WMGA Senior Am: Rand Mendez forces playoff to win
9/2/2020 | by Brayden Conover of AmateurGolf.com
see also: View results for Washington Metropolitan Senior Amateur, Crofton Country Club
Needing extra holes, one Maryland senior trusts his putter for the win
Three shots back to begin the final round, Rand Mendez of Wilmington, Delaware teed it up alongside leader Peter DeTemple (Lexington Park, MD) and second-place Vance Welch (Laurel, MD).
After nine holes of play, Mendez was the only one to make any ground up as he tallied birdies on Nos. 4, 6, and 9 to make the turn at 1-under par for the day and the tournament. Dropping shots on the front side was DeTemple as his front side was dirtied with a lone bogey on the par-4 5th, surrounded by four pars each way on the scorecard.
Welch began the day at 2-under but also dropped a shot to fall back into a tie with Mendez as the two began to chase down DeTemple as the event came to a close.
In a deadlock for much of the back nine, no ground was to be given or had until the par-4 15th when DeTemple slipped up with a bogey. Dropping the shot, DeTemple fell a single shot from where he stood on the 1st tee to 2-under-par. Quickly getting back on the horse, DeTemple grabbed a birdie on the 16th to get back to 3-under as his playing partners were one and two shots back, respectively.
With pressure built up, the steam began to seep from the final group’s proverbial teapot.
On the par-4 17th, DeTemple stayed stagnant while Mendez tied him with a birdie and Welch essentially fell out of a possible three-way tie as the group made it to the 18th tee.
On the 18th, both DeTemple and Mendez parred, in anticipation of a playoff while Welch found the water on his approach shot in an attempt to tie the pair with a birdie of his own. Welch finished the tournament with a triple-bogey, good for a T-2 finish at 144 (2-over).
On the first playoff hole, both players found the middle of the fairway. Mendez was first to play and elected for a 9-iron from 128 yards out. Flirting with where Welch’s ball ended up at the end of regulation, Mendez was able to give himself a 21-foot, pin-high birdie opportunity.
DeTemple answered with a dart just right and 9-feet deep, leaving a much better look at a three for himself.
Coming down to a putting contest, Mendez knocked in his attempt center-cup to put the tournament in the hands of DeTemple. Skirting the cup on the right side, DeTemple’s chance went out the window as the title was now Mendez’.
As for the pre-senior and super-senior flights, they definitely lacked the drama that the senior flight gave spectators.
Pre-senior (40-54) Rob Menefee tallied a 4-stroke victory with rounds of 73-69to claim the flight with an even-par 142. In the super-senior division (65+), Douglas Wood was cruising to a three-shot victory until a double-bogey cut his lead to just one. Luckily in golf, that is all you need to win by. He pulled off rounds of 73-72 for a 149, one shot clear of Jim Castagna.
About the Washington Metropolitan Senior Amateur
Championship for seniors in the Washington (D.C.) Metro area. 36 hole stroke play format with Senior and Super Senior divisions.
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