Doylestown CC’s Smiths repeat as victors in Father & Son (Middle)

SOMERS POINT, N.J. – David and Zach Smith of Doylestown CC successfully defended their title Thursday in the Father & Son (Middle) at Greate Bay CC (par 70, 6,274 yards).

  The duo, both of Doylestown, Pa., carded a 1-over-par 71 to edge the 43-team field by a stroke. The Smiths also won last year’s tournament by a stroke at Golden Oaks GC.

  “It’s an honor,” Zach, 22, said.

  “It’s neat to win it two years in a row,” David, 54, added. “We’ve learned how to play this format.”

  Following a string of five straight pars to start their round, the Smiths found red figures on the par 5, 537-yard No. 6. David’s second shot missed the green by three feet, and Zach sent the ensuing eagle try 15-feet past the flagstick. David then snaked in a downhill birdie putt, and the Smiths finished their outward trek at 1 under.

  However, they crashed into a figurative wall on Nos. 10 (par 4, 420 yards) and 11 (par 4, 402 yards) by carding bogeys thanks to wayward drives.

  “We hit a snag for a little while,” Zach, a recent St. Joseph’s University graduate, said. “We didn’t hit any greens for a stretch in the middle. We were both struggling off the tee today.”

  “And we’re normally pretty consistent off the tee,” David said. “Today, we just weren’t.”

  But the Smiths “bounced back nicely on No. 12,” Zach said. David’s drive on the par 4, 385-yard hole found the fairway, and Zach stuck his 9-iron 145 yards onto the green. David rolled in a three-footer for birdie. The pair also birdied No. 5 (par 5, 535 yards). From 70 yards out, Zach nuked his wedge 65-feet past the flagstick. David, however, drained the ensuing birdie putt from the back fringe to put the Smiths’ score back in the red.

  “My dad came through,” Zach said.

  The Smiths again ran into trouble on back-to-back holes coming in. On No. 17 (par 4, 386 yards), David needed to drill his approach wedge over the trees, but it traveled 120 yards and just missed the green by three feet. Zach’s chip sailed 10-feet past the flagstick, and David didn’t convert the comebacker for par. On No. 18 (par 4, 385 yards), Zach smoked his tee shot 300 yards onto the fairway. David’s approach, however, caught the right greenside bunker. Zach blasted out, but his dad missed a 12-footer for par.

  “I didn’t think we played that great, but we were able to pick each other up most of the day,” David said. “We were competitive, and we thought we had a chance (to win).”

  “There were some holes were one of us hit a bad tee shot to start, but the other would come through and get it in play,” Zach added. “I guess you can’t really ham-and-egg it in this format. Usually, our strategy is for me to hit first and for me to try to bomb away. And if it doesn’t work out, it’s usually his goal to get it in the fairway. My dad’s very consistent with his wedges.”

  Brad and Joe Spuhler of Wildwood G&CC carded a 6-under-par 64 net to win the Net Division of the tournament.

  The Father & Son (Middle) tournament is for those father and son teams with sons ranging in ages from 18 to 29. The event was conceived in 2008 because of the high demand for participation in both the Father & Son (Younger), which celebrates its 53rd anniversary this year, and the Older tournament, an event in its 99th year.