By BEN FONG/For the Sentinel
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — As the season reached its seventh week, the Thursday Ocean City Senior Golf League continued to deliver exciting competition at Harbor Pines Golf Club.
Several established contenders faced stiff challenges, while a number of players posted impressive scores in the race for valuable points as the standings begin to take shape.
In A Flight competition, Ron Venturi turned in one of his strongest performances of the season. Venturi fired a net 70 against Guy Hackney’s 76 and backed it up with a 6-4 match play victory to sweep all 4 available points.
One of the week’s most notable results came from newcomer Jim Guidotti, who continued to impress by posting a net 70 against Pete McInerney’s 75. The two golfers battled to a draw in match play, giving Guidotti 3 points and McInerney 1 point.
A marquee matchup featured two of the league’s hottest players, John Blady and Frank Mancini. Blady carded a net 68 while Mancini bettered him slightly with a net 66. Neither player could gain an edge in match play, resulting in a split that awarded Mancini 3 points and Blady 1 point.
Ben Fong continued his strong run of play with a net 70 against Mike Smith’s 73. Fong secured a 7-4 match play victory to earn all 4 points.
Phil Gaffney picked up a key victory over Bob Pierce, posting a net 75 compared to Pierce’s 77. Gaffney also claimed match play by a 7-4 margin to sweep all 4 points.
Jim Shippen recorded one of the lowest rounds of the week, shooting an outstanding net 66 against Garth Moyle’s 74. Shippen dominated match play 9-5 to earn all 4 points and continue his climb in the standings.
In B Flight action, Mike Janel earned a full 4-point victory over Mike Coffman. Janel posted a net 72 against Coffman’s 74 and narrowly captured match play 7-6.
Tony D’Ottavio and Dominic Scalfaro engaged in one of the closest battles of the day. D’Ottavio’s net 75 edged Scalfaro’s 76, and Tony followed with a 7-6 match play victory to collect all 4 points.
Tom Szkaradnik enjoyed a strong outing against Tom Visco, shooting a net 73 to Visco’s 76 and winning match play 5-1 to sweep all 4 points.
Joe Sheridan remained one of B Flight’s most consistent performers, posting a net 68 against Visco’s 76. Sheridan added an 8-6 match play victory to earn all 4 points.
Sam Malandra and Mike Coffman split their points in a tightly contested matchup. Malandra’s net 72 topped Coffman’s 74 in stroke play, while Coffman answered with a 6-3 match play victory, leaving each golfer with 2 points.
Rick Schultz rounded out the week with a solid performance against Jeff Mitchell. Schultz posted a net 76 to Mitchell’s 79 and secured an 8-6 match play win to earn all 4 points.
The day’s highlight reel was packed with birdies. Ron Venturi led the way with birdies on Holes 10 and 15. Additional birdies were recorded by Guy Hackney (Hole 3), Jim Guidotti (Hole 2), John Blady (Holes 2 and 10), Frank Mancini (Hole 18), Ben Fong (Hole 7), Mike Smith (Hole 13), Jim Shippen (Hole 1), and Garth Moyle (Holes 6 and 15).
With seven weeks now in the books, both the A Flight and B Flight races remain highly competitive. Strong performances from veterans and newcomers alike are making every point increasingly important as players look ahead to the playoff rounds later this summer.
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.