Donatoni defeats Umani in Chapman Cup playoff
NORTH HILLS, Pa.–Don Donatoni of White Manor CC carded a birdie on the first extra hole to defeat Richard Umani of Philadelphia Publinks GA in a sudden-death playoff for the Frank H. Chapman Memorial Cup (Gross) at North Hills CC (par 71, 6,436 yards) on Thursday. The victory marked Donatoni’s first Golf Association of Philadelphia individual win.
"The one thing I enjoy is good competition and I’ve recognized over the years how good senior division players are in the Golf Association of Philadelphia. They were tremendous Amateurs throughout their career who continue to play at a very, very high level. There are guys that can go low out here and just to be in the hunt in some of these GAP events is a thrill for me," said Donatoni, 60, of Malvern, Pa. "A win puts a cap on my senior division playing. I’ve made Senior Challenge Match teams and had some wonderful accolades playing on the Senior Tour. This validates all the practice I’ve put in and some of the good play I’ve had locally this year."
 |
Rick Umani watches his drive in the playoff sail
left. Umani hit a great recovery shot, though, and
almost made a miraculous birdie before
tapping in for par. Don Donatoni won
with a birdie. |
On the first extra hole, Donatoni striped a drive while Umani, who started in the second group out and had to wait more than six hours for the playoff, pulled his tee ball left and into the practice range. Donatoni had first play and knocked a three-quarter wedge from 114 yards to 10 feet while Umani lofted a magnificent wedge up-and-over the trees to just short of the green, hole high and left of flag. Umani chipped first and watched his ball stop just inches short of going in before Donatoni rolled in his right-to-left breaking birdie putt for the victory.
"I’ve rolled the ball well all day," said Donatoni. "I put it two balls out and it went right where I wanted it to go."
Added a disappointed Umani, "I’m happy with the way I hit the ball, unfortunately, the outcome didn’t go my way. I lost to a birdie and three good shots. If I was going to lose, that’s the way to lose."
 |
O. Gordon Brewer, Jr., captured
the Super-Senior Division title. |
Both players posted 2-under-par 69s in their stipulated rounds but in very different manors.
Donatoni said he struck it well but used a couple of fortuitous bounces to get home under par. Starting on the back side, No. 10 par 4, 326 yards), Donatoni opened with a birdie after knocking his sand wedge from 95 yards to six feet. He followed that up with a wedge from 100 yards on No. 12 (par 5, 518 yards) to 10 feet to move to 2 under. A three putt on 13 (par 4, 378 yards) resulted in a bogey before Donatoni got lucky on the dogleg right 18th (par 4, 323 yards). Standing at 110 yards to the hole in the middle of the fairway and staring into the wind, he rapped a 9-iron way long and over the green. However, instead of going out of bounds, his ball ricocheted off the tree in back of the green and bounced onto the fringe of the putting surface. He would two putt for par and made the turn at 1 under.
Donatoni opened his final nine with three straight pars before watching his second shot on No. 4 (par 5, 589 yards) rattle the right trees and come back into the fairway. He would put his approach on and save par once again.
"Those pars kept my round going," said Donatoni.
Four pars and a birdie on No. 7 (par 3, 164 yards), a 7-iron to 15 feet, in his final five holes put Donatoni at 2-under.
Umani, in search of first Association win since 1996, posted nines of 33 and 36 and he’ll be the first to tell you it should have been better. He bogeyed Nos. 17 (par 4, 419 yards) and 18 (par 4, 323 yards) from the middle of the fairway.
"I hit a great drive on 17, I had 155 yards in and tried to hit a little 7-iron and I hit it fat," said Umani. "On 18, I had 100 yards in and tried to hit a little GAP wedge up there and hit it in the front bunker. It came out a little strong and I chipped up to a foot for bogey."
Umani birdied No. 6 (par 4, 430 yards) with a fantastic 4-hybrid from 185 yards to 10 feet and then hit the same club on No. 9 (par 3, 189 yards) to 20 feet for a second under-par figure on his front nine. On No. 10 (par 4, 326 yards), Umani continued his strong play with a GAP wedge from 102 yards to three feet for birdie before riding the merry-go-round for the next seven holes.
He bogeyed No. 12 (par 5, 518 yards) when pushing his drive right; birdied No. 13 (par 4, 378 yards) with a 9-iron from 138 yards to four feet; bogeyed No. 14 (par 3, 223 yards) with a tee ball into the right trees and then responded again on No. 15 (par 5, 515 yards) when he reached the par 5 in two and two putted from 20 feet. Umani added another red figure on No. 16 (par 4, 388 yards) when he hit an 8-iron from 144 yards to 20 feet behind the hole and made the birdie putt. He then finished with those two aforementioned bogeys.
The Association brought the Chapman to North Hills CC as part of the club’s 100th Anniversary.
In the Super-Senior Division, O. Gordon Brewer, Jr. of Pine Valley GC continued his strong play in earning flight honors. Brewer finished at 2-over-par 73 (par 71, 6,051 yards), two clear of his nearest rival James Sherratt of Old York Road CC.
Overall
Senior Division
*1. Don Donatoni, White Manor CC, 69
2. Richard Umani, Philadelphia Publinks GA, 69
Super-Senior Division
1. O. Gordon Brewer, Jr., Pine Valley GC, 73
2. James Sherratt, Old York Road CC, 75
*-won in playoff
|
55-59 years |
|
Name |
Club |
Score |
|
Richard Umani |
Philadelphia Publinks GA |
69 |
|
Raymond Thompson |
Overbrook Golf Club |
70 |
|
Eugene Maginnis, Jr. |
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
72 |
|
Francis McFadden |
Overbrook Golf Club |
72 |
|
Daniel B. Burton |
Bent Creek Country Club |
73 |
|
Donald Ashley |
Philadelphia Country Club |
73 |
|
Andy Thompson |
Overbrook Golf Club |
74 |
|
Craig Scott |
Huntingdon Valley Country Club |
74 |
|
James Sullivan, Sr. |
Huntingdon Valley Country Club |
74 |
|
John Gonsior |
Five Ponds Golf Club |
74 |
|
Michael Dougherty |
Huntingdon Valley Country Club |
74 |
|
Robert Lodovici |
Links Golf Club |
74 |
|
Thomas DiCinti |
Links Golf Club |
74 |
|
Alan Van Horn |
Lu Lu Country Club |
75 |
|
Martin Klagholz |
Rolling Green Golf Club |
75 |
|
Matthew Bellis |
Commonwealth National Golf Club |
75 |
|
Roc Irey |
Cedarbrook Country Club |
75 |
|
Thomas Bartolacci, Jr. |
Saucon Valley Country Club |
75 |
|
Gary Daniels |
Saucon Valley Country Club |
76 |
|
Larry Paster |
Philmont Country Club |
76 |
|
Michael Quinn |
Edgmont Country Club |
76 |
|
Frank Treml |
Sandy Run Country Club |
77 |
|
Robert Ockenfuss |
Indian Valley Country Club |
77 |
|
Andy Goldman |
Philadelphia Cricket Club |
78 |
|
Bill Milner |
Wedgwood Country Club |
79 |
|
Joseph Shevlin |
North Hills Country Club |
79 |
|
Robert Billings |
Rolling Green Golf Club |
79 |
|
Wally Swiger |
Huntingdon Valley Country Club |
79 |
|
Andrew Guinan |
Applebrook Golf Club |
80 |
|
David Taylor |
Radley Run Country Club |
80 |
|
Ed Chylinski |
Chester Valley Golf Club |
80 |
|
James Prendergast |
Spring Ford Country Club |
80 |
|
Robert Dewitt |
Links Golf Club |
80 |
|
Charles Jones |
Philadelphia Publinks GA |
81 |
|
Chuck McGilloway |
Moselem Springs Golf Club |
81 |
|
Jeb Baker |
DuPont Country Club |
81 |
|
Lee Cook |
Laurel Creek Country Club |
82 |
|
Robert Murphy |
Wilmington Country Club |
82 |
|
Thomas Mairone |
McCall Golf & Country Club |
82 |
|
Dennis Durkin |
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
83 |
|
Richard Speranza |
Jericho National Golf Club |
83 |
|
Bob Harris |
Blue Bell Country Club |
84 |
|
Charles Johanson |
Philadelphia Cricket Club |
84 |
|
David Brookreson |
Huntingdon Valley Country Club |
84 |
|
Bernie Zbrzeznj |
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
85 |
|
Bob Majczan |
Lookaway Golf Club |
85 |
|
John Samerjan |
Hopewell Valley Golf Club |
86 |
|
Joseph DeAngelis |
Jericho National Golf Club |
86 |
|
Thomas Mallouk |
Lookaway Golf Club |
86 |
|
Vince Yost |
Cedarbrook Country Club |
86 |
|
Bill Kovach |
Mercer Oaks Golf Course |
89 |
|
Paul Keating |
Aronimink Golf Club |
NC |
|
Robin McCool |
Saucon Valley Country Club |
WD |
| |
|
60 and over |
|
Name |
Club |
Score |
|
Don Donatoni |
White Manor Country Club |
69 |
|
Charles Whipple |
Huntingdon Valley Country Club |
74 |
|
Alan Over |
Bent Creek Country Club |
75 |
|
Carl Everett |
Merion Golf Club |
75 |
|
Frank Polizzi |
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
76 |
|
Jack Holland |
Whitford Country Club |
77 |
|
John Rowe |
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
77 |
|
Ken Gaskill |
Philadelphia Publinks GA |
77 |
|
Michael Rose |
Philmont Country Club |
77 |
|
Ted Beringer |
Philadelphia Country Club |
77 |
|
Michael Sofranko |
Wyncote Golf Club |
78 |
|
Neil McDermott |
Llanerch Country Club |
78 |
|
Ron Mittendorf |
Blue Bell Country Club |
78 |
|
William Lawler |
Fox Hill Country Club |
78 |
|
Michael Rowland |
Lehigh Country Club |
79 |
|
Stephan Whitenack |
Philadelphia Cricket Club |
79 |
|
John Cech |
Riverton Country Club |
81 |
|
Terrence Sawyer |
Yardley Country Club |
81 |
|
Terry Fair |
RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve |
81 |
|
Frank Kunze |
Spring Ford Country Club |
82 |
|
Frank Petrecco |
Yardley Country Club |
82 |
|
Thomas Morgan |
Riverton Country Club |
82 |
|
Carlyle Robinson |
Fox Hill Country Club |
83 |
|
James Haynie |
Lu Lu Country Club |
83 |
|
George May |
Manufacturers Golf & Country Club |
84 |
|
Jon Mabry |
Moorestown Field Club |
84 |
|
Joseph Virdone |
Philadelphia Country Club |
84 |
|
Rick Bunn |
McCall Golf & Country Club |
86 |
|
Jim Lloyd |
Running Deer Golf Club |
88 |
|
John Snyder |
Waynesborough Country Club |
88 |
|
Gregory Gaul |
Merion Golf Club |
90 |
|
Dennis Perna |
Spring Ford Country Club |
WD |
|
Gary Gordon |
Talamore Country Club |
WD |
| |
|
Super Senior |
|
Name |
Club |
Score |
|
O. Gordon Brewer, Jr. |
Pine Valley Golf Club |
73 |
|
James Sherratt |
Old York Road Country Club |
75 |
|
Charles McClaskey |
Wyncote Golf Club |
76 |
|
Curt Fromal |
The Springhaven Club |
76 |
|
David Jordan |
Woodbury Country Club |
76 |
|
Jay Howson, Jr. |
St. Davids Golf Club |
76 |
|
Robert Proto |
Little Mill Country Club |
76 |
|
Fred Jones |
Merion Golf Club |
77 |
|
Bob Wicker |
Little Mill Country Club |
78 |
|
Kent Weymouth, Jr. |
Philadelphia Publinks GA |
78 |
|
James Hilty |
Talamore Country Club |
80 |
|
Jay Kocher |
Wilmington Country Club |
80 |
|
Lawrence Capuzzi ,Sr. |
Rolling Green Golf Club |
80 |
|
Andrew Hamilton, III |
The Springhaven Club |
81 |
|
John Owens |
Tavistock Country Club |
81 |
|
Richard Smith |
Philadelphia Country Club |
81 |
|
Bob Killian |
Links Golf Club |
82 |
|
Charles Carter |
Sunnybrook Golf Club |
82 |
|
Warren Deakins |
Philadelphia Country Club |
82 |
|
Christopher Frazier |
Sunnybrook Golf Club |
85 |
|
Louis Pace |
Medford Village Country Club |
85 |
|
Bill Weinfeld |
JC Melrose Country Club |
86 |
|
John MacDonald |
Medford Lakes Country Club |
87 |
|
Jay Guben |
JC Melrose Country Club |
88 |
|
Donald Hoegel |
Little Mill Country Club |
90 |
|
Ernest Eichenberg, III |
Waynesborough Country Club |
90 |
|
Edward Noble |
Tavistock Country Club |
92 |
|
John Ayres |
Woodbury Country Club |
94 |
| |
|
NC-no card; WD-withdrawal |
|
