49th Senior Amateur: Senior Division - The Golf Association of Philadelphia

Sep 04, 2019

49th Senior Amateur: Senior Division

Fieger dominates 49th Senior Amateur at LMCC

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It was clear from the beginning that Chris Fieger, Sr. was the best player in the 49th Senior Amateur Championship. Wednesday, Fieger capped one of the most impressive and dominant performances in recent memory, recording a five-shot victory at Little Mill Country Club (par 71, 6,670 yards). Fieger finished the 36 holes with an even-par total of 142 to hoist the Allan Sussel Trophy, his first GAP victory. Host-club hopeful Tom Hyland carded rounds of 74 and 73 to place second.

Fieger began Day 2 with a five-shot lead after an opening 68. He maintained that advantage throughout. The margin of victory equaled David Brookreson’s mark set in 2005.

“It’s the biggest Senior event in the area. I definitely wanted win it,” said Fieger, 56, of Denver, Pa. “It’s a great feeling, especially after last year.”

Fieger three-putted the final green in last year’s Senior Amateur at Riverton Country Club to miss forcing a playoff by one shot as a Senior rookie.

Any lessons learned from that experience a year ago?

“I remained aggressive for most of the day. I was trying not to get caught up with what everyone else was doing. I just wanted to keep hitting good solid golf shots.”

Fieger, playing out of Philadelphia Publinks GA, is a bit of a GAP revelation. If last year’s Senior Amateur runner-up finish announced his arrival, this week’s performance was an awakening. The challenging Little Mill with its required driving accuracy and fierce greens forced the field to its knees at times. The course average was 82.8 on Day 1 and 81.5 on Day 2. Fieger would have none of it.

He followed his first-round 3-under 68 up with 11 pars, a bogey and a birdie in his first 13 holes of Round 2. At one point, his lead was seven shots. Managing his game accordingly down the stretch, Fieger finished with three bogeys over the final five frames. He solidified the win on No. 17 (par 3, 200 yards) when after finding the right greenside bunker with a 5-iron, he splashed out to three feet to save par.

Fieger entered the Senior Amateur fresh off a career performance in the U.S. Senior Amateur (Aug. 24-29) at Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, N.C. He carded rounds of 73 and 72 in stroke-play qualifying. Fieger was seeded 10th for match play before falling in 21 holes to Victor Minovich of Thornton, Colo. in the Round of 64.

Family and work obligations kept Fieger off the competitive circuit for decades. With his children out of the house, golf has found a second-life. He does have some pedigree, though. He qualified for a pair of PGA Junior Championships at ages 14 and 17 before playing at Temple University for four years. He also is the brother of Gene Fieger, the one-time Overbrook Golf Club professional, who won the Philadelphia Open in 1993 and 1995.

For Hyland, 63, of Marlton, N.J., this was his best showing in a Senior Amateur. Playing with Fieger, he knew second place was the ceiling, though. He is most proud of the way his club represented itself.

“The club is a proud member of GAP. It means a lot to host any GAP event here. We think this place is incredibly underrated,” said Hyland. “I think this week showed how its conditions stack up against some of the best.”

NOTE: In the Senior Silver Cross race, Oscar Mestre of Overbrook Golf Club hung up for a one-shot victory over foe and friend Jeff Allen of Wild Quail Golf & Country Club. Mestre, 59, of Berwyn, Pa., finished with a 292 total. It’s Mestre first Senior Silver Cross. The Senior Silver Cross Award is presented to the player with the lowest aggregate score in the Chapman Cup (Gross), Warner Cup (Gross) and two rounds of the Senior Amateur Championship.

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The Association’s 274 Full Member Clubs and 75,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey and Delaware. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.

Name, club R1-R2–Total
Christopher Fieger, Sr., Philadelphia Publinks GA 68-74–142
Thomas Hyland, Little Mill Country Club 74-73–147
Jeffrey Allen, Wild Quail Golf & Country Club 73-77–150
Joseph Coulson, Wedgewood Golf Course 76-76–152
Mark Kosko, Little Mill Country Club 80-73–153
Joe Roeder, Little Mill Country Club 80-73–153
Doug Fedoryshyn, Concord Country Club 79-75–154
Doug Jones, Little Mill Country Club 75-79–154
Glenn Smeraglio, Lu Lu Country Club 75-79–154
Steve Walczak, Wilmington Country Club 77-77–154
Oscar Mestre, Overbrook Golf Club 77-77–154
Byron Whitman, Berkshire Country Club 81-74–155
J. Kirk Luntey, Merion Golf Club 78-78–156
Rand Mendez, Fieldstone Golf Club 79-77–156
Gary Smith, Pine Valley Golf Club 75-81–156
Scott Carney, Commonwealth National Golf Club 78-80–158
Paul Rogowicz, Yardley Country Club 76-82–158
Ron Weaver, Bent Creek Country Club 83-76–159
Michael Quinn, Philadelphia Publinks GA 79-80–159
Christopher Clauson, Lu Lu Country Club 78-81–159
Ray Pyontek, Mercer Oaks Golf Course 77-82–159
Timothy Burns, Country Club of Scranton 81-78–159
Perry Landis, Moselem Springs Golf Club 80-79–159
Brian Rothaus, Philmont Country Club 78-82–160
Gregory Buliga, Yardley Country Club 79-81–160
Brian Corbett, Country Club of Scranton 82-79–161
Michael Vassil, Country Club of Scranton 84-77–161
Bob Beck, Lehigh Country Club 80-81–161
Joseph Weiscarger, Wyoming Valley Country Club 80-81–161
Marlin Detweiler, Lancaster Country Club 84-78–162
Gerry Baldachino, Old York CC at Chesterfield 82-80–162
Greg Guyer, Philadelphia Cricket Club 82-80–162
William McGuinness, Tavistock Country Club 80-82–162
Robert Amen, Philadelphia Publinks GA 80-82–162
Jim Yenser, Raven’s Claw Golf Club 81-81–162
Stephen O’Sullivan, Philadelphia Cricket Club 79-83–162
Robert Harrington, Merion Golf Club 88-75–163
John Alterman, Commonwealth National Golf Club 81-82–163
Drew Panebianco, Five Ponds Golf Club 85-78–163
Alan Wagenschnur, Loch Nairn Golf Club 80-83–163
Tim Sindorf, Laurel Creek Country Club 82-81–163
John Conway, Little Mill Country Club 86-78–164
Rich Thon, The Springhaven Club 79-86–165
Robert Wagner, Merion Golf Club 83-82–165
Andrew Dietz, Laurel Creek Country Club 83-82–165
Carlos Ochoa, Little Mill Country Club 80-85–165
Dennis Konczyk, Union League Golf Club at Torresdale 79-86–165
Mark Cubberley, Mercer Oaks Golf Course 84-82–166
John Psillas, Moselem Springs Golf Club 81-85–166
Patrick O’Brien, North Hills Country Club 89-78–167
Paul Hess, Hartefeld National 87-80–167
Michael Decker, Mercer Oaks Golf Course 82-85–167
John Nottage, Commonwealth National Golf Club 86-83–169
Norman Charlesworth, Running Deer Golf Club 84-85–169
John Duke, Sandy Run Country Club 82-88–170
Jim Gavaghan, Commonwealth National Golf Club 81-89–170
Jeff Poet, Country Club of York 84-88–172
Andy McCormick, Lancaster Country Club 87-86–173
Andrew Sterge, Applebrook Golf Club 85-88–173
Rocky Dare, Running Deer Golf Club 87-87–174
Ed Kahn, Little Mill Country Club 91-83–174
Pierce Herbst, Sea Oaks Country Club 83-91–174
Douglas Oberg, Stone Harbor Golf Club 84-90–174
Bryan Dilcher, Hartefeld National 92-83–175
Bill Boyle, Metedeconk National Golf Club 94-81–175
Paul Berg, The Springhaven Club 91-84–175
Robert Tredinnick, Commonwealth National Golf Club 90-85–175
Timothy Dickens, Five Ponds Golf Club 93-84–177
Andy Lykon, Makefield Highlands Golf Club 88-89–177
Richard Holstein, Rolling Green Golf Club 87-91–178
Bob Enders, Running Deer Golf Club 90-91–181
James Lewis, Little Mill Country Club 95-88–183
Dan Lawruk, Stone Harbor Golf Club 83-WD–WD
Richard Atcavage, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club 83-WD–WD
David West, Wyncote Golf Club 84-WD–WD
Rob Cook, DuPont Country Club 87-WD–WD
Timothy McCabe, Bon Air Country Club 90-WD–WD
Steve Jones, Applebrook Golf Club 92-WD–WD
Gerald Henderson, Blue Bell Country Club 94-WD–WD
   
WD-withdrawal  

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