Foursome defends Senior Four-Man Team title

  DOWNINGTOWN, Pa.–The reigning Senior Four-Man Team champions didn’t need a playoff this year to earn a second straight title.

  Don Donatoni of White Manor CC, Carl Everett of Merion GC, Neil McDermott of Llanerch CC and Mike Rose of Meadowlands CC, winners of this event in a scorecard tiebreaker last July, eliminated any tournament drama this year on Thursday at Applecross CC (par 72, 6,182 yards) with a 14-under-par 130 score and two-stroke victory. The second-place foursome of Douglas Fraser of Galloway National GC, Terry Sawyer of Mercer Oaks GC and Frank McFadden and Ray Thompson of Overbrook GC finished at 12 under. Team scores are determined using the two best balls of four.

  “It’s a real honor to win a GAP event no matter what it is,” said McDermott, 63, of Newtown Square, Pa. “If you are fortunate enough to do well in a GAP event, whether it be as an individual or team, it’s special.”

  The foursome totaled 16 birdies, only needing to count 14 of them.

  In fact, Donatoni, the 2008 Senior Silver Cross Award winner, carded seven birdies himself. Known for his crisp ball striking, Donatoni added a hot putter to the repertoire today. He knocked a 9-iron to 15 feet on No. 2 (par 4, 343 yards) for a 3 to move his group early into red figures. Everett followed with a 5-iron to 20 feet on the downhill No. 3 (par 3, 183 yards) for a second birdie, before Donatoni went back-to-back with 3s on the next two par 4s. On No. 4 (par 4, 279 yards), Donatoni lofted a 58-degree wedge to six feet and then on No. 5 (par 4, 383 yards) lofted a 7-iron from 155 yards to four feet. His team was 4 under thru five holes.

  “I think one of the keys to making as many birdies as we did today was early on we determined the greens were a bit slower than we originally thought and they weren’t going to break as much as we read them to,” said Donatoni, 63, of Malvern, Pa.

  Donatoni’s torrid pace continued on No. 8 (par 4, 383 yards) with a 58-degree wedge from 95 yards to 15 feet and then again on No. 9 (par 5, 490 yards) with a short wedge play to 12 feet for birdie. McDermott, too, birdied No. 9, two putting from 20 feet and the team headed to the back nine at 7-under par. Donatoni was 5 under on his own.

  “We’ve played with each other so many times we can actually club each other,” said Donatoni. “That helps a lot. And we got a lot of coaching today from Mike who was the only one in our group to play here before.”

  McDermott opened the back nine with a second straight birdie on No. 10 (par 4, 310 yards), a smooth 10 footer from the front of the green and another on No. 12 (par 5, 514 yards) when he lifted a 50-yard pitch to eight feet. Rose added his first birdie, as well, on No. 12, knocking a gap wedge from 100 yards to 12 feet. When Everett, 64, of Havertown, Pa. sent a 150-yard, 7-iron to two feet on No. 13 (par 4, 375 yards), the Fantastic Four had carded 11 birdies, 15 pars and zero bogeys to that point.

  “It’s hard to know what the formula is in these team events, but we just seem to play well together. We are very comfortable around each other,” said McDermott.

  The lengthy 14th (par 3, 180 yards) tried to pull the champions down, but Rose made a terrific bunker shot from 30 yards out and converted the six-foot par chance.

  “That could have killed the momentum if he missed it,” said Donatoni of Rose’s par putt. “It was a great up-and-down and maintained our mojo.”

  Rose added a birdie on No. 15 (par 5, 495 yards) with a 20-yard chip that stopped 15 feet away and another on No. 18 (par 5, 492 yards) with a similar up-and-down. Donatoni capped his fantastic afternoon with a terrific wedge play from a horrible lie just off the green and draining a 15-foot birdie putt that broke three inches.

  The squad officially recorded 14 birdies and no bogeys in its round.

  “I played here just enough to know where I was going,” said Rose, 64, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. “Neil talked about us not being as aggressive as normal and keeping all balls in play on every hole. We were able to do that.”

  This is the fifth time Rose, McDermott and Everett have won the Senior Four-Man Team. In 2003, that trio and Frank Polizzi, Sr. of Aronimink GC won. Those three then joined Daniel Burton of Bent Creek CC in 2005 and 2006.

  John Cech, George Gepp, Thomas Morgan and Robert Thornton, Jr. of Riverton CC finished as the net winners with a 127 total.