Jones, Nilon duo takes 47th Senior Four-Ball Stroke Play

 NEWARK, Del. – It takes two to tango.

  Charles “Buck” Jones and Michael Nilon of Philadelphia Publinks GA and Philadelphia CC, respectively, edged a field of 77 two-man teams by recording a 6-under-par 65 (gross) to win the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 47^th Senior Four-Ball Stroke Play at Cavaliers CC (par 71, 6,282 yards) on Tuesday.

  The duo, who said their field low round was a true team effort, found themselves birding three of the last four holes to finish out on top by a single stroke.

  Jones, 55, carded three birdies and Nilon, 57, would register four throughout their sub-par round. An outing that had the team win with accuracy off the tees combined with their strong putting.

  “You have to drive it in the fairway,” Nilon said. “Get it in the fairway and play from there.”

  Jones added, “We both putted very well and got a lot of birdie putts like that.”

  The pair’s work with the flat stick would prove to be pivotal as they sent in birdie putts from over 25 feet on numerous occasions.

  After Jones sent his tee shot just over the hazard on No. 6 (par 4, 400 yards), he hit a 7-iron from 145 yards out into the middle of the green. That shot left him a difficult 25-ft putt up and over a hill that he would then send in for birdie.

  “I think that got us going again,” said Jones, a member of the staff at Golfdom.

  He would then birdie No. 7 (par 4, 439 yards) with another long-distance putt from the front-fringe of the green. Nilon, who is retired, would quickly answer with a birdie putt of his own on No. 9 (par 4, 337 yards), the team’s final hole of the day.

  “We were putting for birdie on just about every hole,” Nilon said. “We played pretty well.”

  When asked if putting was key to their field-low round, Jones simply said, “It [putting] always is.”

  “We made seven birdies and one bogey,” Nilon stated. “You’ve got to putt.”

  The tandem of Steve Owens of Lu Lu CC and John Owens of Philadelphia Publinks GA took the net division with a score of 58 (net).

  Results
  Gross
  Overall
  1. Nilon / Jones, Philadelphia CC / Philadelphia Publinks GA 65
  2. Ashley / Shuman, Philadelphia CC / West Chester G&CC 66
  3. Haynie / Daley, Lu Lu CC 67

  Net
  Overall
  1. Owens / Owens, Lu Lu CC / Philadelphia Publinks GA 58
  2. Van Horn / Bezark, Lu Lu CC 61
  T3. Weinfeld / Gagliardi, JC Melrose CC / Philadelphia Publinks 63
  T3. O’Keefe / Cook, Laurel Creek CC 63
  T3. Stewart / Kline, Coatesville CC/ The Springhaven Club 63