Mcgovern Tops Mccormick In Playoff For Senior Open Crown
Defending champion Jim McGovern of White Beeches surprised even himself just by making the playoff against first-day leader Mark McCormick of Suburban.
Then the former PGA Tour professional went out and won the playoff with a par on the fourth playoff hole to win the 28th NJSGA/NJPGA Senior Open Championship , presented by Golf Life Navigators, at the 6,350-yard Spring Brook Country Club in Morristown on Wednesday, June 1.
It was the second straight playoff victory in this event for McGovern, 51, who last year bested Chris Dachisen of North Jersey in three extra holes at Metuchen
McCormick, 53, fired a five-under 65 to take a one-shot lead over Mark Yannotta of Anchor Golf on Tuesday while McGovern went into Wednesday’s final five shots behind. Bob Duenskie of Bowling Green tied for fifth 71-71-143 and took low amateur honors.
The tables turned on Wednesday as McCormick shot a five-over 75 and McGovern came home again with a 70 as both players went into the playoff at 140. Mike Burke Jr. of Montammy went 73-68-141 for third place and Yannotta was 66-76-142 for fourth place.
The playoff began as both players parred the par-4 seventh hole and then got interesting as both sank 15-foot putts to birdie the par-4 eighth hole, McCormick sinking his on top of McGovern’s. Both bogeyed the par-3 ninth hole, but McCormick’s bogey on the par-3 over-water 10th hole proved costly as McGovern calmly made his winning par.
“I didn’t think I had a chance after regulation,” said McGovern. “It’s nice to win a second year in a row. I guess I’m happy to do anything to get out of going back to work,” he kidded.
McGovern’s 20 years on the PGA Tour included one victory, the 1993 Shell Houston Open.
Last year, he won the New Jersey PGA Head Pro Championship at Alpine and qualified for the U.S. Senior Open at Arcola. In 2014, McGovern played in the PGA Championship at Valhalla, earning a berth after a strong finish at the National Club Pro Championship.
"[Wednesday] I wasn’t as close to the hole, didn’t really make any putts and had a couple of chances on the last few holes of regulation and left them short," said McCormick, the 2008 New Jersey Open champ and a 2012 U.S. Open qualifier.
McGovern and McCormick parred the first playoff hole, the par-4 seventh, by hitting drives in the fairway, approach shots onto the green and two-putting.
McGovern and McCormick birdied the second playoff hole, the par-4 eighth, by sinking 15-foot putts. McGovern made his first, labeling it "probably the biggest break of the week for me," then McCormick answered with a slow roller that just reached the hole.
They bogeyed the par-3 ninth by hitting wide of the long, thin green. The left-handed McCormick pulled his tee shot way right and onto a peninsula, while the right-handed McGovern sliced his into the right rough. They chipped onto the green and two-putted.
On the fourth playoff hole, the par-3 10th over water, McGovern hit his tee shot to within 22 feet and McCormick to about 35 feet. McCormick’s first putt went eight feet past the hole, while McGovern’s came within two feet. After McCormick’s putt for par curled just left around the cup, McGovern made his 2-footer for the win.
Duenskie was in a five-way tie for fifth with pros Ed Whitman of Knickerbocker, Brent Studer of Metedeconk National, Bill Britton of Trump Colts Neck, and Steve Sieg of Navesink.
-northjersey.com contributed to this report
