Domenick cards a 2-under 70, leads 40th Senior Amateur Championship

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa.–Both Michael Domenick of Phoenixville CC and Frank McFadden of Overbrook GC are hoping tomorrow is THE day. The two longtime Golf Association of Philadelphia tournament fixtures stand first and second, respectively, after the opening round of the 40th Senior Amateur Championship at Sunnybrook GC (par 72, 6,543 yards). Both are hoping Wednesday brings a long awaited Championship – a fact not lost by either competitor.

  Domenick, a Senior Tour rookie at age 55, enters Round 2 with a one-stroke lead over McFadden after carding a splendid 2-under-par 70. He’s been a runner-up in the Amateur Championship, twice finished second in the Middle-Amateur Championship and earlier this year fell in a playoff for the Chapman Cup (Gross) title, a senior 18-hole Major event.

  “These guys are good. I’ve been around them for 30 years and know all of them,” said Domenick of his Senior competition. “Today I went into the round thinking I was going to win this thing. That’s the difference. The other guys like Chris Lange and Chip Lutz know how to win. Tomorrow I will play my game and see what happens. It would be nice …”

  McFadden wryly coined himself Mr. Fourth Place during an interview after shooting a 71 in the morning. More accurately, McFadden’s been Mr. No 2 since joining the Senior Circuit five years ago. He was part of a five-way tie for second in the Senior Amateur two years ago at The Springhaven Club and placed second in the other two big individual Senior tournaments, the Warner Cup and Chapman Cup, since becoming eligible.

  Domenick, McFadden and Thomas Bartolacci, Jr. of Saucon Valley CC, who along with Chris Lange of Overbrook carded 1-over-par 73s, comprise the final group. They will begin their round at 2:05 p.m.

  Defending champion David Brookreson of Huntingdon Valley CC posted a 2-over-par 74.

  The golf course played harder as the day wore on, but Domenick had no trouble negotiating the difficult links. He opened his round on the back nine with four straight pars before skying a 7-iron to 10 feet on No. 14 (par 4, 420 yards) and sinking the putt.

  “That was the first putt I made,” said Domenick of Phoenixville, Pa. “I hit a good putt. It helps playing with guys like Ray Thompson and Gary Daniels (of Saucon Valley CC) because they make you play better.”

  Domenick bogeyed No. 17 (par 3, 180 yards) after missing the green left, however, and made the turn in even par.

  On the front side, his back nine, Domenick surged into red figures with birdies on Nos. 2 (par 4, 410 yards) and 3 (par 5, 502 yards). On No. 2, Domenick dropped an 8-iron to 12 feet and made the uphill putt and then on the third hole overcame a misplayed wedge shot from 80 yards by draining a 25 foot for 4.

  “That was the only putt I shouldn’t have made,” said Domenick. “I had a good line. I hit it right where I wanted to. If it went in, it went in.”

  A poor chip on No. 7 (par 5, 512 yards) resulted in a bogey but Domenick responded in fantastic fashion by rolling his 6-iron on No. 8 (par 3, 180 yards) up to a foot. He made a nice six-foot par save on No. 9 (par 4, 379 yards) to grab the clubhouse lead.

  “It’s fun just being able to compete and play in these events,” said Domenick. “Maybe tomorrow is the day.”

  McFadden of Newtown Square, Pa., missed last year’s Senior Amateur Championship with an elbow injury but the 60-year-old quickly made up for lost time on Tuesday.

  He opened with five pars and a bogey before jump starting his round on the uphill seventh (par 5, 512 yards). He knocked a 3-wood on the green from 245 yards and proceeded to drain the 40-foot eagle putt to move into red figures. It was one of two eagles on that hole on the day.

  “I was trying to hit a neighborhood putt and it went in,” said McFadden. “It was a little left to right. I got lucky.”

  A loose 7-iron on No. 8 (par 3, 180 yards) resulted in a bogey but McFadden immediately responded with a birdie on No. 9 (par 4, 379 yards) when he lofted an 8-iron to 18 feet and made the ensuing uphill putt. He made the turn in 1-under-par 35. McFadden notched another birdie on No.12 (par 4, 352 yards) with a wedge from 108 yards that stopped 15 feet above and right of the hole to move to 2 under but immediately registered a three-putt bogey on the difficult No. 13 (par 4, 399 yards) green from 50 feet to give it back. He finished with six consecutive pars.

  “I just wanted to drive it in the fairway and putt decent,” said McFadden, who captured the Association’s Senior 27-Hole Challenge title last week with Terry Sawyer. “I would say this course fits my eye.”

  McFadden holds a two-shot lead over clubmate Thompson for the Senior Silver Cross Award.

Super-Senior
  Charles McClaskey of Back Creek GC carded a 2-over-par 74 (par 72, 6,109 yards) to head the Super-Senior Division.

  The Elkton, Md. resident moves now one-step closer to earning his first Super-Senior Silver Cross Award, however, he didn’t feel particularly pleased with his play.

  “The way the course was setup, I wanted to be in the 60s,” McClaskey, 71, said. “I missed short shots. You know in your heart when you play your best and I didn’t today. Hopefully, I can do that tomorrow.”

  McClaskey, a 2010 Brewer Cup titleholder, didn’t leap out to the start he anticipated. He chunked a 60-degree wedge from 60 yards out on No.1 (par 4, 335 yards) and failed to get up and down. Shortly, thereafter, “a good hole, bad hole” motif outlined McClaskey’s day.

  On the strenuous par 5, 487-yard seventh hole, McClaskey hammered his 3-wood 210 yards to the front fringe. He two-putted from 40 feet for birdie. But on the downhill par 3, No. 8 (171 yards), he three-putted from 30 feet from bogey.

  A second hiccup occurred on No. 10 (par 5, 512 yards). McClaskey’s wedge flew 90 yards and plummeted into the left greenside bunker. His first shot out of the sand dropped back into the bunker but his second try proved more successful. He converted a three-footer to escape with a bogey.

  The manageable par 5, 500-yard 16th hole provided McClaskey with an opportunity to earn red-figure vengeance. He knocked a 3-wood 222 yards into the right greenside bunker and blasted out to three feet. However, he missed the birdie try.

  “I put myself in good positions to score and didn’t do anything when I got there,” said McClaskey.

  After three-putting for bogey on No. 17 (par 3, 145 yards), McClaskey struck his 7-iron 141 yards to eight feet on No. 18 (par 4, 353 yards) and cleaned up the birdie putt.

  He now carries a one-stroke lead over Terry Fair of RiverCrest GC & Preserve into tomorrow’s final round.

  “I want to go out and make some putts. I believe if I do that I can really shoot in the 60s,” said McClaskey.

  Jay Howson, Jr. of St. Davids GC, the defending Super-Senior Champion, is tied for eighth after shooting a 78.