Chester Valley’s Chylinski, Philly Publinks GA’s Umani win Senior Four-Ball

FLEETWOOD, Pa. – A receptive golf course and a talented player pool shaped Ed Chylinski and Richard Umani’s outlook on Tuesday’s Senior Four-Ball Stroke Play.

  “The strategy was to go for birdies because we knew that there was a good field and the course seemed to be set up fairly generous,” Chylinski, of Gulph Mills, Pa., said. “We were gunning for birdies.”

  Chylinski, of Chester Valley GC, and Umani, of Philadelphia Publinks GA, diligently adhered to that strategy and carded a stellar 10-under-par 62 at Golden Oaks GC (par 72, 6,309 yards) to win the tournament. The duo used its mighty arsenal to gun down an array of red-figure targets. Umani, of West Chester, Pa., unleashed his fiery flatstick on the first three holes. He pulverized his pitching wedge 135 yards on No. 1 (par 4, 373 yards) and placed a right-to-left breaking 15-footer into the bottom of the jar. His GAP wedge on No. 2 (par 4, 380 yards) soared 110 yards to 12 feet, and Umani cleaned up the left-to-right birdie putt. On No. 3 (par 4, 347 yards), Umani’s GAP wedge again proved crucial when he drilled it 115 yards to eight feet.

  Chylinski, 60, hopped aboard the birdie buggy on No. 4 (par 3, 157 yards). His 8-iron tee shot dropped 20-feet from the flagstick, but he rolled in a challenging right-to-left breaker for birdie. Both he and Umani reached the No. 5 (par 5, 484 yards) green in two strokes. Umani posted another red figure by two-putting from 30-feet. Chylinski stuck his 58-degree wedge 80 yards on No. 7 (par 4, 358 yards) to a foot. The team ended its outward tour at 6 under.

  “The strategy was working,” Chylinski said. “We wanted to stay aggressive and go for it.”

  “The greens were rolling perfect. The golf course was in great shape,” Umani, 57, added.

  After both players missed respective birdie chances on the par 4, 380-yard 10th hole, Umani hammered his 3-wood on No. 11 (par 5, 463 yards) to the right of the green. His delicate downhill chip stopped three feet shy of the cup. Chylinski found the No. 13 (par 3, 150 yards) green with his tee shot, but Umani’s 8-iron veered to the left. The predicament prompted Umani to share a prediction with his partner.

  “I walked off the tee and said, ‘it’s time for me to do something spectacular,’” Umani said, the spectacular being a chip-in birdie.

  Three routine pars later, both Chylinski and Umani knew they needed to again execute the game-plan. Chylinski nailed his 52-degree wedge 103-yards to four-feet and executed the ensuing birdie effort on No. 17 (par 4, 416 yards). Umani’s 5-wood off the No. 18 (par 5, 473 yards) screeched into the hazard. He played out, smoked his 9-iron 150 yards and drained a downhill 35-footer.

  Chylinski and Umani have been good friends and golf buddies for 30 years. They play alongside one another annually, mostly in the winter. They’ve won the North Hills CC Invitational and the Donald Ross Invitational Senior Division at Lu Lu CC. Tuesday’s victory served as another charming chapter in their collective golf memoirs.

  “The Golf Association of Philadelphia always does a great job in running these events. To play on a good golf course in a great field, and to win this, is special,” Umani said. “We knew we had to go low.”

  “We didn’t leave much out there,” Chylinski added. “We never were threatened with bogey on any holes. We never had to sweat it, really.”

  The team of Larry Bergman of Middletown CC and Steven Owens of Raven’s Claw GC and the team of Gregory Gaul of Merion GC and Thomas Mallouk Lookaway GC both logged a 60 to top the Net Division.