Husband-and-wife Daniels duo sweeps Spring Net

MEDFORD LAKES, N.J.- First they were partners in life, now they’re partners in the winner’s circle.

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  Husband-and-wife duo Jan and Ineke Daniels of Laurel Creek Country Club took home both Tee It Forward — Spring Net Championship titles Wednesday at Medford Lakes Country Club (par 71, 5,709 yards). Jan, playing as an 18 handicap, collected 43 Stableford points en route to the overall Men’s Division title. Ineke, with a handicap index of 12.7, used 37 Stableford points to earn the second-ever Women’s Division trophy.

  Jan’s title run began early, going just 2 over through Medford Lake’s first seven holes. Garnering 23 Stableford points through the front nine had him dialed in heading to the finishing side.

  However, he found himself in tree trouble with his approach shot on the 335-yard, par-4 10th hole, where just a small window of opportunity was presented. He chose to play a gap wedge 60 yards through a small opening near the top of the trees. That escape attempt nestled up to a few inches from the cup, leading to a tap-in par and net birdie that righted the ship.

  “It was the best shot all day for me, for sure,” said Jan, a retired corporate lawyer, who had nine net birdies today.

  The 15th (par 3, 131 yards) hosted another net birdie, thanks to a 27-degree hybrid that found the green, followed by a narrowly-missed look, eventually leading to par. Jan’s gross score of 11-over 82 was not a personal best, but it was definitely an improvement on his “average score of 89.”

  “I’m able to concentrate better in pressure situations. The concentration in golf is very important, and when I’m playing casually, I don’t always do the best things,” said Jan, 73. “Instead, today, I was able to really focus in and get the job done. It helped calm me at times having Ineke with me.”

  The championship couple is originally from the Netherlands, but now calls Moorestown, N.J. home for the spring through fall. They reside in Nassau, Bahamas for the rest of the calendar year. Their golfing home in the Caribbean is Lyford Cay Club.

  Ineke has been playing golf for 22 years. Her real competitive background, previously, was in horseback riding, skiing and sailing.

  “It was never golf,” said Ineke, 70. “I never really competed in any sports with a ball.”

  It was hard to believe that during her title run today. Jarring pars on all four of Medford Lake’s par 3s was all the foundation she would need to top the Women’s Division. She described her game as “boring to some because I hit the ball so straight … and my chipping is where I score.”

  Her round equaled a gross score of 13-over 85, which included three net birdies on the card.

  Ineke has racked up more than a few pieces of hardware in the game recently, including a number of Member-Guest championships in the Bahamas. Together, the Daniels recently won Lyford Cay’s Member-Member event as well. Now they’ll have not one, but two titles to add to their trophy case.

  “Today was special. We love to compete, but we enjoy being out here together. There were moments out here where we calmed each other down. Although I was playing well, I was rooting him on knowing he was playing even better,” said Ineke.

  The Spring Net Championship, formerly known as the First Handicap Tournament, is open to players 18 years of age and older with handicap index less than 36.0. The event began in 1946. The Association adopted the Tee It Forward parameters in 2012. It also changed the scoring format to net stableford.

  The Tee It Forward initiative encourages golfers to play the course at a length that is aligned with their average driving distance.

Golf Association of Philadelphia
Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 153 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. As Philadelphia’s Most Trusted Source of Golf Information, the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.