By BEN FONG/For the Sentinel
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – With just a few weeks remaining in the regular season, the race for playoff positions in the Thursday Ocean City Senior Golf League is becoming more competitive with every round.
Week 15 at Harbor Pines Golf Course featured outstanding scoring in both flights, several dominant match-play performances, and a pair of net 65s leading the way.
In the A Flight Aug. 20, Phil Gaffney continued his strong play by posting a net 69 against Jim Shippen’s 75. Gaffney followed his excellent round with an impressive 8-1 match-play victory, earning all 4 available points.
Pete McInerney turned in one of the day’s top performances, firing a net 65 against Joe Dempsey’s 76. McInerney dominated the match-play portion 9-1 to earn all 4 points.
Ben Fong also enjoyed an outstanding round, carding a net 68 against Mike Bogdash’s 81. Fong followed with an 8-1 match-play victory to sweep all 4 points.
John Blady matched McInerney’s low score of the day with a net 65 against Jim Hoagland’s 70. Blady then edged Hoagland 6-5 in match play to earn all 4 points.
Ron Venturi continued his excellent season with another net 65, defeating Garth Moyle’s 77 in stroke play. Venturi dominated match play 10-4 to collect all 4 points.
Jim Guidotti produced one of the day’s biggest match-play surprises. Guidotti posted a net 68 against Bob Pierce’s 71 and then dominated the match-play scoring 13-4, earning all 4 points.
The B Flight also featured several strong performances. Dominic Scalfaro posted a net 70 against Larry Zucker’s 84 and followed with an 11-2 match-play victory to earn all 4 points.
Jeff Mitchell came away with a strong 4-point performance against Tony D’Ottavio. Mitchell posted a net 75 to D’Ottavio’s 77 and won match play 7-4.
Sam Malandra continued his strong season with a net 68 against Tom Gahr’s 73. Malandra followed with a 7-5 match-play victory to sweep all 4 points.
Tom Szkaradnik turned in another impressive performance, firing a net 68 against Tom Visco’s 83. Szkaradnik dominated match play 10-3 to earn all 4 points.
Joe Sheridan and Jeff Mitchell also had their scorecards compared, with Sheridan posting a net 70 to Mitchell’s 75. Sheridan then won the match-play comparison 7-5 to earn all 4 points.
There was plenty of excitement on the course as well, with several golfers finding the bottom of the cup for birdies. Pete McInerney birdied Hole 14, Ben Fong birdied Hole 4, and John Blady recorded birdies on Holes 1 and 12. Garth Moyle added a birdie on Hole 6, while Jim Guidotti birdied Hole 13.
With Week 15 now complete, the regular season is entering its final stretch. The league’s unique combination of stroke play and match play means that every point can make a difference when the playoff field is determined. With several golfers continuing to post exceptional scores, the battle for the A Flight and B Flight championships promises to go right down to the wire.
Golfers interested in joining the league may contact Al Malatesta at malatesta9088@gmail.com, John Blady at john@swimusa.com, or Ben Fong at ben.fongmeister@gmail.com for additional information.
