87th Warner Cup (Gross): Senior Division

Lebanon’s Kliewer prevails in playoff

WALLINGFORD, Pa.–Perseverance is Craig Kliewer’s most prized value on the golf course.

| Scoring portal | History | Wyncote’s Borsello claims Super-Senior title in playoff |
| Photo gallery |

It, coincidentally, unearthed his grandest GAP prize on the Senior circuit Monday.

Kliewer, a Lebanon Country Club member, defeated Tavistock Country Club’s Bill McGuinness in a sudden-death playoff to capture the 87^th Francis B. Warner Cup (Gross) at The Springhaven Club (par 70, 6,360 yards). Both finished tied atop the Senior Division leaderboard at 1-over-par 71.

“Like I always do, just grind, grind, grind. I never give up,” Kliewer, 61, of Ephrata, Pa., said. “I persevered. That’s just what I do. Do my best and see what happens.”

In the sudden-death session, Kliewer caught “a lucky break” when his 4-wood flirted with left tree-line on No. 8 (par 5, 542 yards), the second playoff hole. It bounced off the bark and into the middle of the fairway. That same treescape dealt McGuinness a bust instead of Kliewer’s blackjack.

“My old guy swing took over on the second shot in the playoff,” McGuinness, 61, of Haddonfield, N.J., said. “I just tried to hit a 6-iron. The lie was thick, and the rains made it thicker. I didn’t hit it very well. Then I got behind those trees [on the left side of the fairway]. It was a mess. I could’ve hit a better third shot, but I didn’t.”

Facing a yardage of 130 for his fourth shot, McGuinness attempted to land a wedge on the upslope short of the putting surface. He, however, missed his spot and watched his golf ball race to the rough. Kliewer lifted a 50-degree wedge 94 yards to 15 feet. Two putts later, a trophy in hand.

“[To win is] totally unexpected because I had not been playing good golf all spring,” Kliewer, who holds three Father & Son titles alongside Alan to his GAP credit, said. “I played a good round yesterday [in the BMW GAP Team Matches], but really wasn’t doing anything well: driving, chipping, putting, irons. Yesterday I started to put it together, so I had a little confidence coming into today. Not a whole lot.”

Kliewer’s confidence skyrocketed after what unfolded on No. 15 (par 4, 372 yards). His 7-iron from 159 yards found the bottom of the cup for an eagle.

“Obviously, it was fun to watch that go in,” Kliewer said. “I was 3 over [at that point] and then I’m like, ‘OK. Now I’m 1 over. Then I make birdie on the next hole and it’s like, ‘Now I’m in the game.’”

On the aforementioned 16^th hole (par 3, 160 yards), Kliewer, playing in the afternoon wave, hit a 6-iron to 15 feet and buried the ensuing downhill slider. A bogey on No. 18 (par 4, 378 yards) caused an unsettled clubhouse lead. Kliewer, lacking complete trust in his driver, laid back with a 4-wood off the tee. He then committed his “worst iron swing of the day” – a 6-iron from 170 yards that plummeted into the front bunker. Kliewer failed to get up-and-down.

On the other side of the golf course, McGuinness, who started on the back nine, approached No. 9 (par 3, 172 yards) tee at even par. Like Kliewer, he encountered an untimely “terrible swing” – a rushed 7-iron that flew the putting surface. McGuinness missed a 15-footer to save par, thereby forcing a deadlock.

“I haven’t been playing that well, so it was a good day,” McGuinness, the 1996 Philadelphia Amateur Champion, said. “This is a tight course. If you’re not hitting your drives right, then you’re going to have a tough day. I’ve played here a lot over the years.”

Monday, ironically, marked Kliewer’s Springhaven baptism.

“My buddy [two-time reigning GAP Senior Amateur champion] Chris Fieger gave me a couple of tips because he grew up here,” Kliewer said. “[I wanted] just a good showing. Golf is a fickle game. I could’ve gone out and shot 80 today, but I managed to keep it around. It all came together. Who would’ve thunk it?”

A humbled Kliewer doesn’t cogitate about Senior leaderboards. He doesn’t want to know how his peers fare as a tournament progresses. He wants to go out and play his perseverance game, and to connect with his Senior compatriots along the way.  

“I said to Oscar [Mestre, 2019 GAP Senior Player of the Year] that I just wanted to be able to fit in with you guys. I didn’t mean by winning. I just meant the camaraderie,” Kliewer said. “I didn’t grow up and play a lot of golf in the Philadelphia area. I’m learning about all of these guys. It’s just neat to come out and compete with them.”

The student became the teacher Monday.

Francis B. Warner of Philadelphia Cricket Club served as GAP secretary-treasurer for 18 years. After his death in 1933, the Association started the Francis B. Warner Cup as an ongoing tribute in his memory. It is the first Senior Major of the GAP tournament season.

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 300 Member Clubs and 80,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.