BY JEFF FALK

 NORTH LEBANON – Not sure if Dan Brown is just a really good partner or simply knows how to pick one. But right now, every putt he’s stroking is going in, every drive he’s hitting is straight down the middle and every decision he’s making about golf – on and off the course – is the right one.

 On a humid Saturday morning, over Pine Meadows Golf Course’s 5,734-yard, par-72 layout – some 20 days removed from winning the W.B. Sullivan Better-Ball with Jason Troutman – Brown teamed with new partner Ryan Woelfling to grab a share of the first-round lead, at the 28th annual Lebanon County Better-Ball-of-Partners tournament. Feeding off each other, Brown and Woelfling fired a nine-under par 63 to tie the team of Tom Kintzer-Josh Kreiser atop the opening-round leaderboard.

 One shot back of the co-leaders was the team of Bill Massar, Jr.-Tyler Shank, who carded an eight-under 64. The tandems of Jim Gardner-Chris Gebhard and Tony Ebersole-Shawn Preis found themselves tied for fourth place after registering similar 66s.

 Four shots behind the co-leaders was the unit of Tyler Massar-Scott Heckard, and their 67. Defending champions Jesse Brown-Mike Potts, Randy Kohr-Chuck Scwab, Mat Rowe-Tom Eberly and Dave Albright-Ed Killian all posted four-under par scores of 68.

 The second and final round of the 36-hole tournament will be contested Sunday morning back at Pine Meadows.

  Brown has won this particular event three times in the past – in 2002, 2003, 2004 – with two different partners. For Woelfling, a 19-year-old college student, yesterday marked his first County Better-Ball-of-Partners experience.

  “We played really solid, tee to green, both of us,” said Brown. “I don’t really looking for anyting particular in a partner. I just want to have a good time. I looked at it like Ryan was playing in this for the first time and it could be a good stepping stone for him. I like seeing the younger guys come up and play well. Luckily we got paired up, and I was looking forward to it.”

 “I feel the biggest thing is, if you don’t have a good hole you can trust your partner to be there,” said Woelfling. “We didn’t really have too many bad holes. I don’t think Dan and I are going to have too many bad holes together. I feel like, ‘You can pick me up and I can pick you up.'”

 Brown and Woelfling started hot and ended hot, and played solid in between.

 Brown and Woelfing grabbed their share of the lead by birdieing the 301-yard, par-four fourth and eagling the 471-yard, par-five fifth, their two closing holes. Prior to that, Woelfing had rolled in a ten-foot birdie putt at the par-three 17th and Brown had struck for biride from a similar distance at the par-four Number 14.

 “Finishing birdie-eagle, that was a separator,” said Brown. “The nice thing about the better-ball is we get all the top guys from the county here. Any time you can play in the county, it’s always a good thing to support it. I just want to come out here and do my best.”

 “When I saw the pairings and saw I was playing with Jim (Gardner) and (Chris) Gebhard, that’s the big tournament,” said Woelfling of he and Brown’s playing partners. “We played well, but I think we left some out there. We started pretty well, but there was a stretch where we couldn’t get any putts to fall.”

 Brown and Woelfling got off to a strong start by birdieing four of their first seven holes.

 Woelfing converted a short birdie at their opening hole – the 444-yard, par-five sixth – before Brown contributed a seven-footer at the 304-yard, par-four eighth. Brown deposited a short birdie at the par-five tenth, then Woelfing drained a 15-footer from the fringe at Number 12.

 “When I grew up, it was with the older guys,” said Brown. “When I think about Ryan having an opportunity to be paired up with an older guy, I think it’s an opportunity for him to learn different things about the game.”

 Kintzer and Kreiser started their round even hotter. From Holes Two through Eight, they were a collective six-under par, thanks to four birdies, and an eagle at the par-five fifth.

  Then after making the turn, Kintzer and Kreiser added birdies at the par-five tenth, the par-four 14th and the par-five 18th.

  Massar and Shank began their round with a birdie at the par-four 14th. But during a span of eight holes – Numbers One through Eight – they were a combined five-under.

 Gardner-Gebhard’s round featured a birdie at the 114-yard, par-three ninth and an eagle at the par-five tenth. Preis and Ebersole counted eight birdies, eight pars and a pair of bogeys among their 66.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 To purchase images in this article email jkfalk2005@yahoo.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Lebanon County Better-Ball

 Past Champions

Player Name	Score	Course	Year
Mike Potts and Jesse Brown	64-69-133	Pine Meadows	2018
Justin Arnt and Skeet Wentling	66-64-130	Lebanon Valley	2017
Mike Schmidt, Jr and Pete Parpagene	63-66-129	Fairview	2016
Don Johnson and Rick Troutman	68-64-132	Fairview	2015
Brian Auman and Jim Gardner	64-69-133	Pine Meadows	2014
Mike Schmidt Jr. and Ryan Weaber		Iron Valley	2013
Bill Massar Jr. and Dave Berkheimer	68-69-137	Monroe Valley	2012
No tournament due to flooding			2011
Steve Allwein and Mike Schmidt	64-68-132	Royal Oaks	2010
Jim Gardner and Brain Auman	60-65-125	Fairview	2009
Tom Kintzer and Greg Behney	66-65-131	Blue Mountain	2008
Stu Hanford and Don Johnson	64-67-131	Pine Meadows	2007
Perry Umlauf and Shawn Cooper	66-66-132	Royal Oaks	2005
Dan Brown and Andy Gibbons	62-67-129	Pine Meadows	2004
Dan Brown and Andy Gibbons	66-60-126	Fariview	2003
Dan Brown and Chad Schulze	61-65-126	Lebanon Valley	2002
Bob Wenrich and John Hacunda	70-64-134	Monroe Valley	2000
John Digiacomo and Blaine Peffley	64-67-131	Fairview	1999
Joe Faller and Phil Faller	65-74-139	Monroe Valley	1998
Jim Gardner and Jim Calhoun	68-67-135	Fairview	1997
Pete Gebhard and Dave Kurtz	70-64-134	Fairview	1995
Pete Gebhard and Dave Kurtz	65-68-133	Fairview	1994
Mark Ditzler and Tom Sherk	69-68-137	Fairview	1992
Jeff Pyles and Jeff Behney	70-68-138	Fairview	1991
Rick Troutman and Pete Gebhard	70-65-135	Fairview	1990
Joe Faller and Dave Kurtz	66-67-133	Fairview	1989
Bob Page and Bill Shoop	68-65-133	Fairview	1988