DiCinti, Lodovici win Senior Four-Ball Stroke Play

WILMINGTON, Del. – Thomas DiCinti of Links GC, Robert Lodovici of Little Mill CC as well the tandem of Thomas Isola and Jack Holland of Whitford CC carded a 4-under par 66 at the 50th Senior Four-Ball Stroke Play at Brandywine CC (par 70, 6,153 yards) Tuesday.

   In a match of cards, DiCinti, 60, and Lodovici, 59, emerged as the victors, edging the Whitford CC duo by a stroke on the back nine. The two started their day by hitting it into the water and bogeying No. 1 (par 4, 371 yards).

   “It was a little demoralizing, of course,” Lodovici, of Berlin, N.J., said. “Fortunately, we came back from that.”

   The tandem did rebound as DiCinti fired a birdie on No. 2 (par 3, 168 yards), and Lodovici followed suit on No. 3 (par 5, 506 yards).

   “I think that kind of gave us a little push through the rest of the round,” Lodovici said. “Mentally, it put us in a good frame of mind to be able to continue and hopefully get some more birdies.”

   While on No. 7 (par 5, 505 yards), DiCinti and Lodovici, along with the rest of the afternoon field, came off the course for a near two-hour rain delay.

   “We had a little momentum, and it kind of set us back,” Lodovici said. “Fortunately, we got through it and were able to finish strong.”

   DiCinti and Lodovici found success on the back nine as Lodovici made an eagle putt on No. 11 (par 5, 499 yards). After hitting driver off the tee, Lodovici knocked a 3-wood to about 5-feet from the hole.

   “That was huge,” DiCinti, of Voorhees, N.J, said.

   “We knew 4-under was in the clubhouse, so that got us to 3-under,” Lodovici added. “We knew we had an opportunity make at least one or two birdies coming in. We knew we had a realistic chance of scoring well.”

   For Isola and Holland, consistent teamwork allowed the duo to shoot 4-under amongst the 154-player field.

   “I hit it well, and he putted it well,” Isola said. “He putted beautifully. We played relatively solid golf.”

   Although Isola, 65, and Holland, 61, started their day by each bogeying No. 1 (par 4, 371 yards), the pair settled down and netted five total birdies. Holland fired birdies on Nos. 3 (par 5, 506 yards), 4 (par 4, 296 yards), 7 (par 5, 505 yards) and 17 (par 4, 406 yards) – all about 10-footers. Isola hit 4-iron to about 4-feet and made a putt for birdie on No. 13 (par 3, 178 yards).

   Holland, of Exton, Pa., credited Isola, of Malvern, Pa., with making a crucial par save on No. 16 (par 4, 364 yards). The pair both drove it over 200 yards into the left bunker. Isola then knocked it up to about 5-feet of the hole and made the ensuing putt for par.

   Overall, Isola and Holland both felt proud of their performance as a team. The two have competed alongside and against one another for 20 years.

   “We’ve played long enough to know how to needle one another,” Holland said.

   Tom Borsello of Fieldstone GC and Robert Murphy of Wilmington CC finished second with a 3-under par 67. The pair started off slow, as Borsello found the water and double-bogeyed No. 1 (par 4, 371 yards). Murphy landed in the left rough off the tee, hit into the left-side bunker, chipped it onto the green and then made par.

   “We started off with a par instead of a bogey,” Murphy said. “I got it up and down there. From there, Tommy just played real solid. He hit it good from tee to green. When he needed help, I chipped in on a couple of holes. We were never really in trouble. I only helped him out on four shots.”

   One of those shots came on No. 7 (par 5, 505 yards). Borsello, 55, laid it up short of the green, and with a wedge-in, he knocked it over the trees and came back for bogey.

   Murphy, 60, hit driver off the tee and landed in the woods between the teebox on No. 3 and the No. 7 fairway. He then knocked it out of the woods and hit 5-iron to about 12-feet of the hole. Afterwards, Murphy made a bold prediction.

   “He says, ‘This is going to be a good birdie,’” Borsello said. “And he rolled it in, so that was cool.”

   Borsello and Murphy, both of Wilmington, Del., bogeyed No. 16 (par 4, 364 yards). After knocking it to within 30-feet of the hole, Borsello three-putted while Murphy missed a 15-foot putt for par.

   “We gave the shot away. We should make par there, from where we were,” Murphy said.

   Though they finished strong, both Borsello and Murphy felt that they needed to make more putts.

   “The greens were perfect. They were true and they were smooth,” Borsello said. “If you can’t putt these greens, then you can’t putt, and unfortunately, my day today was either a little offline or a little off-speed.”

   “We didn’t make as many putts as we would’ve liked to make,” Murphy added.

   The two grew up playing golf together at Rock Manor Golf Course in Wilmington, Del. In 2007, Murphy served as captain of the Delaware Team in the USGA State Championship. Borsello was a member of that team.

   “Tommy’s always been an outstanding player,” Murphy said. “I enjoyed tremendously playing with him today.”