Ashley survives four-man playoff for Warner Cup

  SPRING FORD, Pa.–Donald Ashley of Philadelphia CC registered a par of the first playoff hole to defeat Frank McFadden of Overbrook GC, Mike Nilon of Philadelphia CC and Charles Wilkins of Little Mill CC for the 71^st Francis B. Warner Cup on Thursday at Spring Ford CC (par 72, 6,477 yards). The Warner Cup is for seniors 55 years of age and older.

  Ashley and McFadden, both Senior rookies, and Nilon and Wilkins carded 3-over-par 75s.

  “This is one of the greatest thrills of all-time,” said Ashley. “It’s a wonderful feeling. Standing over the last putt, it was straight in and downhill. I knew all I had to do was get it started.”

  Ashley, 56, of Gladwyne, Pa., found the short left rough with his drive on the extra hole, but knocked an 8-iron from 140 yards to just short of the green. He chipped to four feet for the title.

  In the playoff, McFadden’s drive trickled into the water hazard, but was dry. His second shot landed in the left greenside bunker and he failed to get up and down. Nilon pulled his drive well left and his approach shot clipped a tree and fell into the hazard. Wilkins, whose drive was well short of the others, had an opportunity, but watched his lengthy par putt from the front of the green just miss run past the edge of the hole.

  “I kind of had an advantage,” said Ashley after everyone’s drive. “I knew no one was in good shape. I figured I just had to concentrate on hitting a good [second] shot so I took an extra club and an easy swing.”

  In regulation, Ashley recorded the tournament’s only under-par nine-hole score, a 1-under-par 35 on the backside. He carded a 4-over-par 40 on the front nine with four bogeys, but a change of philosophy on the cart ride to the 10^th tee resulted in significant returns.

  “I tried to steer it around the front nine and keep it in play and it got me in trouble,” said Ashley, “so I figured to put up a decent number I had to go for the fences or it was going to be a bad round. I hit a real big drive on No. 10 and that got me going.”

  Ironically, that drive resulted in a bogey courtesy of a three-putt, but Ashley picked up momentum with birdies on No. 12 (par 3, 358 yards) and two more birdies on the par 5s (No. 15, 494 yards and No. 18, 492 yards).

  His final red number on a slippery, sliding seven footer.

   “I didn’t have a clue where I stood,” said Ashley. “I wanted to come in the top 10.”

  Nilon, 56, of Gladwyne, Pa., carded a 3-over-par 39 on his front nine, but turned rock steady on his inward side recording one birdie and one bogey for an even-par 36 and a final score of 75.

  He, too, birdied the final hole to qualify for the playoff when he knocked a sand wedge from 70 yards to two feet for the four. Nilon recorded a stellar 28 putts on his round, including a mere 13 on the back nine.

  McFadden struggled with the flat stick, but scraped it around for a 39 and 36. McFadden registered three bogeys, a double bogey and two birdies on his outward nine. He carded another over-par score on No. 10 (par 4, 412 yards), before coming home with seven pars and a short birdie on No. 15 (par 5, 494 yards). He registered an uncharacteristic four three putts on the front nine.

  McFadden, 55, has become a staple atop the Golf Association of Philadelphia leaderboards since turning 50. In fact, he has qualified for the Amateur Championship match play field the last four years. Last summer, he fell in the semifinals to Michael Tash of Tavistock CC.

  “I guess I’m not afraid of playing poorly anymore,” said McFadden of the reason for his steady play.

  Wilkins was opposite his three counterparts. He recorded a solid opening-nine 36 before coming home with a 3-over 39. The 56-year-old Medford, N.J., resident recorded four three putts, but pulled a wood out of his bag just twice to keep the ball in a play off the tee.