MOHNTON, Pa. — He’s a division rookie, but Michael Rose is performing like a distinguished veteran among the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Super-Senior ranks. The Talamore Country Club member fended off a feisty Frank Polizzi of Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, 3&2, to win the Super-Senior title in the 5th Brewer Cup at LedgeRock Golf Club Wednesday. Rose finished as co-runner-up in the Warner Cup (Gross), his Division debut, and now holds a coveted piece of Super-Senior hardware.
“It feels great, no question about it,” Rose, 65, said. “I’ve won a number of invitational tournaments, but it’s always been someone who’s passed away. It’s a memorial. It’s nice to win an event in someone’s name that’s around to talk to. We all respect Gordon so much. He has a record that is second to none. It’s certainly a thrill to have my name on the Brewer Cup.”
“First of all, congratulations to Mike Rose. He’s a great guy and we had a wonderful match,” Polizzi, 66, said. “I was very happy to make it to the Final.”
A slow start seemingly spelled disaster for Polizzi. The Plymouth Meeting, Pa. resident suffered from bunker bogeys on the first two holes. Rose, however, sunk an eight-footer to save par on No. 1 that fully prepared the Huntingdon Valley, Pa. resident for combat. He extended his lead to 3-up following a GAP wedge to five feet for birdie on No. 6 (par 4, 375 yards).
The long-hitting Polizzi popped back with red figures on Nos. 7 (par 5, 563 yards) and 8 (par 5, 509 yards). On the first, he hit a 7-iron 163 yards to 12 feet for birdie. Polizzi caught the left greenside bunker with a hybrid, then splashed out to three feet for a conceded 4. A resilient Rose responded with a fantastic birdie on the par 3, 165-yard 10th hole. He attacked a tough, back-right hole location with a 7-iron that stopped four feet from the jar. Rose reclaimed a 3-up edge with a red figure on No. 12 (par 4, 259 yards). After nearly driving the green, Rose stopped a chip at four feet.
The next hole served as the ultimate backbreaker for a teetering Polizzi. He negotiated a difficult lie in the rough with a 9-iron, but missed the green. Polizzi nudged a chip onto the putting surface and watched his 40-footer for par hang on the lip.
However, a Polizzi birdie on No. 14 (par 3, 155 yards) and a Rose three-putt on No. 15 (par 4, 420 yards) made things interesting. Rose erased any doubts, though, on No. 16 (par 4, 299 yards). He found the fairway bunker off the tee, clipped a sand wedge 75 yards to the front of the green, but his golf ball spun down the slope. Rose lofted a 40-foot chip shot to an inch.
“It was a real match reversal because after two shots, I’m on the green with what I think is an uphill putt,” Polizzi said. “I hit it too hard and the ball wouldn’t slow down. Then I hit my second putt and thought it was in the hole, and it just lipped out.”
“It’s happened in match play events where I get in not playing so good and I get better as I go along, and that’s what happened here,” Rose said. “I played really well when I had to.”
“I and many other GAP seniors lost a good friend last week. Larry Paster passed away on Friday, a great guy who loved golf. I was thinking about him all week, dedicating this victory to him.”
Final
8. Michael Rose, Talamore CC, d. 3. Frank Polizzi, Whitemarsh Valley CC, 3&2.
