HVCC’s Brookreson adds Warner Cup to resume

  YARDLEY, Pa.– David Brookreson of Huntington Valley CC added another notch to his championship resume when he defeated a field of 156 at the Francis B. Warner Cup (Gross) on Wednesday at Yardley CC (par 72, 6,364 yards), an event on the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Senior Tour sponsored by Golfweek.

  Brookreson, 57, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., carded a 2-under 70, to take the event with the only sub-par round of the day.

  Last year’s Golf Association of Philadelphia Senior Player of the Year, Brookreson hit 12 greens in regulation and only missed one fairway in his round, success he attributed in part to his simple approach to the game.

  “All I try to do is concentrate on the next shot,” said Brookreson, last year’s Senior Amateur Champion and Senior Silver Cross Award winner. “I think I play best when I don’t think and clear my mind. The more I think, the worse I play.”

  Brookreson used that concentration especially when he was putting, a part of his game that recently underwent a significant change.

  “I now look only at the hole when I putt,” said Brookreson, referring to his new approach to putting. “I changed my putting stroke this winter.”   He said he played well all winter, but struggled with the flat stick.   “You can’t do anything when you can’t putt,” Brookreson said. “This is the second time I’ve played competitively with my new putting stroke. It’s worked out great.”

  Brookreson carded an even-par 36 on the front side with a birdie and a bogey, but finished strong by recording four straight threes to end the day, two of those under-par scores.

  He was even up until that point.

  On No. 15 (par 3, 153 yards) he saved par by getting up-and-down from the front right bunker; knocked a 5-iron, sand wedge to 25 feet on No. 16 (par 4, 266 yards) for a three and finished with another birdie on No. 18 (par 4, 312 yards) by hitting a 1-iron, sand wedge to five feet.

  “It was nice to bring it home as they say,” added Brookreson.

  O. Gordon Brewer, Jr. of Pine Valley GC, Michael Dougherty of Huntington Valley CC, William Lawler of Fox Hill CC and Frank McFadden of Overbrook GC tied for second at even-par 72.

  Brewer, 69, of Pine Valley, N.J. and McFadden, 56, of Newtown Square, Pa. started in the morning. Dougherty, 56, of Warrington, Pa., and Lawler, 58, of West Wyoming, Pa. teed it up in the afternoon.

  For McFadden, who fell in a five-man playoff for the Warner Cup a year ago, it was just nice to be back on the golf course.

  Late last year he began experiencing back pain. He underwent back surgery in February and finally got back to playing in March, a tough stretch for someone who loves winter golf.

  On Wednesday, he recorded a pair of 36s that included four birdies and four bogeys.

  “The course was hard, you had to hit it between the trees,” said McFadden. “There was nothing easy about it.”

  James Sherratt of Old York Road CC posted a 5-over-par 77 to take the Super-Senior Division title (par 72, 5,995 yards). He carded a birdie and six bogeys to outlast Harvey McCumber of Wilmington CC and Ben Sack of Edgmont CC by a stroke.

Results
Gross
Overall
1. David Brookreson, Huntingdon Valley CC 70
2. O. Gordon Brewer, Jr., Pine Valley GC 72
2. Michael Dougherty, Huntingdon Valley CC 72
2. William Lawler, Fox Hill CC 72
2. Frank McFadden, Overbrook GC 72
Ages 55-59
1. Andy Thompson, Overbrook GC 74
Ages 60 and over
1. Stephen Daley, Lu Lu CC 76
1. Charles McClaskey, Wyncote GC 76
1. Jarrett Kling, Merion GC 76
1. Dennis Rouse, Trenton CC 76
Super Senior
1. James Sherratt, Old York Road CC 77
2. Harvey McCumber, Wilmington CC 78

Net
Overall
Ages 55-59
1. John Emmel, Jr., Hidden Creek GC 71
1. Rick Speranza, Jericho National GC 71
Ages 60 and over
1. William Weinfeld, JC Melrose CC 71
1. Ed Pappas, Rolling Green GC 71
1. Richard Edie, Stonewall 71
Super Senior
1. Ben Sack, Edgmont CC 69
2. Jim Callaghan, Rolling Green GC 71
2. Charles Carter, Sunnybrook GC 71