Forest Hill's Purcell, Kennedy take 25th Senior Four-Ball Championship
August 18, 2020 - Kevin Purcell (left, above photo) and Bob Kennedy of the host club, Forest Hill, combined for a six-under-par 65 to win the 25th New Jersey State Golf Association Four-Ball Championship on Tuesday at the par-71, 6,241-yard Forest Hill Field Club in Bloomfield.
Kennedy and Purcell, who are both previous club champions at Forest Hill, were three shots better than the duo of Dave Weiniger of Green Knoll and Paul Manore of Neshanic Valley, who shot 68. John Masterson and Phil Fabrizio, both of Knickerbocker, were third at two-under-par 69.
In the net division, Stanley Culp and Jeff Bell of Wallkill won on a match of cards over Bob Morin and Richard Rogers of Flanders Valley. Both teams shot eight-under-par for a net total of 63. Third-place net went to the tandem of Rich Lippert of Howell Park and Frank Korn of Shackamaxon (-7) on a match of cards.
The event was originally scheduled for August 13, but postponed due to severe weather.
“Local knowledge plays a large part. But, it’s hard because even though you know every shot out here, you have to work through the fact that you’re just not out here playing on a Saturday morning with your friends. In this format (Four-Ball), you just can’t go after everything. You’ve got to make sure to make pars, but also give your partner a shot at making birdie,” said Purcell, who won the NJSGA Four-Ball Championship with his brother, Pat, in 1998 at Forest Hill and has won 11 club championships at Forest Hill, including this year.
“As a team, we didn’t make a bogey all day which was huge,” added Purcell, the Executive Director of the NJSGA.
In an equal partnership, Kennedy and Purcell birdied three holes apiece. Kennedy’s birdies came on the par-3 No. 5, the par-4 No. 7, and the par-4 No. 17 while Purcell’s came on the par-5 No. 4, the par-5 No. 14 and the par-3 No. 16. Kennedy shot 72 and Purcell 69 on their own ball.
“We knew the greens were soft so we were going for the pins right from the first tee,” said Kennedy, 58, a resident of Waldwick who works for the non-profit arm of Morgan Stanley.
“We finished strong, with birdies on 14, 16 and 17, but the one on 17 was huge. It’s a very tough hole to birdie because it’s a difficult green to read. Bobby put it close from 140 yards with a wedge and knocked in a five-footer for birdie,” Purcell said.
On the par-3 final hole, Purcell two-putted from 60 feet, draining a five-footer for par.
“We’re proud of this golf course. Our superintendent, Frank Tichenor, does a great job and the course is in as good a shape as it has ever been. To host an event like this and for it to be in true, championship condition is a good showcase for Forest Hill,” Purcell stated.
