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Former Parkland golfer Chad Hess eagles second playoff hole to win 2016 Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur
March 26, 2018
Former Parkland golfer Chad Hess eagles second playoff hole to win 2016 Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur
MOORE TWP. — Former Parkland golfer Chad Hess had a sense of deja vu.
For the second straight year, the 20-year-old Old Dominion University junior blew a four-stroke lead on the final nine at Southmoore Golf Course, and was forced into a sudden-death playoff.
This time, Hess emerged victorious.
Hess (68-71–139) and former Moravian College golfer Jim Maru of Allentown (71-68–139) ended 36 holes of regulation play Saturday at 4-under-par 139; three strokes ahead of Riley Hogan of Saylorsburg (73-69–142) .
Hess, who lost a sudden-death playoff for the tournament title a year ago to Steve Kluemper of Bethlehem, matched two-putt pars with the 23-year-old Maru on the first sudden-death hole (par-4 tenth hole).
On the decisive second playoff hole (285-yard par-4 11th), Hess drove the green pin-high 20 feet right of the cup, then sank the eagle putt to win the 25th annual Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur Championship.
Hess was relieved by the outcome, and change in fortune from a year ago.
“Absolutely I was thinking about last year,” said Hess, who tied for 11th place in the 2016 Pennsylvania Amateur. “That was the only thing on my mind what happened last year. You have to learn from your mistakes.”
The victory is Hess’s second regional individual amateur title. Last summer, he won the Allentown City Amateur Stroke Play Championship.
“It feels great to win,” Hess said. “I put in a lot of hard work this week. Jim is playing really well.”
Hess entered the final round with a three-stroke lead over Maru after shooting an opening round 68 Friday at the neighboring Whitetail Golf Club.
Beginning Saturday’s final round on the tenth hole, Hess shot even-par 35 on the back nine to maintain a one-stroke lead at 4-under-par over Maru (2-under-par 33 back nine), and a four stroke lead over Hogan.
On the final nine, Hess began with four pars, and birdies on the par-5 fourth and sixth holes to build a four stroke lead over Maru.
While Hess bogeyed the par-4 seventh (three-putt from 63 feet) and ninth holes (drove into lake off the tee), Maru rallied with a pair of 25-foot birdie putts on the seventh and eighth holes, and a par on the ninth hole to force a playoff.
The win was Hess’s first career playoff success. In 2015, he lost playoffs in the Bethlehem Golf Club Amateur Stroke Play Championship and Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur.
In the senior amateur division, Dylan Spadt of Hanover Township shot 2-under-par 72-69–141 to win by two strokes over Mike Guro of Bethlehem (73-70–143) and Dominic Carr of Lower Macungie Township, who shot 74-69–143.
The 58-year-old Spadt, a former Silver Creek CC club champion, hit 14 greens in regulation and had 31 putts during his final round.
25th annual Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur
Southmoore Golf Course (par 71)
Final 36-hole scores:
Amateur Division: 1. Chad Hess 68-71-139 (4-under-par, won title on second sudden-death playoff hole); 2. Jim Maru 71-68-139; 3. Riley Hogan 73-69-142; 4. Ryan Orcutt 74-70-144; 5-T. Zach Juhasz 73-72-145, Dan Joseph 73-72-145, Grant Schumaker 72-73-145; 8. Nick Vecellio 76-70-146; 9-T. Steve Kluemper 77-73-150, Justin Tresslar 73-77-150; 11-T. Eric Balcik 79-73-152, Nick Maff 78-74-152; 13. William Marquette 76-77-153; 14-T. John Donofrio 78-76-154, Frank Betz, Jr., 73-81-154; 16. Patrick OBrien 84-71-155; 17. Steven Gonzales 77-79-156; 18. Nicholas Beckish 83-74-157; 19. Andrew Woolley 84-78-162; 20. Matt Crilley 85-81-166; 21. Chris Trotta 90-83-173.
Senior Amateur Division: 1. Dylan Spadt 72-69-141 (2-under-par); 2-T. Dominic Carr 74-69-143, Michael Guro 73-70-143; 4-T. Tom Egolf 75-72-147, Robin McCool 75-72-147; 6-T. Rich Fryer 75-73-148, Andrew Lykon 73-75-148; 8-T. James Boburka 77-72-149, Tom Woodring 77-72-149; 10-T. Fred Lening 78-74-152, Gary Schillo 74-78-152; 12. Shane Gunning 80-75-155; 13. Robert Schubach 78-78-156, Owen Dunne 77-79-156; 15. Robert Schultz 78-81-159; 16. Mike Reilly 81-81-162; 17. Mark Choi 83-80-163; 18. Craig Huth 94-92-186.
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