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Round 2

Henry Blue, a member of one of this nation’s most distinguished golfing families, added another jewel to the collection when he had a hole-in-one to help overcome a five-stroke deficit to finish at even-par 146 and capture the 91st Seniors championship of the Maryland State Golf Association at the Maryland Golf & Country Club in Bel Air, September 10.

Blue, 63, used a 3-under-par 70, the low round of the two-day event, to vault past seven players, all but one of whom had a higher second-round score, to reach the top spot. He had previously lost two MSGA Amateur finals, but has won a U.S. Seniors’ Golf Association championship and a Middle Atlantic Golf Association Seniors title, the latter of which was especially meaningful, and as he said about the MSGA/MAGA senior titles, “Winning both of them means a lot to me.”

Also, it extends a winning family tradition that dates back more than 100 years. Henry’s grandfather, William C. Fownes (and his father, Henry C.) built Oakmont Country Club in the Pittsburgh suburbs and W.C., as he was known, ruled over it for the rest of his life. Along the way, he won the U.S. Amateur, orchestrated the first Walker Cup match and served as the U.S. captain, and later was president of the USGA.

His son-in-law, Roland MacKenzie, played on three U.S. Walker Cup sides; won the Middle Atlantic Amateur twice, 23 years apart (still a record), in 1925 and 1948, and won the MSGA Seniors in 1965. His son, Clark MacKenzie, won a MSGA Amateur among a string of titles. WC also had three other grandchildren, one of whom, William F. Blue, is a MSGA past president. His brother, Richard, is Henry’s father.

After an opening 76, Henry went to his club, Caves Valley GC, and while hitting balls, received a tip from one of the club’s teaching professionals. “I figured I’d try it and the opening-round hooks disappeared.” he said. He started 5-3-1 (par-birdie-eagle), reaching the green of the 502-yard opening hole in two, then three-putting. He birdied the second from six feet and struck a 174-yard 5-iron at the third.

A missed green and a 3-putt contributed to bogeys at Nos. 6-7 (“After that, I changed my stance,” he offered), and from -1 under through seven holes, he played the last 11 holes 2-under. They included birdies at two of the par-3’s, another birdie, and a 3-putt bogey. At the 18th, he hit his second shot into a greenside bunker on the right with a back-right hole location. “I hit a really good bunker shot to eight feet and made the putt to save par.” The course, in wonderful condition,  was played at 6,622 yards to a par of 37-36–73. With the cut to the low 24 and ties, 25 players at 80 and better advanced.

Jim Winner, from the host club and the only one of the contenders to improve, shot 75-74–149, where he was tied by first-day leader Chuck Gould, from Annapolis, a first-time entry, who finished 71-78–149. Drew Forrester, from Eagle’s Nest CC, followed with 73-77–150.

Michael Weiner, from Hayfields CC, won his third Super Senior (65-over) title in the last four years with 73-76–149, followed by Joe Fenlon, Breton Bay G&CC, 77-78–155, and Dick Ham, The Cannon Club, 76-82–158.

Note: The opening twosome — Al Aldana from CC Woodmore, and Bryan Taylor — did not have to be concerned about pace of play, as they toured the layout in 2 hours, 45 minutes.

 


Super Senior Net Champion Ralph Swartwood

Round 1

Chuck Gould, a first-time entry, carded a 2-under-par 35-36–71, the only sub-par round of the day, to take a two-stroke lead in the 91st annual Senior Amateur Championship of the Maryland State Golf Association at Maryland Golf & Country Club in Bel Air, September 9th.

Gould, a scratch player, moved from Florida to Annapolis a couple of years ago, but only recently started playing again. The 57-year-old, who registered with the MSGA E-Club, had four birdies and two 3-putt bogeys over the 6,622-yard, par 37-36–73 course in Harford County.

The leader, whose birdies came on a 2-putt at the 502-yard first hole and three in the 8 to 10-foot range, visited the course for the first time for a practice round recently, but this marked his first competitive round at the site.

David Nocar, Jr., the 2017 champion at Worthington Manor GC who plays from Chartwell CC, and Drew Forrester,  Mount Pleasant GC, followed with 73’s, backed by Richard Holland, Columbia CC, at 74, and an 75 included by John Howson, Hayfields CC, the 2014-15 champion.

With the Senior field of 49 entries trimmed to the low 24 and ties for the final round (September 10), 25 players will be in the field.

In the Super Senior (65-over) division, Michael Weiner, from Hayfields CC, opened with a 73 in his quest for a third successive title. The round, played at 6,030 yards, included six birdies (the longest about 20 feet, with some other curlers) and an out-of-bounds at No. 2 (ricocheted off a tree) that led to a triple-bogey, while a double-bogey at the 18th included a second 3-putt.

With three players making the cut, he will be joined by Dick Ham, from The Cannon Club, 76, and Joe Fenlon, from Breton Bay G&CC, 77.

The Senior Net division leaders were Bob King, Baltimore Duffers, 80-10-70, and John Horan, Clustered Spires GC, 81-10-71. The Super Senior Net event went to Ralph Swartwood, Wicomico Shores GC, 83-17-66, trailed by Matt Neitzey, Glenn Dale GC, 81-12-69; Jeff Timbers at Troy, 85-15-70, and Rick Slaten, TPC Potomac, 89-19-70.

Reported by John Stewart