Vannelli & Mauer Win 20th Senior Four-ball At Panther Valley

Over the past five years, Ron Vannelli of Forsgate and Steve Mauer of Metuchen have established themselves as one of the state’s premier senior four-ball duos.

On Tuesday, Sept. 29, the pair won their second NJSGA Senior Four-Ball Championship and first since 2011, shooting five-under-par 66 to win easily at the 6,587-yard Panther Valley Country Club in Allamuchy.

Second place gross went to Spencer Foxworth of Deal and Ed Alden of High Bridge Hills at 70 (match of cards), while the team of Paul Schoeb and Bob Blumber of Royce Brook took third also with a 70.

LEADERBOARD NET-LEADERBOARD PHOTO GALLERY

Vannelli and Mauer finished T-2 in 2014 when Doug Fraser and Jack Huppert of Galloway National won on their home course. They also took runner-up honors in 2012 after winning in 2011.

In the net division, John Werley and Marshall Mintz won with 64, followed by Brian Byrne and Michael Moriarity of Hyatt Hills at 66, and Leo DiFonzo and Tim Kelly of Knoll at 67.

“We don’t really have a strategy. We try to avoid bogeys,” said Mauer, 60, who lives in East Brunswick and is a senior vice president for Torcon.

“I’ve played two State Amateurs here so I know the course. Like anywhere else, you want to hit the middle of the fairway, and here, the fairways are not that big so you’ve got to drive it straight,” said Vannelli, 67, who lives in Edison and has been a runner-up in the State Amateur, Mid-Amateur and Senior Amateur.

Last week, he won his second Met Masters championship in a row, via a four-hole playoff. He has also won two Met Senior Championships and won the Met Amateur in 2005 when he was Player of the Year for both the Met and the NJSGA.

“The down-grain putts were pretty slick and putting into the grain was very slow,” said Mauer, who has known Vannelli for decades when both were members of Metuchen, where Vannelli won 19 club championships and Mauer the past three since Vannelli has relocated to Forsgate. Mauer also has three senior club championships at Metuchen and Vannelli three club championships at Forsgate.

The duo combined for six birdies and one bogey. They started on Hole 3 where Vannelli birdie by putting a 6-iron shot to three feet. Mauer sank a 15-footer for a birdie on No. 6, and then Vannelli drained a 20-footer for a birdie on No. 7.

On the par-5 No. 11, Vannelli sank a downhill 15-footer for a fourth birdie. The bogey came on No. 14 when Vannelli three-putted.

But the duo ended with birdies on two par-4s, No. 16 when Mauer’s wedge from 75 yards ended one inch from the cup, and on No. 18, when Vannelli lofted an 8-iron from 140 yards to two feet.

“We played well together. We have known each other a long time and like to have some fun out there,” Vannelli said.