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Gordon, Simone take Four-Ball Stroke Play ChampionshipHUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa. - Neil Gordon of Five Ponds GC and home-club hopeful John Simone birdied their last four holes to take Friday’s Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship at Philmont CC (par 70, 6,652 yards) with a 5-under-par 65. “We bobbed and weaved pretty well,” Simone, of Drescher, Pa. said. “We had a couple of key saves,” Gordon, of Warrington, Pa., added. One of those saves occurred on No. 5 (par 4, 438 yards). After both players knocked their approaches into the greenside bunker, Simone, 37, skulled his out while Gordon, 41, chipped up to four feet and drained the downhill par putt. A second critical bail-out came on No. 14 (par 4, 486 yards). This time, Simone rescued the duo. He blocked a 5-iron right from 180 yards out and came up short, but managed to chip up to within an inch of the cup. But Gordon believes No. 2 (par 4, 414 yards) marked the most vital junction. Simone’s approach 8-iron traveled 148 yards and scooted a foot past the flagstick. He tapped in for birdie. The tandem made the turn at even par, seeing red as they prepared to traverse their final nine holes. “We said that if we could birdie one or two holes coming in, then we’d have a chance,” Simone said. Simone fired three consecutive birdies on Nos. 15 (par 4, 397 yards), 16 (par 4, 451 yards) and 17 (par 3, 201 yards). He sunk a downhill 20-footer on No. 15 after pulverizing a pitching wedge 125 yards). Simone drilled an approach 6-iron 171 yards to eight feet on No. 16. On No. 17, he stuck a 4-iron to 12 feet below the flagstick. “I usually don’t like No. 17,” Simone said. “I said to the guy before me I hate this hole. I was worried about 4-iron not being enough club, but I swung as hard as I could at it. I usually don’t hit a straight ball, but it went straight there.” To cap off their round, Gordon stepped onto the birdie bus by draining a 20-footer on No. 18 (par 4, 344 yards). “He hit like a worm-burner 3-wood and it luckily got through the rough and into the fairway to 200 yards,” Simone said. “He then hits a great 4-iron to the right of the pin.” This was the first time that Gordon and Simone teamed up to compete in the Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship. Gordon asked Simone to join him shortly after the two met up at the Middle-Amateur Championship earlier this year at Tavistock CC. “It was fun,” Simone said.
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A Walk Through Time
GAP is the oldest state or regional golf association in the country. It started courtesy of a friendly competition – the Team Matches – and has grown into the preeminent golf association in the country. Along the way, golf history has been made.
