Links GC’s DiCinti stands alone atop Senior Amateur leaderboard

  WALLINGFORD, Pa.–Thomas DiCinti of Links GC carded Tuesday’s lone sub-par round at The Springhaven Club (par 70, 6,492 yards) and stands alone atop the Senior Amateur Championship scoreboard. The 59-year-old resident of Voorhees, N.J., finished at 1-under 69 and is two shots clear of Francis McFadden of Overbrook GC and Thomas Bartolacci, Jr. of Saucon Valley CC.

  Reigning Senior Amateur Champion titleholder Ray Thompson of Overbrook GC was disqualified after only 1½ holes when he failed to correct a wrong ball situation before beginning play of his ensuing hole.

  Hovering atop the Senior Amateur Championship leaderboard is nothing new for DiCinti. In 2006, he was in second place after one round before eventually finishing seventh.

  “Having been there before, I’ve learned not to put pressure on yourself,” said DiCinti, whose best Senior Amateur finish was a tie for seventh in 2006. “I’ve learned to let the round unfold in front of you and just play your game. You don’t let somebody else dictate what you are going to do. That’s basically the way I have to play it. I’ve done this before and been here before. I’ve been second banana a couple of times and now I know what it takes.”

 DiCinti birdied two of his first three holes, he chipped it to a foot on No. 2 (par 5, 544 yards) and knocked a 5-iron to eight feet on No. 3 (par 3, 190 yards), before bogeying No. 7 (par 4, 440 yards) to make the turn at 1-under-par 34. DiCinti birdied No. 10 (par 4, 424 yards) with a gap wedge from 112 yards and bogeyed No. 11 (par 4, 452 yards) after hitting his tee ball in the left rough to open his final nine. Another bogey on No. 16 (par 3, 157 yards) dropped DiCinti to even par before his 60-degree wedge from 94 yards on No. 17 (par 4, 365 yards) hopped two feet past and spun back into the hole for eagle. DiCinti, however, hit a poor drive on No. 18 (par 4, 371 yards) that resulted in a closing bogey.

  “It hit a foot short of the hole went two feet past and spun back in,” said DiCinti. “It was just a great shot to watch.”

  O. Gordon Brewer, Jr., of Pine Valley GC and Pine Valley, N.J., holds a four-shot lead in the Super-Senior Flight after carding an impressive 2-under-par 68 (par 70, 6,146 yards). Brewer, 71, carded five birdies and three bogeys en route to shooting three strokes better than his age from the shorter tees.

  “It was one of those rounds that was pretty good,” an understated Brewer said. “I hit it good. There were no long putts or chip-ins. It was a pretty solid round of golf. Five birdies and three bogeys.”

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  Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 135 Member Clubs and 56,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The purpose of the Association is simple: To promote, protect and preserve the game of golf in the region.