Rick Schuller, a professional from Chester, Va., earned his first victory in his seventh attempt in the 21st Maryland Senior Open Championship conducted by the Maryland State Golf Association at Norbeck Country Club in Rockville, October 6-7. Schuller was the only player in the field who finished under par for the 36-hole championship with scores of 74-69—143.
Schuller, a Middle Atlantic PGA member employed by Stone Henge Golf & Country Club in Richmond, Va., holds an impressive and extraordinarily consistent record in this event. From his first year of eligibility (2013), Schuller has played his way in to the second-to-last or last group of the second round in seven of the previous eight years. Prior to winning this year, he finished runner-up twice (2014, 2019) and was in the top-5 every other year, except in 2015 when he did not compete at Andrews Air Force Base.
Schuller’s 69 on Wednesday was the only round in the sixties for the entire tournament. He shot 74 in the first round and entered the final round three shots back of the leaders who were tied at 1-under par. Schuller bogeyed his opening hole but gained some ground with birdies at the fifth and tenth holes. He never gave another shot back following the early bogey and closed his round with consecutive birdies on holes 17 and 18.
Those final two holes helped Schuller separate from four other MAPGA members who finished two shots behind him at 145 (+1). The runners-up included Maryland Open past champion, David Hutsell, Senior Open past champion Jim Estes (2019), Sean English, and Tim Lewis. Following Josh Speight’s victory at the 99th Maryland Open earlier this year, this was the first year in which the winners of both the Maryland Open and Maryland Senior Open Championships were PGA professionals since 2011, when Hutsell won the aforementioned 90th state open, and Bob Affelder was the 12th Senior Open champion.
Three more professionals (Andy Kelley, Carey Hodsen, and Ricky Serrano) and three amateurs (Ty Bordner, Tom Winegardner, and Ron Thomas) tied for sixth-place. Tom Winegardner, the Cannon Club, posted a 2-under 70 in the second round that was enough for the second best round of the day. He made the turn in the second round at even par and picked up birdies on holes 10 and 12. Back-to-back bogeys on 14-15 could have derailed his round, but they were offset by an eagle-three at the par-5, seventeenth.
After 36 holes Thomas, Bordner and Winegardner teed off the first hole for a playoff to decide low amateur. Bordner was eliminated after a bogey on the first playoff hole. On the second playoff hole, Thomas chipped from off the green to kick-in range, and his par save looked like it would extend the playoff, but Winegardner poured in a 15-footer for birdie to earn the title of low amateur.
The super senior division finished with a tie between Tom Grem and Jim Kyttle at 150 (+6). The low professionals in the super senior division were Jon Corliss (+8) and Jim Fitzgerald (+13) finishing fifth and eighth respectively.
Norbeck Country Club’s well-conditioned course recently underwent a bunker renovation project over the summer that restored original bunker shapes and dimensions while improving drainage, conditions and aesthetics. Players contended with slick greens and were presented challenging hole locations throughout both rounds. The field was comprised of 98 players, with 76 registered in the senior division (50+) and 22 in the super senior division. The weather was nearly perfect, with mostly sunny conditions and temperatures in the mid-seventies.
Reported by MSGA Staff
