Professional Hugo Mazzalupi and member Jesse Betts combined for a 5-under-par round of 34-33–67, and it was enough to get the first-time Patriot’s Glen Golf Club entry a championship as it captured the 59th Pro-Am tournament of the Maryland State Golf Association at Towson Golf & Country Club, April 23. A birdie at the 385-yard uphill 18th by the pro turned out to provide the margin of victory, as they finished with an eagle, seven birdies, and four bogeys.
As part of the fifth group to finish in the 17-group field, the leaders had about a two-and-a-half-hour wait to claim their title. Two teams made it close, as Woodmont CC’s David Dorn-Joe Scheffres fashioned an early 68, and Baltimore CC’s Mike Wood-Michael Mulieri — in the final group – matched it. Five other teams tied for fourth at 69. The Baltimore County layout was played at 6,619 yards to a par of 36-36–72.
Betts, 24, a graduate of Cecil Community College and currently working at the casino in Perryville, got the team going with a birdie at the first hole, but after two bogeys, Mazzalupi righted the ship with an eagle-3 at the 485-yard seventh where he was short in two and holed his chip shot. He followed with a birdie at the eighth and the side turned in 34. Coming back, Betts birdied 10 (he hit the flagstick with his second shot at the 403-yard hole)and Mazzalupi, in his first year at the Elkton club after coming from the Philadelphia Section, followed with three successive birdies, ranging from a foot to 18 feet. Again, two bogeys interrupted the flow before Mazzalupi produced his final-hole heroics.
It marked the first time either one had seen the course, although they became familiar with the name while being matched against the club in the MSGA Team Matches two weeks ago. As a result, the pair met Frank Olszewski, the pro half of Towson’s No. 1 pairing at Patriot’s Glen. Olszewski also was in the Pro-Am field, teaming with member Chris Emerick to finish with one of the 69’s.
Scheffres had three of his team’s five birdies, while the Wood-Mulieri entry also had five birdies, including four on the back nine. Of the 69’s, Olszewski-Emerick were joined by Joey Walker-John Dustin, University of Maryland GC; Rob Agresti-David Nocar, Jr., Chartwell CC; Steve Miller-Barry Lleur, Maryland National GC, and Pat Hinch-Brett Keller, Mountain Branch GC. Emerick and Keller included 7th-hole eagles in their rounds.
The weather — 50 degrees, mostly windy and overcast — likely contributed to some of the scoring, and the 67 had been exceeded only by a 69 last year and a 68 in 2012 in some 40 years.
– Reported by John Stewart
