NEWS
Chad Hess wins record third straight Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur
September 20, 2018
MOORE TWP. — Fresh off completing his college golf career, former Parkland golfer Chad Hess is off to a good start in the next stage in his amateur golf career.
Hess, a 22 year-old Upper Macungie Township resident, maintained a steady lead throughout Saturday’s final round at Southmoore Golf Course to win a record-setting third consecutive Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur.
Hess finished with a 36-hole score of 6-under-par 67-70–137; five strokes better than runner-up Kevin Scherr of Nazareth, who shot 74-68–142.
Scherr, a Youngstown State University sophomore golfer, was runner-up last year to Hess.
A four-year starter on the golf team at Old Dominion University, Hess tied the tournament-record score of 6-under-par with 2006 winner Brian Bergstol, and 2005 champion Geoff Kelowitz,
Hess, who shot an opening round 5-under-par 67 Friday at the neighboring Whitetail Golf Club, entered the final round with a three-stroke lead over recent Moravian Academy graduate Drew Warner, and a four stroke edge over Chris Stager of Bethlehem.
Beginning Saturday’s final round at Southmoore on the tenth hole, Hess birdied the 11th, 17th, and 18th holes en route to a 1-under-par 34 on the back nine.
Hess, who built a six-stroke lead over Warner, Stager, and Scherr after nine holes Saturday, was never seriously challenged on the front nine.
“I enjoy both courses,” said Hess, an elementary education graduate student at Old Dominion. “Both courses set up well for me. The courses are not that long, the greens have subtle breaks. When I putt well, I expect to score low.”
Overall, Hess hit 15 out of 18 greens in regulation both days, and used 60 putts for the tournament.
“I hit a lot of greens in regulation; it really made the round more relaxed,” Hess said. “I enjoyed the round with some great guys.”
Hess, who has now won six regional individual amateur golf tournaments over the past four years, wants to pursue a career as a math teacher, and an active amateur golf career on the national, state, and regional level.
“I’ll be playing in a lot of state amateur and GALV tournaments,” said Hess, who won the Lehigh Valley Medal Play title in June. “I want to enjoy it.”
The win for Hess adds to his career resume which also includes victories in the 2017 Bethlehem Golf Club Amateur Stroke Play Championship, the 2015 Allentown City Amateur Stroke Play Championship, and an eighth place finish in the 2017 Pennsylvania Amateur.
In the senior amateur division, Mark Czerniakowski of Philadelphia shot a final round 3-under-par 33-36–69 to win the title.
Czerniakowski, who tied for second place last year, started with birdies on the third, fourth, and sixth holes en route to winning.
Czerniakowski had a 36-hole score of 2-under-par 72-69–141 to win by six strokes over three-time Bethlehem Golf Club senior stroke play champion Mike Guro (74-73–147), and 2010 tournament champion Shane Gunning , who shot 75-72–147.
27th annual Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur
Southmoore Golf Course (par 71)
Final 36-Hole Scores:
Amateur Division: 1. Chad Hess 67-70–137 (6-under-par); 2. Kevin Scherr 74-68–142; 3-T. Kyle Pritchard 75-70–145, Chris Stager 71-74–145; 5-T. John Dimler 75-71–146, Steven Gonzales 75-71–146, Drew Warner 70-76–146; 8. Alec Cwienkala 79-78–157; 9. Scott Roberts 81-78–159.
NOTE: Chad Hess wins third consecutive Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur title.
Senior Amateur Division: 1. Mark Czerniakowski 72-69–141 (2-under-par); 2-T. Shane Gunning 75-72–147, Michael Guro 74-73–147; 4-T. Tom Egolf 75-74–149, Fred Lening 74-75–149; 6. David Strohl 73-77–150; 7. James Boburka 78-73–151; 8. Andrew Lykon 76-76–152; 9. Jason Cohen 77-76–153; 10. Rich Fryer 78-79–157; 11-T. Michael Gonsky 83-75–158, Robert Schultz 80-78–158; 13.-T. Mike Reilly 81-82–163, David Sweeney 81-82–163; 15. Mark Choi 81-84–165; 16. Timothy Dickens 91-79–170.
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