Donatoni defeats Umani in Chapman Cup playoff

  NORTH HILLS, Pa.–Don Donatoni of White Manor CC carded a birdie on the first extra hole to defeat Richard Umani of Philadelphia Publinks GA in a sudden-death playoff for the Frank H. Chapman Memorial Cup (Gross) at North Hills CC (par 71, 6,436 yards) on Thursday. The victory marked Donatoni’s first Golf Association of Philadelphia individual win.

  “The one thing I enjoy is good competition and I’ve recognized over the years how good senior division players are in the Golf Association of Philadelphia. They were tremendous Amateurs throughout their career who continue to play at a very, very high level. There are guys that can go low out here and just to be in the hunt in some of these GAP events is a thrill for me,” said Donatoni, 60, of Malvern, Pa. “A win puts a cap on my senior division playing. I’ve made Senior Challenge Match teams and had some wonderful accolades playing on the Senior Tour. This validates all the practice I’ve put in and some of the good play I’ve had locally this year.”

  “I’ve rolled the ball well all day,” said Donatoni. “I put it two balls out and it went right where I wanted it to go.”

  Added a disappointed Umani, “I’m happy with the way I hit the ball, unfortunately, the outcome didn’t go my way. I lost to a birdie and three good shots. If I was going to lose, that’s the way to lose.”

Donatoni said he struck it well but used a couple of fortuitous bounces to get home under par. Starting on the back side, No. 10 par 4, 326 yards), Donatoni opened with a birdie after knocking his sand wedge from 95 yards to six feet. He followed that up with a wedge from 100 yards on No. 12 (par 5, 518 yards) to 10 feet to move to 2 under. A three putt on 13 (par 4, 378 yards) resulted in a bogey before Donatoni got lucky on the dogleg right 18th (par 4, 323 yards). Standing at 110 yards to the hole in the middle of the fairway and staring into the wind, he rapped a 9-iron way long and over the green. However, instead of going out of bounds, his ball ricocheted off the tree in back of the green and bounced onto the fringe of the putting surface. He would two putt for par and made the turn at 1 under.

  Donatoni opened his final nine with three straight pars before watching his second shot on No. 4 (par 5, 589 yards) rattle the right trees and come back into the fairway. He would put his approach on and save par once again.

  “Those pars kept my round going,” said Donatoni.

  Four pars and a birdie on No. 7 (par 3, 164 yards), a 7-iron to 15 feet, in his final five holes put Donatoni at 2-under.

  Umani, in search of first Association win since 1996, posted nines of 33 and 36 and he’ll be the first to tell you it should have been better. He bogeyed Nos. 17 (par 4, 419 yards) and 18 (par 4, 323 yards) from the middle of the fairway.

  “I hit a great drive on 17, I had 155 yards in and tried to hit a little 7-iron and I hit it fat,” said Umani. “On 18, I had 100 yards in and tried to hit a little GAP wedge up there and hit it in the front bunker. It came out a little strong and I chipped up to a foot for bogey.”

  Umani birdied No. 6 (par 4, 430 yards) with a fantastic 4-hybrid from 185 yards to 10 feet and then hit the same club on No. 9 (par 3, 189 yards) to 20 feet for a second under-par figure on his front nine. On No. 10 (par 4, 326 yards), Umani continued his strong play with a GAP wedge from 102 yards to three feet for birdie before riding the merry-go-round for the next seven holes.

  He bogeyed No. 12 (par 5, 518 yards) when pushing his drive right; birdied No. 13 (par 4, 378 yards) with a 9-iron from 138 yards to four feet; bogeyed No. 14 (par 3, 223 yards) with a tee ball into the right trees and then responded again on No. 15 (par 5, 515 yards) when he reached the par 5 in two and two putted from 20 feet. Umani added another red figure on No. 16 (par 4, 388 yards) when he hit an 8-iron from 144 yards to 20 feet behind the hole and made the birdie putt. He then finished with those two aforementioned bogeys.

  The Association brought the Chapman to North Hills CC as part of the club’s 100^th Anniversary.

  In the Super-Senior Division, O. Gordon Brewer, Jr. of Pine Valley GC continued his strong play in earning flight honors. Brewer finished at 2-over-par 73 (par 71, 6,051 yards), two clear of his nearest rival James Sherratt of Old York Road CC.

Overall
Senior Division
*1. Don Donatoni, White Manor CC, 69
2. Richard Umani, Philadelphia Publinks GA, 69

Super-Senior Division
1. O. Gordon Brewer, Jr., Pine Valley GC, 73
2. James Sherratt, Old York Road CC, 75
*-won in playoff