The Golf Association of Philadelphia

Peyre-Ferry, Yost qualify for USGA Senior Open

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. – A seasoned professional and an unheralded baseball player turned amateur golfer earned the two open spots for the USGA Senior Open Championship in a qualifying round Wednesday at Hidden Creek GC (par 71, 6,808 yards).

Ken Peyre-Ferry, a professional from Marlton, N.J., and Vince Yost, an amateur from Harleysville, Pa., each carded a 2-under-par 69 to lead a field of 65 players attempting to qualify for the Senior Open, which will be held July 29–August 1 at Bellerive CC, in St. Louis, Mo.

Four players earned alternate status. Bob Hibschman, a professional from Hatboro, Pa., posted a 70 for the first alternate spot. Robin McCool, an amateur from Bethlehem, Pa. (71), Drew Panebianco, an amateur from Dresher, Pa (71), and Craig Kealey, a professional from Wallingford, Conn. (71), took second, third and fourth alternates in a four-man playoff for the three spots.

Yost took the low amateur award.

Peyre-Ferry characterized his 69 as "ho hum, boring." "I missed one fairway and one green, three-putted twice, bogeyed the last hole. Cut it well off the tee all day. Pulled it left into the trees on 18. Only bogey of the day.

"I hit it really solid," he added. "Ever since I quit playing for a living, I’ve played better."

Peyre-Ferry, 55, was the head professional at Little Mill CC for 23 years. He tried Senior Tour Qualifying School four times, made the finals twice, and missed qualifying one time by a stroke.

At the end of last August, he said, "I hung up my clubs. "I just quit. I became a real estate appraiser. There’s a heck of a lot less stress and aggravation. I haven’t practiced since last August. Didn’t play all winter. Didn’t go to Florida, first time in 20 years."

But this spring, the golf bug came back. He began playing a few holes in the evening in April and May, he said, and found "a desire to play by not being able to play." Now, he said, without practice, "I’m playing as well as I ever did.

"I thought I’d really like to qualify for the Senior Open." So now that he has, does he have any thoughts of another shot at the Senior Tour? The answer was quick and emphatic. "Absolutely not! No way!"

Yost, 51, a twice-a-week, 2-handicap golfer at Cedarbrook CC, who for 40 years concentrated on playing baseball rather than golf, said he was shocked to being headed for the Senior USGA Open.

"I came here with very low expectations," he said, since his life, until three years ago, revolved around baseball rather than golf. He pitched in Little League, high school, college, the semi-professional PennDel league and a 30-and-over league in Montgomery County, "until I had to ice my arm for two days every time I pitched."

Starting on the back nine on a course he’d never played before, he went out in 2-under 33 and came back in even-par 26. He had 4 birds and an eagle. "I putted really well," he said. "I’ve never seen so much putting acreage. This is a putter’s course."

Still somewhat dazed, Yost, president of a small technology business, had to ask where the Senior Open was, and when. When told it was later this month in St. Louis," he blinked and said, "I hope my investors are understanding."

	Name	City, State	Out	In	Total
Qualifiers
T1	Vincent Yost	Harleysville, PA	36	33	69
T1	Ken Peyre-Ferry	Marlton, NJ	35	34	69

Alternates (in order)
3	*Bob Hibschman	Hatboro, PA	33	37	70
T4	*Robin Mc Cool	Bethlehem, PA	33	38	71
T4	*Drew Panebianco	Dresher, PA	36	35	71
T4	*Craig Kealey	Wallingford, CT	38	33	71

Failed to qualify
T4	Billy Ziobro	Brigantine, NJ	35	36	71
8	Jim Booros	Allentown, PA	37	35	72
T9	Larry Silk	Atlantic City, NJ	36	38	74
T9	Roc Irey	Doylestown, PA	36	38	74
T9	Charles Dowds	Glenside, PA	37	37	74
T9	Don Brigham	Rumson, NJ	38	36	74
T13	Charles Mc Claskey	Elkton, MD	39	36	75
T13	David Brookreson	Huntingdon Valley, PA	37	38	75
T13	Dan Wood	Orlando, FL	36	39	75
T13	Thomas Borsello	Wilmington, DE	37	38	75
T17	Gary Hardin	Bethlehem, PA	36	40	76
T17	Rick Osberg	Chester Springs, PA	35	41	76
T17	Donald Larcher	Dorothy, NJ	37	39	76
T17	Steve Smyers	Lakeland, FL	37	39	76
T17	Lawrence Harrison	Margate, NJ	38	38	76
T17	Andy Thompson	Newtown Square, PA	34	42	76
T23	Michael Thompson	Exton, PA	39	38	77
T23	Michael Rose	Huntingdon Valley, PA	37	40	77
T23	Ronald Cusick	Marlton, NJ	42	35	77
T23	Fred Robinson	North Wales, PA	38	39	77
T23	Spike Smith	Pinehurst, NC	39	38	77
T23	Nick Paolucci	Pottstown, PA	38	39	77
T23	Michael Nilon	Wallingford, PA	40	37	77
T30	William B Johnson	Baltimore, MD	40	38	78
T30	Gary Daniels	Berwyn, PA	36	42	78
T30	Joe Viechnicki	Bethlehem, PA	40	38	78
T30	Pete Widdoes	Landenberg, PA	40	38	78
T30	Dan Haskell	Medford, NJ	38	40	78
T30	Michael Dougherty	Warrington, PA	37	41	78
T36	John Kulhamer	Bethlehem, PA	37	42	79
T36	Jeffrey Osberg	Elkton, MD	40	39	79
T36	Rick Woulfe	Ft Lauderdale, FL	39	40	79
T36	Don Deangelis	Skippack, PA	38	41	79
T36	Thomas Dicinti	Voorhees, NJ	39	40	79
T41	Charles Ebner	Baltimore, MD	38	42	80
T41	Larry Wise	Center Valley, PA	40	40	80
T41	Ronald Vannelli	Edison, NJ	38	42	80
T41	James Castagna	Sandy Spring, MD	42	38	80
T41	Raymond Thompson	Springfield, PA	38	42	80
T46	Clark Hargrove	Haverford, PA	41	40	81
T46	Francis Mc Fadden	Newtown Square, PA	39	42	81
T46	Bruce Hovis	Smyrna, DE	41	40	81
T49	Robert Dietrich	Colts Neck, NJ	42	40	82
T49	Thomas Kersch	Lutherville, MD	41	41	82
T49	Jay Howson	Malvern, PA	42	40	82
T49	Jarrett Kling	Radnor, PA	41	41	82
T49	Terrence J. Sawyer	Yardley, PA	43	39	82
T54	Roger Simpkins	Bethlehem, PA	44	39	83
T54	Frank Polizzi	Bryn Mawr, PA	40	43	83
T54	Richard Custer	Royersford, PA	44	39	83
57	Richard Kovacs	Bethlehem, PA	42	42	84
T58	Alvin Medlin	Baltimore, MD	41	44	85
T58	John Tyrell	Mt Laurel, NJ	43	42	85
T60	Charlie Naspinski	Frackville, PA	45	41	86
T60	Bob Majczan	Richboro, PA	40	46	86
62	Greg Ruark	Cockeysville, MD	43	44	87
T63	Michael Hayes	Mays Landing, NJ	44	44	88
T63	John Piotrowski	Robbinsville, NJ	42	46	88
T65	James Matthias	Bear, DE	WD	WD	WD
T65	Robert Currey	Boston, MA	WD	WD	WD
T65	Thomas Mallouk	Doylestown, PA	WD	WD	WD
T65	Lee Cook	Moorestown, NJ	WD	WD	WD
T65	Monte Roe	North Brunswick, NJ	WD	WD	WD
T65	Francis Doroba	Philadelphia, PA	WD	WD	WD
T65	Larry Hall	Wayne, NJ	NC	NC	NC


WD-withdrawal; NC-no card

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