Smiths of Doylestown CC take Father & Son Middle

   FLEETWOOD, Pa. – David and Zach Smith of Doylestown CC carded a 1-under-par 71 to win Thursday’s Father & Son Middle tournament at Golden Oaks CC (par 72, 6,551 yards).

   The pair played consistent after double-bogeying No. 12 (par 4, 400 yards) – their third hole - and missing an 8-footer on No. 13 (par 3, 163 yards).

Doug Roberts (right) celebrates with his son Bradley of Wedgewood CC after Bradley made a 50-foot birdie on No. 18.

   The Smith squad fired birdies Nos. 4 (par 3, 154 yards), 7 (par 4, 389 yards) and 14 (par 4, 379 yards). On No. 4, Zach, 21, used his 8-iron to set up an 8-foot birdie putt for his dad. On No. 14, he sketched a similar set-up, this time with a 125-yard wedge shot to set up an 8-foot putt.

   “We had a good mix out there,” David said.

   “On the front nine, we used a lot of my dad’s tee shots, and one of the back nine, we used a lot of mine,” Zach added.

   Good chemistry allowed David and Zach to top the 100-player field.

   “Our games are kind of similar in terms of distance,” David said. “Our tee shots are fairly close. We know each other’s yardages. I know his strengths, and he knows mine.”

   “We were steady today,” Zach added.

   Doug Roberts of Quarry Ridge GC and his son Bradley of Wedgwood CC, Thomas Holt, Jr. and his son Eric of Torresdale-Frankford CC, and Joseph Seufer and his son Trevor of Stonewall each carded an even-par 72 to finished tied for second.

   Doug, 51, traveled from his home in Portland, Conn. to compete alongside Bradley, a Mt. Laurel, N.J. resident. The pair finished with 14 pars in regulation.

   “We were around the hole all day,” Doug said. “We only had to work hard a couple of times to make the pars. We knocked in 8-10 footers. We did have a couple brain damage moments where we bogeyed (Nos. 13 and 16).”

   Both Doug and Bradley relied heavily on strategy because of the tournament’s format.

   “If he wants to leave me with a shot that I’m comfortable with, and I want to leave him with a shot that he’s comfortable with,” Bradley said. “I’m not playing for me. I’m playing for him, and at the same time, both players have to be playing well.”

   The Roberts team ended its round with birdies on Nos. 8 (par 5, 536 yards) and 9 (par 3, 170 yards). After Bradley, 26, hit a 320-yard drive on No. 8, Doug used a 3-wood and knocked it to the left of the green. Bradley then chipped it up to about 5-feet, and Doug sank the ensuing birdie putt.

   On No. 9, Doug’s smooth 5-iron landed about 50-feet from the hole. Bradley drained a 50-foot putt for birdie, which he confidently predicted.

   “As soon as we got into the cart from No. 8 to No. 9, I said, ‘Now it’s my turn to knock in a birdie,” Bradley said.

   “Yeah, but mine was 5-feet,” Doug added. “His was 50-feet. That was special.”

   Thomas Holt, Jr., 45, and his son Eric, 24, of Torresdale-Frankford Country Club also carded and even-par 72.

   “We both struck the ball very well,” Eric said. “We had a lot of good iron shots. Fortunately, we only had three 3-putts. Other than that, we played pretty good.”

   The Holts fired birdies on Nos. 3 (par 4, 355 yards) 9 and 18 (par 5, 533 yards). On No. 18, after Eric’s drive left them with about 260 yards to the pin, Thomas used a 3-wood and knocked it to the right of the green. Eric chipped it onto the green, and Thomas finished with a 12-foot putt for birdie.

   Joseph and Trevor Seufer of Stonewall were the third and final team to finish at even-par 72.

   “We kept our shots on the fairway,” Trevor, 23, said. “Not having to search for balls was key.”

   The Father-Son Middle tournament is for those father and son teams with sons ranging in ages from 18 to 29. The event was conceived because of the high demand for participation in both the Father-Son Younger, which celebrated its 51st anniversary in 2008, and the Older tournament, an event in its 98th year.