By BEN FONG/For the Sentinel
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – Week 9 of the Thursday Ocean City Senior Golf League season featured some of the finest golf of the year as several players posted exceptional rounds at Harbor Pines Golf Club.
Two net 63s, an eagle, and a collection of birdies highlighted another exciting Thursday morning July 9 as the race for playoff positions continues to tighten.
In A Flight competition, Ben Fong continued his strong summer with a convincing victory over Garth Moyle. Fong carded a net 70 against Moyle’s 80 and dominated match play 9-3 to earn all 4 available points.
Mike Bogdash picked up an important win against Frank Mancini. Bogdash’s net 78 edged Mancini’s 81, and he added a decisive 9-6 match play victory to sweep all 4 points.
Phil Gaffney turned in another excellent round, posting a net 68 against Ron Venturi’s 72. The pair battled evenly throughout the match, finishing tied in match play. Gaffney earned 3 points while Venturi collected 1.
One of the standout performances of the day belonged to Bob Pierce, who fired a sensational net 63 against Joe Dempsey’s 71. Pierce followed his outstanding round with a 7-2 match play victory to earn all 4 points.
Pete McInerney and Jim Shippen staged one of the week’s closest contests. McInerney narrowly won stroke play with a net 74 to Shippen’s 75, while the golfers finished even in match play, resulting in 3 points for McInerney and 1 point for Shippen.
Joe Dempsey returned to action matching cards against Jim Hoagland. Dempsey posted a net 71 compared to Hoagland’s 76 and edged the match play competition 5-4.
Perhaps the marquee matchup of the week featured John Blady and newcomer Jim Guidotti. Blady matched Pierce for the low round of the day with an outstanding net 63, while Guidotti was close behind with a net 64. Guidotti rallied to claim match play 6-5, producing a split result that earned each golfer 2 points in one of the season’s most entertaining battles.
In B Flight action, Joe Sheridan continued his consistent play with a net 64 matching cards against Tom Gahr’s 72. Gahr, however, answered with a strong match play performance, winning 7-5. each earned 2 points.
Glenn Levin earned a full 4-point victory after posting a net 75 against Tom Visco’s 79 and capturing match play 7-6.
Tom Gahr had a strong matchup shooting a net 72 against Rick Schultz’s 75. Their match play contest ended in a tie, giving Gahr 3 points and Schultz 1.
Mike Coffman narrowly defeated Mike Janel in another closely contested match. Janel’s net 74 edged Coffman’s 75 in stroke play, but Coffman responded with a 7-6 match play victory. The split earned each golfer 2 points.
Jeff Mitchell earned all 4 points after shooting a net 87 against Sam Malandra’s 89 and winning match play 9-5.
Tom Szkaradnik completed the B Flight action with one of the day’s most dominant performances. Szkaradnik posted a net 70 matching cards against Tony D’Ottavio’s 79 before cruising to a 12-4 match play victory to sweep all 4 points.
The week’s highlights showcased some outstanding shot-making across Harbor Pines. Bob Pierce recorded the shot of the day with an eagle on Hole 7 and added a birdie on Hole 3 during his brilliant net 63 round. John Blady matched Pierce’s low score while recording birdies on Holes 2, 6, and 14. Jim Guidotti continued to impress with birdies on Holes 6 and 12, while Frank Mancini added a birdie on Hole 11.
With the season now at its halfway point, both the A Flight and B Flight championship races remain wide open. Strong performances continue to emerge from across the field, and with every match carrying valuable points toward playoff qualification, the competition promises to become even more intense in the weeks ahead.
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.
