Ed Chylinski (right) and Michael Domenick (left) pose with
Ray Mott, the Pennsylvania Golf Association president
HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PA (May 28, 2009)--Michael Domenick of Phoenixville CC drained a tension-filled four-foot par putt on the final hole to secure a one-stroke victory for him and partner Ed Chylinski of Chester Valley GC in the 20th state Better-Ball Championship on Thursday at Huntingdon Valley CC.
Chylinski and Domenick finished at 9-under par for the two rounds, one shot in front of brothers James, Jr. and Michael Kania of Overbrook GC. Three teams, including brothers Michael and Doug Gregor and the father-son duo of James Sullivan, Jr. and Sr., both home club hopefuls, finished at 8 under. Michael Brown of Philadelphia Publinks GA and Paul Polinsky of Manufacturers G&CC also finished two shots behind the winners.
“I’ve played in a lot of these so to win one feels great,” said Chylinski, 59, of Gulph Mills, Pa. “It’s good to be in the winner’s circle.”
Added Domenick, 54, of Phoenixville, Pa., “You don’t really understand [how it feels to win] until it happens. You play in enough of these things and guys like me don’t see a lot of wins. Actually yesterday was the day. That was the best round of golf I’ve ever played in a competition.” Domenick said he shot a 4-under-par 66 on his ball on Wednesday.
Chylinski and Domenick entered Day Two at 7-under par overall and two shots clear of the rest of the field. The Sullivans were the closer pursuers at 5 under. The Kanias started three back. However, with the golf course playing more difficult and the wind intensifying as the day grew longer, scores for Round 2 weren’t nearly as low as Day One. That set up a mad dash to the finish line.
“When we got down the stretch, 15-16-17, we just figured if we could par in we could win,” said Domenick. “Especially with the weather, it got windy and pretty tough.”
As the day shook out, three teams, Chylinski and Domenick, the Kanias and the Sullivans, each controlled their own destinies.
The Kanias, playing two groups in front of the other pair, were the first to post a number, finishing at 8-under par after recording a 3-under 32 on the back nine.
“Our motto was to bring the heat and we didn’t do that until the back,” said James Kania, 20, a University of Kentucky sophomore from Haverford, Pa. “We were aiming for a 64 but we carded a 66 and we’ll see where that leads us.”
James birdied No. 11 (par 4, 372 yards), No. 13 (par 3, 180 yards) and No. 15 (par 5, 571 yards) on the inward nine. Michael, 18, of Haverford, Pa., who will also be attending the University of Kentucky as a freshman in the fall, carried the load on the front with birdies on No. 4 (par 4, 365 yards) and No. 7 (par 5, 550 yards), a hole which he had an eagle look from 30 feet. The two carded only one bogey on the day, that coming on No. 2 (par 4, 440 yards).
So that left Chylinski and Domenick and the Sullivans, both playing in the final grouping of the day, to match the Kanias final tally. And they both hovered right around that 8-under number throughout the final nine. The Sullivans recorded three birdies on the front, a sand wedge by James, Jr., to two feet on No. 1 (par 4, 390 yards) and a pair of 12 footers by James, Sr., on No. 4 and No. 9 (par 4, 450 yards), to move to 8 under with nine holes to go. However, the duo could not get over the hump on the way in and bogeyed the final hole (par 4, 425 yards) to fall by two shots to the eventual winners. Chylinski and Domenick, too, made the turn at 8 under, but birdied No. 11 and 13 to quickly jump into double digits. A bogey on No. 14 (par 4, 467 yards) costs the team a shot when both failed to get up-and-down after coming up short of the green but four straight pars to finish sealed a win. That par stretch, however, was far from mundane as Chylinski made a tremendously difficult up-and-down from the left greenside bunker on No. 16 (par 4, 385 yards) and Domenick made a nifty par save from off the green and right of the 17th (par 3, 211 yards) putting surface. On No. 18, a great finishing hole onto itself, Domenick played first and knocked his 3-hybrid from 181 yards to about 20 feet above the hole. Chylinski’s approach effort landed just past Domenick’s shot, but trickled off the green. Domenick’s first putt then came up about four feet short and after Chylinski could only manage a five, left the tournament deciding stroke to Domenick.
“I just wanted to make it. I didn’t want to let Eddie down,” said Domenick. “I already missed two of those earlier today.
“That [shot from the fairway on No. 18] was ridiculous. Like I told Eddie, just stand out there and make a good swing and whatever happens happens. And that’s one of my favorite clubs. It just worked out.”
Yes it did.
Final results of the Pennsylvania State Better-Ball Championship, played May 27-28, 2009 at Huntingdon Valley Country Club:
Ed Chylinski/Michael Domenick, Chester Valley GC/Phoenixville CC
63
68
131
James Kania, Jr./Michael Kania, Overbrook GC
66
66
132
Michael Gregor/Douglas Gregor, Huntingdon Valley CC
68
65
133
James Sullivan, Sr./James Sullivan, Jr., Huntingdon Valley CC
65
68
133
Michael Brown/Paul Polinsky, Phila Publinks GA/Manufacturers G&CC
66
67
133
Gary Daniels/Charles Dowds, III, Applebrook GC
66
69
135
Patrick Sullivan/Travis Gahman, Philadelphia Publinks GA
67
68
135
Santo Lafoca/Byron Whitman, Huntsville GC/ Golden Oaks GC
68
68
136
Zach Rothaus/Brian Rothaus, Philmont CC
66
70
136
David Brookreson/Chip Lutz, Huntingdon Valley CC/LedgeRock GC
67
70
137
Edward Erickson/Ted Harris, Makefield Highlands GC
68
69
137
Cole Willcox/P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia CC
70
67
137
Eric Williams/James Gardas, Honesdale GC
66
72
138
Edward Knoll/George Troutman, Deer Run GC
67
71
138
Jason Bernstein/Marc Mandel, White Manor CC
68
70
138
Scott Klee/Chris Esbenshade, Five Ponds GC/Indian Valley CC
68
71
139
Kenneth Phillips/Eric Buck, Lancaster CC
66
73
139
Craig Scott/Daniel Pinciotti, Jr., Huntingdon Valley CC
70
69
139
Brandon Detweiler/Marlin Detweiler, Lancaster CC
66
73
139
Christopher Gebhard/Michael Schmidt, Jr., Lebanon CC/PGA Indiv. Member
70
69
139
Michael Rose/Robert Galbreath, Jr., Philmont CC/Huntingdon Valley CC
71
68
139
Tim Deery/Alex Maguire, Jr., Meadia Heights GC/Brookside CC
65
75
140
Patrick Dougherty/Charles Scalzott, Talamore CC/Huntingdon Valley CC
71
69
140
Ryan Franks/Ryan Strickler, Standing Stone GC/Huntingdon CC
68
72
140
Fred Riley/Gray West, Toftrees GC
74
67
141
Chip Culp/Robert Robertson, Philadelphia Cricket/Sunnybrook CC
73
68
141
Thomas Soares/Jason Barkley, Moselem Springs GC/Huntsville GC
72
70
142
Corey Gast/Craig Kliewer, Meadia Heights GC
71
71
142
Chris Smedley/Mike Ellis, Coatesville CC/Loch Nairn GC
71
72
143
Patrick O'Brien/Patrick Rugg, North Hills CC/Rolling Green GC
71
72
143
Patrick Ross/Peter Nelson, Elmhurst CC/Glen Oak CC
72
71
143
Rich Thon/Andrew Harmer, The Springhaven Club
74
69
143
Bennett Boyer/Scott Pugh, CC of Harrisburg/Blue Ridge CC
70
73
143
Alex Pompey/David Pompey, Jr., CC of Scranton
69
75
144
Matt Dietrich/Jim Simmons, Stonewall/Whitford CC
70
74
144
Bryan Winsko/Joe Dellicarpini, Philadelphia Cricket Club
71
73
144
Kevin Bondi/Edward Bondi, Huntingdon Valley CC
71
74
145
Gregory Ulp/Chris Crowley, CC of Harrisburg/PGA Indiv. Member
75
70
145
Brian Corbett/Robert Gill, Huntsville GC/Fox Hill CC
73
72
145
Gary Geldhof/Albert Hazzouri, Jr., Glenmaura National GC
71
74
145
Scott Orr/Marty Dorminy, Brookside CC/Golden Oaks GC
70
75
145
Brad Markey/T.J. Ostrom, Out Door CC/PGA Indiv. Member
74
72
146
David Strohl/David Blichar, Blue Ridge CC/Moselem Springs
73
73
146
Jeff Tamblyn/Thomas Howe, Honesdale GC
73
74
147
Matthew Hoover/Mark Answini, Fox Hill CC
70
77
147
Alex Maguire, Sr./Bo Maguire, Brookside CC
71
76
147
Rob Gilbert/Ben Rowe, Conestoga CC/Four Seasons GC
72
75
147
Thomas Isola/Jack Holland, Whitford CC
74
74
148
Anthony White, Jr./William Smyrl, Blue Bell CC
72
76
148
Nat Lauver/Frank Balcavage, Lost Creek GC/Hickory Valley GC
75
73
148
Robert Amen/Michael Quinn, Edgmont CC
72
77
149
William Jefferis/Stephen Walton, Downingtown GC
74
75
149
George Elias/Anthony Kondracki, Irem Temple CC/Fox Hill CC
70
79
149
Thomas Mairone/Bob Stewart, McCall G&CC/Westmoreland CC
74
76
150
Robert Howell/Rich Webber, GC at Felicita
74
76
150
Jeff Daniels/Gregory Adams, Daughin Highlands GC
75
75
150
Frank Boensch/Joe Coulson, PGA Indiv. Members
76
76
152
Tim McNerney/Tony Carroll, Philadelphia Publinks GA
75
77
152
William Rolli/Dan Koffel, Hickory Valley GC
79
74
153
Kyle Clark/Ralph Steeves, Scranton Municiple GC
76
77
153
Andrew Parker/Steve Verde, St. Davids GC/Spring Ford CC
75
80
155
Drew O'Neill/Mark O'Neill, Whitemarsh Valley CC/Sandy Run CC
81
76
157
Brian Dobisch/Mark Smedley, Talamore CC/Bellewood GC
79
78
157
John Deacon/Jim Lanzalotto, Llanerch CC
80
93
173