Bill Charpek Of Navesink Wins Society Of Seniors Tournament
Navesink’s Bill Charpek, co-winner of the 2017 NJSGA Senior Player of the Year Award, won his first Society of Seniors tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 15, in the SOS Founders Cup at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.
Charpek led for the first two days of the event, firing rounds of 4-under-68 and even-par 72, to give him a five-shot lead. His final round 78 turned out to be just enough for him to claim a one-shot victory in the 13thSOS event of his career and his fourth and final tournament of 2017.
“There was so much rain the final day, it played like a different course. It was a struggle. But late in the round, it stopped raining and I was able to settle down and hold on to the lead.
“Obviously, it’s nice to get your first victory in the Society of Seniors and I hope there are a few more to come,” said Charpek, a resident of Red Bank who has won back-to-back NJSGA Senior Amateur championships.
Charpek also played in the U.S. Senior Amateur this year. His previous best finish in an SOS event was a T-3 at the 2016 "The Hesler" Tournament. This season, he had a sixth and two T-9s at SOS tournaments.
“The field that plays in Society of Senior events is as good as it gets in senior golf. You have guys here who have played in the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the Walker Cup.”
Top New Jersey amateurs such as Adam Kugler of Alpine, John O’Malley of Forsgate, Dan Levinson of Bayonne, Phil Fabrizio of Knickerbocker, Ron Vannelli of Forsgate and Jay Blumenfield of Mountain Ridge, co-NJSGA Senior Player of the Year, all participate in SOS Events. Another SOS member is transplanted New Jerseyan Allan Small, a five-time NJSGA Senior Amateur champion, who now lives in Georgia.
A year ago, Vannelli, the 2015 NJSGA Senior Player of the Year, came through as a winner, carding a 71-69-75-215 to win the Super Senior Division (65 and over) of the Society of Seniors Masters Championship at Indian Wells Resort in Indian Wells, Calif.
Charpek took a five-shot lead into the final round, but immediately gave two back on the first hole with a double-bogey six. His closest pursuer, Steve Hudson of Birmingham, Ala., birdied the third hole, and when Charpek followed with a bogey, the lead was down to one. Another birdie by Hudson at the par-five fifth and Charpek's lead was gone.
Charpek pulled two shots ahead with a par at the sixth and a birdie at the eighth, but another two-shot swing in Hudson's favor knotted it up again at the 11th. Hudson then took his first lead of the tournament on the next hole as Charpek made a second straight bogey.
As soon as he got out in front, it was Hudson's turn to stumble, making bogeys at two of the next three holes to hand a one-shot lead back to Charpek.
Mark Knecht of Paducah, Ky., started the day seven shots behind, but kept getting closer as the two leaders were backing up. When Knecht birdied the par-four 17th as Charpek and Hudson were making bogey, Knecht was suddenly tied with Hudson and only one-shot behind Charpek, but that is the way the tournament would finish as all three players parred the par-five finishing hole.
Charpek closed with a 6-over 78 to finish at 2-over 218; Hudson (74) and Knecht (72) finished one shot back at 219.
Jonathan Valuck (Oklahoma City, OK) finished solo fourth at 5-over 221, with Jeff Burda (Modesto, CA) fifth at 9-over 225.
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