Running Deer’s Charlesworth charges to Warner Cup (Gross) crown

 MARLTON, N.J. — Competitive golf is an afterthought for Norman Charlesworth. A demanding work schedule keeps the delivery driver in the truck and off the course during the summers. | History | Scorecards | Photo gallery | Senior POY standings |
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  A rare vacation day — and a convenient location — allowed Charlesworth, 56, of Gloucester Township, N.J., to participate in the 81st Francis B. Warner Cup (Gross) Thursday at Little Mill Country Club (par 71, 6,609 yards).He made the experience a triumphant one.

  Playing in only his third golf tournament over the last decade, the Running Deer Golf Club member carded a 3-under-par 68, the day’s lone subpar score, to win the tournament’s Senior Division by six strokes. Mercer Oaks Golf Course’s Ray Pyontek, who teed off in the morning, placed second.

  “It’s the first time I ever won anything golf related. It feels really good,” a soft-spoken Charlesworth said.

  Charlesworth, who works for a beer distributor, dedicated a day off to his former home. He held membership at Little Mill for 10 years.

  “Course knowledge was definitely a factor. I feel like I hit it in the right spots,” Charlesworth said. “I missed three greens and hit a lot of fairways.

  Familiarity, finely tuned approaches and a fierce flatstick factored into a winning equation. Starting on the back nine, Charlesworth inked four birdies against a bogey to turn in 33. On the lengthy par 5, 505-yard 13th hole, he knocked an L-wedge 66 yards to six feet. Charlesworth rolled in a five-footer for birdie on No. 15 (par 4, 400 yards) after an 8-iron set-up from 140 yards. He went back-to-back on Nos. 17 (par 3, 185 yards) and 18 (par 4, 393 yards). On the former, Charlestown deposited a downhill 12-footer following a crisp 5-iron. He navigated the testy uphill 18th hole by smacking a gap wedge 117 yards to five feet flag-high left for another red figure. A three-putt from 20 feet on No. 14 (par 4, 434 yards) marked Charlesworth’s lone hiccup heading out.

  With a bit of scoreboard distance, a bogey on the dogleg left par 4, 378-yard No. 1 didn’t prove detrimental. Charlesworth tugged his drive into the right rough and attacked a buried lie from 165 yards with a 7-iron. A flyer forced a chip from behind the green, and Charlesworth then missed an uphill 10-footer. Such an error seemed subterranean on this day, though. Charlesworth stopped an L-wedge from 80 yards at 10 feet for a 4 on the par 5, 541-yard No. 4. He sunk a straight 25-footer for birdie on the next hole (par 4, 400 yards).

  Charlesworth’s round Thursday drastically differs from the one played last night with friend Bob Enders. He struggled throughout and lost, 5&4.

  “I wasn’t too happy about showing up today after that,” Charlesworth said jokingly.

  Adding intrigue to Charlesworth’s first victory is his golf history. He played competitive baseball into his late 30s and pitched for Glassboro State College during its Division III National Championship runs in 1978 and 1979. Charlesworth dedicated more time to the links at age 39, but professional obligations prohibited tournament participation. Aside from the BMW GAP Team Matches, only an appearance in last year’s Chapman (Gross) and a U.S. Senior Open Qualifier in 2009 occupy his competitive checklist.

  A new piece of hardware may change that.

   “If work sees this, maybe they’ll let me take off,” Charlesworth said. “I would like to play in a lot more events, but I just don’t have the opportunity to. It’s very hard to get off of work when you’re in the beer business.”

  Pyontek, 55, of Hamilton, N.J., posted a 3-over-par 74 to earn runner-up honors. Course knowledge also contributed to the Senior rookie’s effort. He’s logged at least 10 rounds at Little Mill.

  “I’ve played here enough to know the golf course. I know the trickiness of it,” Pyontek, a realtor, said. “I handled it pretty well. I haven’t played much this year, so my expectations were low. I haven’t had much time to practice. I’ve played some good rounds, but I’ve played some bad ones too. I just don’t know what I’m going to have that day, and today was pretty good.”

  Francis B. Warner of Philadelphia Cricket Club served as secretary-treasurer for the Golf Association of Philadelphia for 18 years. After his death in 1933, the Association started the Francis B. Warner Cup as an ongoing tribute in his memory. It is the first Senior Major of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s tournament season.

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 151 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.