Michael Cook, Connor Schmidt win Pennsylvania Four-Ball
Champions Connor Schmidt (left) Michael Cook
FLEETWOOD, Penn. (June 1, 2017) -- Drexel University teammates Michael Cook and Connor Schmidt followed up their first round 62 with a 69 in today's tougher conditions for a 4-shot victory at the Pennsylvania Four-Ball Championship today at Moselem Springs Golf Club.
Cook and Schmidt's 36-hole total was 9-under par.
"It was very calm out there," Schmidt, of Nemacolin Golf Club, told the Pennsylvania Golf Association. "It was fun playing with Michael since we're teammates, and we have such knowledge of each other's games. That really helped in a format like this."
It was Wednesday's round that made all the difference -- building confidence and providing a huge 5-shot margin going into the final round. But the conditions changed overnight, and the course was setup a bit more difficult.
"Today was a little tougher for us with the conditions and the course setup," said Cook, referring to Thursday's windy afternoon that made the course significantly tougher for those with afternoon tee times. "We knew it wasn't impossible to shoot 8-under again, but that it really wasn't out there. So we tried to keep it simple and just have fun. In the first round, we kept it loose and had a lot of fun and it worked out, so we decided to try that again."
And like any good teammate, each player recognized the significant impact and advantage of knowing his partner's game.
"Both of our games worked so well off of each other," Cook remarked. "It was a lot of fun."
Finishing tied for second at 135 (-5) were the team of Brock Kovach and Nate Menon and the duo of Jesse Bingaman and Michael Thomas. Bingaman (Northampton Country Club) and Thomas (Scranton Municipal Men's Golf Association) were one of the teams tied for second place entering the day, and despite a 68 (-2), they could not move up enough to catch Cook and Schmidt. Meanwhile, Kovach (Berkshire Country Club) and Menon (LedgeRock Golf Club) shot 66 in round two, the low round of the day. That included four birdies and an eagle, vaulting them into a tie for second place for the championship.
Defending champs Zachary Herr and Jake Reilly were among a group of four teams that tied for fourth place at 137 (-3). Cook and Schmidt, meanwhile, are the first players from their respective clubs to win in the history of this championship.
-- The Pennsylvania Golf Association contributed to this story
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ABOUT THE Pennsylvania Four-Ball
36-hole four-ball stroke play competition open to
any
male amateur golfer who is member of a club
belonging to the Pennsylvania Golf Association.
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