By BEN FONG/For the Sentinel
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Week 3 of the Thursday Ocean City Senior Golf League season at Harbor Pines Golf Club featured another round of low scores, dominant match play performances, and a few memorable moments both on and off the course.
In A Flight action May 21, Guy Hackney continued his impressive early-season run. Matching cards with John Blady, Hackney posted another outstanding net 64 while Blady finished with a solid net 68.
Hackney followed that performance with a commanding showing against Garth Moyle, again shooting a net 64 compared to Moyle’s 78. Hackney completely controlled the match play portion, sweeping Garth 11-0 to earn all 4 available points in one of the most dominant victories of the young season.
Bob Pierce also remained among the league’s hottest players. Pierce fired a net 71 against Mike Smith’s 82 and captured match play 9 holes to 2, collecting all 4 points.
One of the closest contests of the week featured Phil Gaffney and Frank Mancini, who each carded matching net 70s. Mancini narrowly edged Gaffney in match play by a 7-5 margin, earning 3 points while Gaffney picked up 1 point.
Pete McInerney posted a strong net 71 against Jim Hoagland’s 73, but Hoagland battled back in match play to secure a narrow 6-5 victory. The split results earned each golfer 2 points.
Joe Dempsey turned in another solid performance with a net 70 against Ben Fong’s 74. Dempsey also controlled match play 8-5 to sweep all 4 points.
In B Flight competition, Tom Gahr continued his strong start to the season by shooting a net 67 against Joe Sheridan’s impressive net 70. Gahr secured the match play victory 6-5 to earn all 4 points.
Mike Coffman and Tony D’Ottavio battled through one of the week’s tighter pairings. D’Ottavio narrowly won stroke play with a net 74 to Coffman’s 75, while Coffman responded with a 5-4 edge in match play. The split results left each golfer with 2 points.
Paul Frederic earned a full 4-point victory after posting a net 85 against Mike Collin’s 89 and winning match play 6-4.
Frederic stayed busy in a second matchup against Jeff Mitchell. Frederic’s net 85 bested Mitchell’s 89, and Paul added another strong match play performance with a 10-6 victory.
Among the week’s notable moments, Pete McInerney and Mike Smith recorded the only birdies, while Phil Gaffney added some unexpected excitement to the round by catching a black snake during play — a moment certain to become part of league lore for the remainder of the season.
As the standings continue to take shape, several players are beginning to establish themselves as early contenders in both divisions, while the league’s trademark mix of competition and camaraderie remains as strong as ever at Harbor Pines.
Golfers interested in joining the league may contact Al Malatesta (malatesta9088@gmail.com), John Blady (john@swimusa.com), or Ben Fong (ben.fongmeister@gmail.com) for additional information.