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Cody Cox comes up with three big back nine shots to win 2018 Bethlehem Golf Club Amateur Stroke Play Championship
September 20, 2018
BETHLEHEM — Cody Cox came up with three big shots on the back Sunday at The Bethlehem Golf Club to hold off a spirited title bid by Zach Juhasz to win the 63rd annual Bethlehem Golf Club Amateur Stroke Play Championship.
A 215-yard, 4-iron approach shot by Cox on the par-4 12th hole from the rough on the neighboring 17th hole rolled a foot from the cup to set up a birdie. Two scrambles for pars on the 15th and 17th holes were also key to holding off Juhasz’s rally.
A former Penn State golfer (2017), Cox finished with a 36-hole score of 4-under-par 68-70–138 to outlast Juhasz, who shot 71-69–140.
Defending champion Chad Hess, a former Parkland golfer (2014) who just finished his collegiate career at Old Dominion University, was third at 74-69-143.
Cox’s winning score tied the second lowest score in tournament history. Zach Fischl of Northampton set the tournament record in 2006 when the then-17-year-old golfer shot 7-under-par 67-68–135.
Cox, a 23-year-old Milford, PA resident, began the final round with a three-stroke lead over Juhasz.
A former Freedom High School golfer (2015), Juhasz birdied the third, fourth, and sixth holes en route to shooting 3-under-par 33 on the front nine to tie Cox for the lead at 3-iunder-par,
While Juhasz went bogey, par, par to start the back nine, Cox birdied the 11th (6-foot putt) and 12th holes to build a three-stoke lead at 5-under-par.
Juhasz birdied the par-4 13th hole and parred the par-3 14th hole to cut Cox’s lead to one stroke after Cox missed a 10-footer for par on the 14th green.
The par-5 15th hole proved to be pivotal. Both players drove near the right–side trees. Juhasz left his third shot from 60 yards left of the 15th green in the left greenside bunker, and made bogey. Cox, the 2017 Lehigh Valley Amateur champion, later made a key 15-footer for par to regain a two-stroke lead.
After both players parred the par-3 16th hole, Cox hooked his approach shot left of the back left bunker on the par-4 17th hole. Cox deftly pitched three feet from the cup to set up a scrambling par. Both players parred the final hole.
Cox, a teammate of Northwestern Lehigh graduate Cole Miller at Penn State, was surprised his 4-iron on the 12th hole hit the green.
“I just wanted to get the ball into position,” Cox said. “I couldn’t see the flag. When I got up there, I didn’t know it was mine.”
The chip on the 17th hole to set up a par was big for Cox.
“The lie wasn’t very good,” Cox said. “To me, that was the best shot I hit all day.”
In the Senior Amateur Division, Jeff Hudson of Upper Saucon Township shot even-par 71-71-142 to win by six strokes over three-time defending division champion Mike Guro of Bethlehem, who shot 73-75-148.
Guro, 54, won the 2017 title by one stroke over Hudson.
Hudson, 53, won the 2004 Lehigh Valley Amateur and 2014 Lehigh Valley Tournament of Champions.
63rd annual Bethlehem Golf Club Amateur Stroke Play Championship
Bethlehem Golf Club (par 71)
Final 36-Hole Scores:
Amateur Division: 1. Cody Cox 68-70-138 (4-under-par); 2. Zach Juhasz 71-69-140; 3. Chad Hess 74-69-143; 4. Jim Maru 79-70-149; 5-T. Tucker Sandercock 79-77-156, Lee Nonnemacher 78-78-156; 7-T. John Dimler 80-78-158, Michael Casella 77-81-158; 9. Bryan Beck 79-85-164.
Senior Amateur Division: 1. Jeff Hudson 71-71-142 (even par); 2. Mike Guro 73-75-148; 3-T. Tom Egolf 77-72-149, Dylan Spadt 73-76-149; 5. Andrew Lykon 76-78-154; 6. Joseph Jasinski 79-77-156; 7. Robert Schubach 79-78-157; 8. Joseph Zelechoski 80-82-162; 9. Robert Schultz 83-83-166.
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