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Stimmel Earns Senior Open Title at Gulph Mills
Scores
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. - Howling winds and sporadic bouts of driving rain defined the final round of the 5th annual Pennsylvania Golf Association (PAGA) Senior Open Championship, where it was a matter of who could survive the difficult conditions at Gulph Mills Golf Club to claim medalist honors.
In the end, it was Connoquenessing Country Club's Rick Stimmel on top of the leaderboard as the only player under par -- and he got there with birdies on 17 and 18 to lock up his second-ever PAGA Major (after also collecting a PA Amateur title back in 1996.)
"Yesterday was just a pretty decent round of golf except for my nemesis--hole No. 17--but today I got off to a hot start and birdied No. 1 and held on through the front nine," said Stimmel. "After I made two sloppy bogeys on 10 and 11, though, I looked at the leaderboard and I didn't think I had a chance. I was one-over at the time and there were a bunch of really good guys at two-under. But I hung in there and hit a great 4-iron on 17 to about 30 plus feet and I made it, honestly the only putt I made all day. Then I got up-and-down for birdie on 18, made an 18-footer and it all worked out great."
Part of the pack that were battling for the lead late Tuesday afternoon was the leader after round one, Kevin Kraft (2nd Swing Golf), and Doylestown Country Club's Neil Gordon, who was the only golfer at two-under entering the final round. Kraft birdied hole No. 12 and tallied four bogeys but still managed to tie for second place overall and for first place in the Professional Division with a two-day total of even par 142.
"It was wet and it was windy and it was a little rough," recalled Kraft. "I three-putted from the front fringe on hole No. 1 and sort of immediately lost the speed of the greens. I also wasn't great off the tee today either, I don't know what happened but I was a little loose. My iron game was good and my wedge game was good and I'm happy about those things, and I'm really happy for Rick because he and I go way back. It was just a tough day and I didn't have my best stuff."
Gordon, who also finished the tournament at even par, played a steady round throughout the first 13 holes on Tuesday, bogeying No. 3 but carding birdies on 4 and 13 before the weather began to intensify for him at some inopportune times.
"I'll never blame the weather but it made it really tough on the two par threes on the back," said Gordon. "It seemed like the strongest points where the weather was coming in so I came up short both times, ended up in sand traps, and I just couldn't get up and down. Yesterday I putted so well and made everything after a really bad start. Today I didn't have quite as many opportunities but I hit the ball okay and I was in the fairway a lot, but overall the tournament was great and the course was amazing."
The two other competitors tied with Kraft for the top spot in the Professional Division were Mark Sheftic (Sunnybrook Golf Club) and Brian Cooper (Golf Galaxy), who both fired two-under 69's on Tuesday to finish the tournament at even par. Kevin Shields (Nevillewood) and Dave McNabb (Applebrook Golf Club) were both tied for fourth place at one-over.
In the Amateur Division, Greensburg Country Club's Arnie Cutrell fired a one-under 70 in the final round to tie Gordon at even par for second place in both the division and overall, highlighted by birdies on holes No. 2 and 6 and the completion of a bogey-free front nine. Carlisle Country Club's Jeff Frazier (three-over, fourth place) and Jericho National's Colin Sanderson (four-over, fifth place) rounded out the top five behind champion Stimmel.
"We're fortunate to be able to play a venue like this because it's a blast," said Stimmel. "I try to enter as many PAGA events as I can and try to be a bit of an ambassador because you play on some great golf courses. I outlasted the weather today, which I usually don't do a good job of, but today I feel pretty fortunate to come out on top."
Next up on the PAGA schedule is the 35th Men's and Women's Four-Ball Championship, scheduled for June 2-3 at the Country Club of York.
The Pennsylvania Golf Association would like to thank the staff and membership of Gulph Mills Golf Club for the hospitality shown during this week's event. Additional thanks go to DICK’S Sporting Goods for sponsorship of the event as the title sponsor of the PAGA.
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