Bergstol Blisters Course En Route to Shawnee Open Victory
Full Tournament Leaderboard
Shawnee on Delaware, PA – The 67th installment of the Shawnee Open was played on Sunday, October 7 – Monday, October 8 at historic Shawnee Inn and Resort. The tournament, which first began in 1912, features a venerable list of past champions. Although the tournament has been postponed for a variety of reasons throughout its history, it has been contested every year in its current format since 1998 (2006 & 2011 flooding canceled tournament). This year’s tournament featured forty-five competitors from across the Philadelphia Section.
The opening round of the tournament felt less like an October afternoon and more like a late summer day. Playing in the tournament first pairing, Brian Bergstol (Shawnee Inn) posted the number for everyone to chase. Bergstol posted seven birdies and one double bogey en route to an opening round 5-under (67).
At the end of the opening day his closest competition came from a trio of players who finished with scores of 3-under (67). The first to reach the number was current Omega Player of the Year Points leader Billy Stewart (The ACE Club). Stewart was quickly joined by Dave Quinn (Philmont Country Club) and 2007 Shawnee Open champion Stu Ingraham (M Golf Range). Four additional players sat just three shots back after finishing with scores of 2-under (70) on day one.
As play headed into today’s second round, the weather changed dramatically with temperatures hovering around 60 degrees and an on and off misty rain. The weather didn’t cool off Bergstol however as he added another great round with six more birdies and an eagle finishing with a stretch of five threes in a row for a second round score of 8-under (64) and a two-day total of 13-under (131). Bergstol’s pursuers tried to keep pace but in the end his impressive score proved too much to overcome.
After getting it to 5-under for the day, Billy Stewart found some trouble on the par-3 16th hole and dropped back to 4-under for the day and 7-under for the tournament, which is where he finished at the end of the day. Although he did not match Bergstol at the top of the leaderboard, Stewart’s 7-under (137) was good enough for a solo second place finish.
Trailing Bergstol by two shots heading into the final round, Dave Quinn was within striking distance if he could put together a solid round. Quinn did manage to card four birdied in the second round but a double bogey on the tenth hole dropped him from contention and he finished with a 36-hole total of 5-under (139) giving him a fourth place finish. While Quinn fell short in the regular division his 5-under (139) was good enough for the top spot in the Senior Division.
The biggest move of the day came from Dustin McCormick (Glen Brook Golf Club). McCormick followed up his opening round 1-under (71) with an impressive 5-under (67). McCormick played a flawless second round highlighted by five birdies helping him to vault into a third place finish with a two-day total of 6-under (138).
Rounding out the podium behind Quinn in the Senior Division was Dave McNabb (Applebrook Golf Club). McNabb finished five shot better in his second round moving him six spots up the senior leaderboard and into a second place finish. Finishing third in the senior division was George Forster (Radnor Valley Country Club) who followed up his opening round even par finish with a second round 2-under (70) giving him a 2-under (142) total. Forster also took the top spot in the tournament’s Super Senior Division.
The Section thanks the membership and staff of Shawnee Inn and Resort for their continued support of the Philadelphia PGA and the tournament program. The Section returns to action on Thursday, October 11 at Bala Golf Club for the McQuiston Sr. Pro – Jr. Pro Championship.