By BEN FONG/For the Sentinel
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – Another competitive Thursday morning unfolded at Harbor Pines Golf Club as Week 4 of the Thursday Ocean City Senior Golf League season produced several strong individual performances and one remarkable birdie-filled round in A Flight action.
Phil Gaffney opened the day with another solid performance, posting a net 69 while matching cards with Bob Pierce, who finished just behind at net 70. Pierce narrowly captured match play 6 holes to 5, limiting Gaffney to 3 points despite the lower score.
Pierce continued his strong early-season form against Garth Moyle. Pierce carded a net 70 while Moyle finished at 77, and Bob secured another match play victory by a 6-3 margin to sweep all 4 points.
John Blady and Ron Venturi battled to identical net 76s in one of the week’s closest pairings. Venturi gained the edge in match play, defeating Blady 8-6 to earn 3 points while Blady collected 1 point.
Frank Mancini delivered one of the finest rounds of the season so far, firing an outstanding net 66 against Jim Hoagland’s 82. Mancini controlled match play 9-2 to earn all 4 points and further strengthen his position among the A Flight leaders.
Pete McInerney also enjoyed a strong week, posting a net 74 against Dave Farrell’s 88 while dominating match play 12-3 to collect all 4 points.
Jim Shippen earned a 4-point victory after shooting a net 70 against Ben Fong, who was forced to forfeit his round due to a health issue.
In B Flight competition, Tom Visco posted a net 87 against Tom Gahr’s 80. Despite the higher score, Visco managed to split the points after Gahr narrowly captured match play 8-7, leaving each golfer with 2 points.
Tony D’Ottavio and Glenn Levin each finished with matching net 78s in another tightly contested pairing. D’Ottavio edged Levin in match play 8-7 to earn 3 points while Levin picked up 1 point.
Joe Sheridan continued his strong season with a net 71 against Jeff Mitchell’s 81. Sheridan added an 8-3 match play victory to sweep all 4 points.
Dominic Scalfaro narrowly won stroke play matching cards against Tony D’Ottavio with a net 77 to 78 advantage, while the pair finished even in match play at 7-7. Scalfaro earned 3 points from the matchup.
Paul Frederic and Rick Schultz each posted matching net 81s in another close B Flight contest. Frederic secured the match play edge 7-6 to earn 3 points while Schultz collected 1 point.
The league also welcomed newcomers Larry Zucker and Jim Guidotti to competition this week. Zucker posted a gross score of 124, while Guidotti turned in a solid gross score of 91 in his debut appearance.
The highlight of the day unquestionably belonged to Frank Mancini, who recorded an impressive four birdies during his round. Jim Shippen and Phil Gaffney also added birdies of their own during another memorable week at Harbor Pines.
As the season continues to unfold, both divisions are beginning to show clear contenders, while weekly competition remains tight throughout the field.
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.
