Michael Thomas may revert to playing in just Four-Ball events.
The Scranton Municipal Golf Course member paired up with Glenmaura National Golf Club’s David Mecca to claim the AGA/GAP 5th Carlyle Robinson Fall Four-Ball at Lords Valley Country Club (par 72, 6,344 yards) with a best-ball round of 8-under-par 64 to win by five shots.
Thomas also paired with Anthony Sebastianelli to claim the AGA/GAP George Montgomery Fall Four-Ball on Sept. 19.
“It’s pretty cool to win,” said Thomas, 23, of Scott Township, Pa. “It is a good way to finish up the season. My original partner, Kevin Rossi, couldn’t play because he hurt his back. I was happy to get Dave because we have played a lot of golf together over the years.”
Thomas got off to a hot start by shooting a 3-under-par 33 on the front nine after hitting wedge shots to a foot on Nos. 2 (par 4, 365 yards) and 4 (par 4, 308 yards). He also added a birdie on No. 9 (par 3, 192 yards).
“I’m a pretty straight hitter and hit a lot of greens,” said Thomas. “I keep the ball in play and don’t make a lot of mistakes. I feel that this helps my partners because they are able to be aggressive and go after the flags and not have to worry about playing conservative.”
The highlight of the day for the duo came on No. 14 (par 5, 477 yards) when Mecca holed out his hybrid from 220 yards for a 2.
Thomas said the fog was pretty dense and they had no clue it was in the hole. He said his partner told him the shot should be good but they had no clue where it finished.
Their card was blemish-free, a testament to the consistency in each of their games.
“For most of the round, each of us had a chance for birdie and we weren’t in much trouble,” said Thomas. “I felt like we played particularly solid and played good rounds.
“I was surprised we won by five shots considering the talent and skill level of the golfers behind us. We never played the course before and the foggy conditions made it hard for us to see where we were going. You were guessing the lines off of the tee and what clubs to hit. Sometimes you are better off not knowing the trouble out there.”
Senior Division
Any Elkview Country Club member will tell you that Michael Heck is always practicing.
Heck jokingly said the staff at his home club has a spot reserved for him on the range because he is there so much.
For the second time in a month, Heck claimed another Four-Ball title. He paired with Paul Pisarcik, a friend of 20 years and a fellow Elkview member, to take the 5th Carlyle Robinson Fall Four-Ball Senior Division at Lords Valley (par 72, 6,026 yards) with a best-ball round of 4-under-par 68 to win by two shots.
“This was a big event to win since it is the last one on the schedule in this area for the year,” said Heck, 62, of Jermyn, Pa. “Paul and I played earlier in the year together and we didn’t win but Monday, everything worked for us. When we came in, I didn’t think our score would hold up, but it did.”
Heck carded birdies on Nos. 4 (par 4, 351 yards), 7 (par 5, 504 yards) and 12 (par 5 503 yards) after stuffing a 60-degree wedge from 78 yards to two feet on No. 4, a gap wedge from 108 yards to three feet on No. 7 and a 56-degree wedge from 98 yards to two feet on No. 12.
Pisarcik, 59, added birdies of his own on Nos. 2 (par 4, 351 yards) and 18 (par 4, 361 yards).
“Our chipping and putting were solid,” said Heck. “Since it was quite foggy, it was hard to judge distance and see some of the flags. When you make clutch putts, it makes a big difference.
“Winning these events with close friends of mine is special and it gives me even more motivation to keep practicing. I’m looking forward to next year and playing in some GAP senior events. My game has come around and I feel like I can control what I do with my golf game. I love the game so much. I’ll play wherever and whenever.”
