HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa.–O. Gordon Brewer, Jr., at age 77, continues to dazzle.
Brewer, a Golf Association of Philadelphia Hall of Famer, added a third Senior Amateur Championship Super-Senior trophy to his trove of treasures on Wednesday. Brewer carded an even-par 70 in Round 2 at Philmont Country Club’s North Course (6,078 yards) to finish at 4-over total for the 36 holes. Don Donatoni of White Manor Country Club, the defending champion and a first-round co-leader, placed second at 5 over.
“It’s very special. As we get older I think we get a little more emotional and realize life doesn’t go on forever,” said Brewer, who also captured Super-Senior titles in 2008 and 2012. “I’ll be 78 in December. Still being able to play competitive golf and enjoy competitive golf, the good Lord has blessed me.”
Though Donatoni failed to defend his title, all was not lost for the 66-year-old Malvern, Pa. resident. Donatoni’s strong showing enabled him to retain the Super-Senior Player of the Year and the Super-Senior Silver Cross Award. Both are reflective of season-long stability.
“I wanted to validate what I did last year [by winning another Super-Senior Player of the Year]. It’s a tremendous satisfaction,” said Donatoni. “This is my third Silver Cross (one Senior, two Super Senior), and to me, it’s a reflection of my consistency and play and to do that two years in a row, I’m very proud of that. It means you played well at all the Majors. It means you buckled down when you had to, you made the shots when you had to and you made the crucial putts. If there is any consolation on today, [it’s that].”
Brewer announced his intentions early on Day 2 with an electric 3-under-par front side to move from a tie for third to the top of the leaderboard. The greens were receptive after an overnight rain, but remained ultra-slick when rolling the ball on the surface.
Brewer dropped a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 2 (par 4, 380 yards) after reaching the green with a 7-iron from 150 yards; on No. 6 (par 4, 349 yards) he lifted a 9-iron from 130 yards on a downhill lie to three feet and drained a 15-footer for 2 on the par 3, 8th (127 yards) after finding the green with a 9-iron.
Donatoni, and other first-round leader Carl Everett of Merion Golf Club, playing together in the group behind Brewer, remained in the thick of the race.
Everett birdied No. 9 to make the turn in 1-under, his lone non-par figure, and 2-over overall, while Donatoni posted a nine-hole score of even-par 35.
Everett, however, hampered his chances with a double bogey on No. 10 (par 4, 310 yards) after his ball landed in a fairway divot and an ensuing three putt. Donatoni hindered his advances both early and late in his round with double bogeys on No. 5 (par 4, 402 yards) and No. 14 (par 4, 426 yards). On both of those holes, ironically, Brewer missed the green but carded sensational up-and-down par saves. He dropped a flop shot from 65 yards on No. 5 to three feet and made an eight-foot par putt on No. 14 after coming up 60 yards short of the putting surface. Statistically, No. 14 was the hardest hole of the tournament for the Super Seniors, playing to a 5.244 stroke average.
Brewer birdied No. 15 (par 4, 353 yards) with a three-quarter gap wedge from 92 yards to 10 feet to open a seemingly insurmountable three-shot advantage. However, a demanding Philmont remained resolute, biting Brewer with three bogeys on his three closing holes. Meanwhile Donatoni continued to register pars.
Brewer avoided a disastrous 16th (par 4, 430 yards) with an unbelievable bogey after flying his approach long and right. He mishit his third and putting his fourth up-and-over the slope from 20 yards to a few feet. He then missed the green on No. 17 (par 3, 160 yards) to further Donatoni’s hope.
On the closing hole, Brewer found fairway and green but three putted from 30 feet to drop back to 4 over for the tournament. Donatoni, meanwhile, saw his 18th hole tee ball kick hard off a root on the left side of the fairway and careen into the adjacent No. 10 fairway. Stumped behind the trees, Donatoni eventually faced a 15-yard pitch shot for his fourth. Needing to hole that, the ball stopped three feet short of the cup.
“On the ride over in the morning I convinced myself I was going to hit 3-wood off the tee,” said Donatoni, who doubled that hole yesterday hitting driver. “I pulled it just a little bit but I thought with the slope of the ground it would kick back into the fairway. When I got up there, Kirby [Martin, the GAP Director of Competitions] told me it hit a root on the fly and kicked dead left through the trees into the adjacent fairway. I had absolutely nothing. I’m either chipping it out, trying to make a good up-and-down from 140 yards or I’m trying a hero shot to see if I could get it through the trees and in front of the green. There was just too much to go through. In retrospect, I probably should have laid up.”
Brewer’s triumph adds another chapter to the Hall of Famer’s resolute résumé.
“You never count yourself out,” said Brewer, of Pine Valley, N.J. when asked about his mindset coming into the final round. “I understand I had to do what I did, which is play a really good round of golf to be competitive.”
And victorious.
Golf Association of Philadelphia
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 150 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. As Philadelphia’s Most Trusted Source of Golf Information, the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
Name, club
R1-R2–Total
O. Gordon Brewer, Jr., Pine Valley Golf Club
74-70–144
Don Donatoni, White Manor Country Club
73-72–145
Carl Everett, Merion Golf Club
73-75–148
William Lawler, Fox Hill Country Club
74-74–148
Frank Polizzi, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
76-75–151
Charles McDowell, Wilmington Country Club
77-75–152
Charles McClaskey, Back Creek Golf Club
82-73–155
John Rowe, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
74-81–155
Jay Howson, Jr., St. Davids Golf Club
81-75–156
Jay Ward, Cedarbrook Country Club
79-77–156
Jon Mabry, Moorestown Field Club
74-82–156
Hugh Kenworthy, III, Gulph Mills Golf Club
75-82–157
James Haynie, Commonwealth National Golf Club
77-80–157
John Owens, M.D., Tavistock Country Club
79-78–157
Terry Fair, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
78-79–157
Michael Rose, Talamore Country Club
78-80–158
Dave Jacobson, Medford Village Country Club
80-81–161
Richard Smith, Philadelphia Country Club
82-79–161
Charles Whipple, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
78-84–162
Michael Nilon, Philadelphia Country Club
82-80–162
Bernard Kelly, Little Mill Country Club
81-82–163
Michael Anton, Lookaway Golf Club
80-83–163
Terry Law, Yardley Country Club
84-79–163
Thomas Mallouk, Lookaway Golf Club
81-82–163
Ed Zebrowski, Sea Oaks Golf Club
85-79–164
Gregory Gaul, Merion Golf Club
83-83–166
Norman Jester, Downingtown Country Club
82-84–166
Fred Jones, Merion Golf Club
85-82–167
Richard Keesling, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club
81-86–167
Richard Speranza, Jericho National Golf Club
85-82–167
Fred Olt, Little Mill Country Club
78-90–168
Herbert Gordon, Doylestown Country Club
82-86–168
James Coleman, Rolling Green Golf Club
91-77–168
Richard Franklin, Stonewall
86-82–168
Thomas O’Rourke, Chester Valley Golf Club
87-81–168
Bruce Gladish, Sandy Run Country Club
81-88–169
Curt Fromal, The Springhaven Club
88-81–169
Raymond Fuller, Running Deer Golf Club
85-85–170
Charles Caparo, Plymouth Country Club
89-82–171
John Cech, Riverton Country Club
82-89–171
Robert Murphy, Wilmington Country Club
89-83–172
George Collins, Sand Barrens Golf Club
90-83–173
David Jordan, Sakima Country Club
90-85–175
John Patton, Little Mill Country Club
84-91–175
Peter Torras, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club
88-90–178
