelphia CC. “He should have birdied every hole on the front nine.”

  Shuman, who managed to card a 2-under-par 70 on his own ball, started off hot with birdies on the first two holes of the day (No. 1, par 4, 355 yards; No. 2, par 4, 370 yards).

  The Whitford CC player and his teammates continued to play well as Emmel, of Philadelphia Publinks, registered another birdie for their side on No. 7 (par 4, 360 yards). Emmel recently joined the Ashley/Smith/Shuman team after Michael Nilon, the final leg of last year’s championship squad, had to bow out because of an injury.

  But it was Shuman and Smith, a player out of Philadelphia CC, who saved the best for last as the pair sent in matching birdies on the 18^th hole (par 5, 485 yards) to give their team the 7-under-par total.

  “It was great to get two birdies on [No. 18], especially when it could have been two 6s,” joked Shuman of his other teammates’ scores.

  Smith made a 4 on the final hole after taking driver off the tee, a 4-iron from the fairway and then a pitching wedge from just over 110 yards to 10 feet beyond the flagstick.

  “Let’s go for the three-peat,” said Smith of next year’s possibility.

  Larry Cellucci of Rolling Green GC, Hank Church of Philadelphia Publinks and David Comey and Steve Santarlasci, both of Philadelphia CC, carded a 19-under-par 125 (net) to take the Net division of the Senior Four-Man Team Thursday.

  The event’s format was two best gross and two best net scores, with handicaps set at 90 percent of individual course handicaps.

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  Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 136 Member Clubs and 56,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The purpose of the Association is simple: To promote, protect and preserve the game of golf in the region.