Saucon Valley CC's McCool blisters field
NORTH COVENTRY, Pa.-Robin McCool of Saucon Valley CC is the first-round leader of the inaugural Hemlock Championship after carding a sensational 4-under-par 67 at Bellewood GC (par 71, 6,609 yards) on Monday. The Hemlock Championship, a new event named after the state tree, is for players ages 45-54 years old. McCool, 54, of Bethlehem, Pa., opened his round in spectacular style – birdie, eagle, birdie – en route to a front side 3-under-par 33. One birdie and eight pars on the back nine catapulted McCool, the long-time Philadelphia area sales representative for PING golf equipment, to a five-shot lead. "All I was trying to do was hit fairways and greens and make a couple of putts," said McCool, who recently finished second in the San-Tan Amateur in Arizona after carding rounds of 66-69. "Tomorrow, I’m going to try and do the same thing. You have to hit it in right place on this golf course. Especially, coming into these greens, you have to know where to put [the ball]." Glenn Smeraglio of Yardley CC is McCool’s closest challenger after carding a 1-over-par 72 and Michael Domenick of Phoenixville CC stands alone in third place at 2-over 73. Smeraglio, who recently fell in the final of the state Sigel Match Play Championship, got a first-hand look at McCool. The two were in the same group. Tomorrow, all three of the leaders will be in the final grouping. "He was 4-under after three holes and that was kind of a wake up call," said Smeraglio, 45, of Newtown, Pa. "You look at it and think you should be making birdies. I think one day of play on this golf course will make a little bit of a difference. I picked up some nuisances of it. Tomorrow, I'll try to get under par and see what happens." McCool’s blistering start consisted of a 9-iron from 128 yards that resulted in a 15-foot downhill birdie on No. 1 (par 4, 366 yards), a magnificent 3-wood from 234 yards on the second hole (par 5, 505 yards) that landed two feet from the hole and a pitching wedge from 114 yards that landed 12 feet below the cup. He then lipped out another birdie opportunity on No. 4 (par 4, 430 yards). McCool said he couldn't get a putt to drop on the back nine and missed five birdies chances from inside 15 feet. "After that start, I was actually disappointed I didn't make more," said McCool. "They were pars, but it felt like I was shooting a million." McCool's top finish in a Pennsylvania state event was a third-place showing in the 1998 Amateur at Bent Creek CC. His lowest competitive score was a 65 in a 1990 Silver Cross playoff for the Golf Association of Philadelphia. His first state championship would also mark a comeback from health issues he's been plagued with since 2001. That year he successfully battled testicular cancer. In 2003, McCool found himself on the sideline with a pinched nerve in his back and, in 2004, a staph infection shelved him for a period of time. "It would be a tremendous accomplishment not only because it’s a state title, but because I’ve struggled with a lot of health problems," said McCool. "I feel like I'm getting over that." The final round of this 36-hole championship begins at 8 a.m.|
Name |
Club |
Out |
In |
Gross |
|
Robin S. McCool |
Saucon Valley CC |
33 |
34 |
67 |
|
Glenn Smeraglio |
Yardley CC |
37 |
35 |
72 |
|
Michael Domenick |
Phoenixville CC |
37 |
36 |
73 |
|
Matt Froncek |
Elkview CC |
36 |
38 |
74 |
|
Rich Thon |
The Springhaven Club |
39 |
36 |
75 |
|
Vince Yost |
Cedarbrook CC |
39 |
36 |
75 |
|
Ed Blechschmidt |
Whitemarsh Valley CC |
36 |
40 |
76 |
|
George E. Troutman |
Village Green Golf Course |
42 |
34 |
76 |
|
Mark E. Leaman |
Foxchase GC |
37 |
39 |
76 |
|
Drew Panebianco |
Talamore at Oak Terrace CC |
38 |
39 |
77 |
|
Jeffrey Paige |
Penn National GC |
38 |
39 |
77 |
|
Jim Simmons |
Stonewall |
36 |
41 |
77 |
|
Ron A. Weaver |
Meadia Heights GC |
38 |
39 |
77 |
|
Warren Choate |
Williamsport CC |
38 |
39 |
77 |
|
Bradley Hughes |
Stonewall |
37 |
41 |
78 |
|
Joe Corsi |
Totteridge GC |
39 |
39 |
78 |
|
John W. Robinson |
Commonwealth National GC |
40 |
38 |
78 |
|
Marlin Detweiler |
Lancaster CC |
38 |
40 |
78 |
|
Oscar L. Mestre, Jr. |
Overbrook GC |
38 |
40 |
78 |
|
Scott Mayne |
Hershey CC |
39 |
39 |
78 |
|
Ed Short |
Carlisle CC |
39 |
40 |
79 |
|
Kenneth A. Phillips |
Lancaster CC |
41 |
38 |
79 |
|
Robert Gill |
Fox Hill CC |
38 |
41 |
79 |
|
Brian Corbett |
Huntsville GC |
42 |
38 |
80 |
|
Byron W. Whitman |
Philadelphia Publinks Golf Assoc |
40 |
40 |
80 |
|
Joseph M. Cordaro |
Edgewood CC |
40 |
40 |
80 |
|
Christopher B. Scott |
Bucks County CC |
41 |
40 |
81 |
|
Chuck Tait |
Hershey GC |
38 |
43 |
81 |
|
Mark D. Quigley |
Lu Lu CC |
42 |
39 |
81 |
|
Michael J. Metz |
Fox Hill CC |
38 |
44 |
82 |
|
Michael J. Vassil |
CC of Scranton |
44 |
39 |
83 |
|
Charles Kraatz |
Talamore at Oak Terrace CC |
43 |
41 |
84 |
|
Doug Kelley |
Spring Hollow Golf Course |
40 |
44 |
84 |
|
Paul Ringiewicz |
Rolling Green GC |
42 |
42 |
84 |
|
Scott Orr |
Reading CC |
42 |
44 |
86 |
|
William D. March |
Spring Ford CC |
44 |
42 |
86 |
|
William Erskine |
Philadelphia Publinks GA |
44 |
42 |
86 |
|
Albert Hazzouri, Jr. |
CC of Scranton |
43 |
48 |
91 |
|
Arthur J. Kania, Jr. |
Overbrook GC |
WD |
WD |
WD |
|
Chris Smedley |
Coatesville CC |
WD |
WD |
WD |
|
WD-withdrawal | ||||