Rehoboth Beach Country Club hosted the 2019 Delaware State Golf Association Super Senior Championships Aug. 12-13. The tournaments were open to golfers 65 and over, with nine women and 65 men completing the two-day event.
Originally scheduled for two 18-hole rounds, the second round was formally shortened to the golf course’s front nine when severe thunderstorms swept through the area.
Cape Region golfers dominated the women’s category, won by Anita Pettitt of Kings Creek Country Club. Here are the rest of the players in order of finish and their club affiliation: Judy Wetzel, Kings Creek; Sue Bardsley, The Rookery; Jeannine Doane, Kings Creek; Patricia Magee, Kings Creek; Linda Outlaw, Kings Creek; Anne Farley, Kings Creek; Carol Simon, Kings Creek; and Joan Beck, The Rookery.
John Pipitone of Bear Trap Dunes was the best finisher among Cape Region men, placing in a tie for sixth place behind winner Gary Dornhoefer of Wild Quail Golf & Country Club. Cape Region golfers who finished in the top 20 included Pete Townsend, owner of Mulligan’s Pointe (T-9); Tim Whelan, Bear Trap Dunes (T-13); Vinny Pancaldo, Bayside Resort (T-18); and Bruce Humphries, Rehoboth Beach Country Club (T-18).
AJGA in Delaware
The tournaments run by the American Junior Golf Association are the major leagues for highly skilled junior players.
The long-running organization attracts some of the best young golfing talent from all over the world to its events, along with college recruiters on the lookout for potential student athletes. Jordan Spieth is a classic example.
This year, the AJGA ran its very first tournament in Delaware, at DuPont Country Club in Wilmington Aug. 5-8. The first 18 holes were used as the qualifier. Golfers could play that round to earn participation credits for eventual tournament play elsewhere, or to fill one of the limited spots remaining for the three-round tournament that followed.
For the DuPont event, whose lead sponsor was Imperial Headwear, only three such spots remained for the girls, while 11 spots were possible for the boys.
Three talented Cape Region girls tried their luck at DuPont. Good friends Sarah Lydic and Sawyer Brockstedt, who both competed in the Drive Chip & Putt Championships at Augusta National, played the qualifier. Hannah Lydic, Sarah’s older sister and the best golfer for Sussex Academy this spring, played the tournament Aug. 6-8.
I followed Brockstedt during the hot and steamy Monday morning qualifier, beginning at the uphill par 3 13th hole. After a promising par, she stumbled a bit with two straight bogeys. Brockstedt recovered with more pars, but more bogeys and two unfortunate double bogeys marred her scorecard as she finished with an 82, tied for 15th.
Her mother Kelly told me they had just returned home the day before from a multi-round tournament in Pinehurst, N.C., so from my perspective Brockstedt was simply tired. Sawyer also knew she was only playing the qualifier as a credit for future events, so perhaps that affected her play.
Sarah also had some troubles in the qualifier, including two uncharacteristic double bogeys. Her 79 put her in a tie for ninth place.
The next day, I followed Hannah during her first round of the formal tournament. She drove very well, but too many approach shots either bounced over the green or came up a bit short. Putting was also a challenge for her on the fast, sloping greens.
Hannah finished that day with an 83, but played far better the next two rounds. Her 83-79-72 230 total put her in a tie for 19th.
The tournament was well run, with what appeared to be at least a dozen AJGA staffers and several helpful volunteers. I could see why the organization has the reputation it enjoys.
The new owners of DuPont CC should be congratulated for promoting high-level junior golf in Delaware with their new affiliation with AJGA.
Sussex County Optimist Club
The Optimist Club of Sussex County focuses its charitable efforts on supporting local youth, and is holding its first golf fundraiser event Thursday, Sept. 12.
Golfers can register as singles or in groups with the $75 per person entry fee for the 11:30 a.m. shotgun start at Mulligan’s Pointe Golf Club near Georgetown. Fee discounts are available for first responders, educators and veterans.
The fee covers golf, a boxed lunch, complimentary drinks and snacks, on-course games and activities, and prizes. Hole-in-one contest chances include a Jeep, a trip and an electronic package.
Registrations can be made online at Sussexoptimist.org or by contacting Dave Hartman at dchartman55@gmail.com.
Local club competition results
The Kings Creek Ladies 9-Hole group played a Best Ball of Three game Aug. 21, won by Carolyn Horn, Debbie D’Orazio and Kathleen Nave. Sandy Neverett, Linda Miniscalco and Valerie Evans took second. Tina Brown, Mary Beth Merolla and Deb Chase finished third.
The Kings Creek Ladies 18-Hole group played their 3 Blind Mice game Aug. 15, with three holes’ scores cut before adding up the rest. Joanne Yurik won first place, with Barbara Hines in second and Jeannine Doane in third.
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Fritz Schranck has been writing about the Cape Region's golf community since 1999. Snippets, stories and anecdotes from his columns are included in his new book, "Hole By Hole: Golf Stories from Delaware's Cape Region and Beyond," which is available at the Cape Gazette offices, Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, Biblion Books in Lewes, and local golf courses. His columns and book reviews are available at HoleByHole.com.
Contact Fritz by emailing fschranck@holebyhole.com.
