Brad Coole didn’t know when he had the lead Sunday in the inaugural Men’s Senior City Golf
Tournament. But he knew what to do once he got into a playoff for the championship at Helfrich
Hills golf course.
The 50-year-old golf superintendent at Rolling Hills Country Club had to shoot his career-low
score at Helfrich, a 3-under-par 68 to tie DeLong at 138 for the 36-hole event and force a playoff.
DeLong posted a 70 and then nearly knocked himself out of the playoff on the first hole when he
duck-hooked his drive into the trees lining the fairway. He managed to extricate himself and
matched Coole’s par on the hole.
On the second extra hole Coole pulled his tee shot almost into the small lake on the left side. But
he laced his approach to 22 feet above the pin. DeLong’s drive wasn’t as far to the left and his
approach landed 18 feet from the pin.
Coole calmly surveyed his putt and then drilled it for a birdie. DeLong missed his putt to conclude
the match. Since Coole was the overall winner, DeLong was honored as the 50-59 age group
winner.
DeLong shot a first-round 68 and Coole had matched par 70 at Fendrich. Coole, playing one
group ahead of DeLong, birdied four of his first seven holes Sunday. Yet DeLong birdied his first
four holes to go six under. When they made the turn Coole still was four-under and DeLong was
two-under.
When Coole bogeyed the 15th, he had both the 50-59 age group and the overall standings, with a
4-under par 66 at Fendrich. He will try to fend the field off when the seniors wind up play today at
Helfrich Hills.
Accuracy was his game in the first round of the inaugural 26-hole tournament. He hit 17 of 18
greens. He missed the 18th green and settled for his only bogey of the round to go with five
birdies.
“I felt like I’ve been hitting the ball good,” Compton said, “But not today. I didn’t feel like I hit it
very well, but I was scoring. At 51, every swing is a new experience.”
Compton assumed a two-stroke lead over Dave DeLong, who came in late in the day with a 68.
Bill Osbourne, Jerry White and John Hamilton fashioned 69s as the only others in the field of 120
shooting under par.
Five more players matched par 70: Ken Schreiber, Steve Pritchett, Brad Coole, David Trout and
Dave Bates. Another six were one stroke over par: Jim Atkins, Joe Hahn, Dan Hewins, Tony
Hill, Frank Vincent and Bob Loewen.
DeLong cut his finger deeply a couple of months ago and said he just got the stitches removed,
meaning his practice time had been limited. “Maybe that’s why I played well today,” he laughed.
“I shanked my first iron and I had one three-putt on the front side and two on the back. I birdied
No. 9 to get under par. Overall, I played well.”
Jerry White received an early birthday present with his 69.
“My daughter gave me this shirt,” he said, “and it helped. But what really helped me was
watching Bryan (Compton) play.”
Hamilton assumed the lead among the 60-69 group with his one-under score. “I played good,” he
said. “I had three birdies and two bogeys. I made one long putt of 40 feet for birdie on 11.”
Hamilton enjoys a three-stroke lead over Art Hall and four over Ken Fisher.
The leader of the 70-over group is Dick Harper with a 75. Don Partridge is second with a 78.
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