Brown-Troutman Don’t Blink, Stare Down Sullivan Title

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Brown-Troutman Don’t Blink, Stare Down Sullivan Title

Jul 29, 2019
Jeff Falk
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FEATURE STORIES, Golf
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BY JEFF FALK

LEBANON – A student of the game and a local history enthusaist, Dan Brown appreciates the significance, the importance of the W.B. Sullivan Better-Ball-of-Partners golf tournament. So it was somehow both appropriate and ironic that he had to school a new partner on its meaning, in order for him to capture his third championship.

Turns out Jason Troutman is a quick study.

On a sticky Sunday over the Lebanon Country Club’s 6,562-yard, par-72 layout, Brown and Troutman teamed to win the 74th edition of the annual event by defeating medalist and 2015 champions Drew Patterson and Chad Stine, 2&1 in the final match of the championship flight. After leading most of the afternoon match, Troutman clinched the title by rolling in a seven-foot birdie putt at the 306-yard, par-four 17th hole.

Brown and Troutman had reached the final match with a similar 2&1 triumph over Ron Robinson and Andrew Lombardo in Sunday morning’s semifinal match.

Brown had also won Sullivan championships in 2010 and 2001, with partner Brian Auman. He is also the owner of three Lebanon County Amateur titles, as well as a handful of Harrisburg district and Pennsylvania state events.

But for Troutman, a Danville resident, it was his first Sulivan title. Last year, in their first Sullivan as a team, Brown and Troutman reached the semifinals before bowing out.

“He doesn’t realize how big it is,” said Brown, with a nod to his partner. “I’m trying to get him to grasp the meaning of it. To win the Sullivan is a pretty big accomplishment.

“When I started golfing 30 years ago, I never thought I’d win one tournament,” continued Brown. “It takes a lot of dedication and a lot of time. It’s just a lot of perseverance. You can be hitting it well one day and then bad the next day. Golf’s very humbling. I’ve never had any lessons. I kind of did it on my own.”

“I know it’s big,” said Troutman. “I’m excited. I’m pumped. Even guys from Danville have come down here. It’s know all around Pennsylvania. I live an hour and 20 minutes away, but when Dan asked me, I said I’d drive three hours to play with him.”

Truly the key to their success was that both Brown and Troutman played well during the entire weekend. But it was during a key span of three holes at the beginning of the back-nine where they gained control of the final match.

With the match all square, Brown and Troutman won the 499-yard, par-five tenth, the 417-yard, par-four 11th and the 196-yard, par-three 12th to go three up. Troutman converted a short birdie at ten, Brown chipped in from the fringe at 11 and Troutman nailed a ten-foot birdie putt at 12.

But Patterson-Stine closed the gap and made the final holes tense by winning the par-four 13th and the par-five 15th with birdies. That was before Troutman stuck his approach shot at Number 17 from a fairway sand trap.

“Every shot you’ve got to hit well,” said Brown. “You can’t sit back because you’re two up. It can change pretty quickly. I think the chip-in at 11, that kind of was a back breaker for them. You don’t expect to make a three and a two at 11 and 12. We won 10, 11 and 12, but right away they came back and won 13.

“Our temperment is pretty good,” added Brown. “Jason and I don’t get super mad at each other. Our game is a little more controlled, us being older. We’re trying to be down the middle. It’s a pretty good partnership.”

“It’s always stressful,” said Troutman. “But with the quality of the field in this tournament, you’ve got to make birdies. You’re not going to win holes with pars. Sometimes it depends on where your partner is. If he’s there, you can take a risk.”

Troutman carded a short birdie at the 125-yard, par-three hole to give his team an early one-hole advantage. Brown padded that lead with a short birdie at Number Four.

But Patterson-Stine won the par-four sixth hole with a birdie and the par-three ninth hole with a par, and the match was all even at the turn.

“We knew we had our work cut out for us,” said Brown of his side’s draw in the championship bracket. “We’re just thankful we were able to be consistent and get it done. With this course, if you can be 270-280 (yards) down the middle, you have some good reasonable approach shots.”

Pattersnon-Stine had reached the final match with a 2&1 victory over Connor Sheehan-Matt Keim.

With matching 64s, the local team of Billy Massar, Jr. and Tyler Shank captured top honors in the Defeated 12s competition. Meanwhile, the Lebanon Country Club tandem of Steve Allwein and John DiGiacomo emerged victorious in the first flight with a 69-66-65=200.

The Second Flight went to Brixton Albert-Tony Parkhurst and their 73-67-66=206. The duos of Matthew Kephart and Zachary Fails and Tyler Massar-Brady Demey were crowned co-champions of the Third Flight, with similar totals of 210 or six-under par. And first-place in the Fourth Flight was shared by the tandems of Dave Mease-Jason Radic and Todd Reedy-Thomas Moran and their matching 225 totals.

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W.B. Sullivan Better-Ball-of-Partners
(at Lebanon Country Club)
Past Champions

2019- Dan Brown-Jason Troutman

2018 – Chris Gebhard-Noah Firestone

2017 – Chris Gebhard-Noah Firestone

2016 – Jeff Castle-Jimmy Green

2015 – Chad Stine-Drew Patterson

2014 – Brady Goodling-Kyle Deisher

2013- Scott Mayne-Derek Price

2012 – Andy Gibbons-Jimmy Gardner

2011 – Dan McCreesh-Anthony Campanile
2010 – Dan Brown-Brian Auman
2009 – Darren Zendt-Jim Rattigan
2008 — Ben Rowe-Robby Gilbert
2007 — Brian Golembiewski-Chris Schultz
2006 — Michael Tydings-Jeff Castle

2005 — Ira Cohen-David Kaplan
2004 — Chuck Tait-Scott Mayne
2003 — Ira Cohen-David Kaplan
2002 — Jim Gardner-Jim Calhoun
2001 — Dan Brown-Brian Auman
2000 — Gary Mankulish, Sr. – Gary Mankulish, Jr.
1999 — Jim Gardner-Jim Calhoun
1998 — Gary Mankulish, Sr.-Gary Mankulish, Jr.
1997 — Larry Fulkroad-Steven Shrawder
1996 — Lance Oberparleiter-Bill Kennedy
1995 — Jonathan Clark-Sean Duffy
1994 — Mike Reitz-Joe Records
1993 — Mike Reitz-Joe Records

1992 — Scott Orr-Marty Dorminy
1991 — Mark Ditzler-John Gross
1990 — Dennis Toomey-Steve Krall
1989 — Jim Douglass-Dave Johnson
1988 — Jim Douglass-Dave Johnson
1987 — Roger Karsnitz-Jay Hileman
1986 — Byron Whitman-Chuck Scally, Jr.
1985 — George Connolly-Drew Devan
1984 — Greg Lesher-Mark Ditzler
1983 — Pete Gebhard-Dave Kurtz
1982 — Bill Grove-King Knox
1981 — Hugh Vaughn III-Stu Ingraham
1980 — Hugh Vaughn III-Stu Ingraham
1979 — Hugh Vaughn III-Stu Ingraham
1978 — Hugh Vaughn III-Stu Ingraham
1977 — Rick Hirp-Charles Springfellow
1976 — Bob Kreider-Marlin Detweiler
1975 — Bob Kreider-Marlin Detweiler

1974 — Dr. John Gadd-Dr. Pete Richter
1973 — Don DeAngelis-Eric Stevenson
1972 — Wayne Jacobs-Sherman Keeney II
1971 — Bill Shoop-Joe Faller
1970 — Wayne Jacobs-Sherman Keeney II
1969 — Wayne Jacobs-Sherman Keeney II
1968 — Bobby Huber-Chuck Schmidt
1967 — James Dolan-Joseph Durante
1966 — Jim Taylor-Bob Tibbons
1965 — King Knox-Gerald Book
1964 — Jim Meyer-Larry Feldman
1963 — Earl Mumma-Charles Springfellow
1962 — Don Chornak-Jim Taylor
1961 — Bob Bierne-Bill Davidson
1960 — Charles Fink-G.J. Moeschlin, Jr.

1959 — Mike Karapcik-Wano Thompson
1958 — Joe Spesak-William Rakow
1957 — Marvin Serber-Henry McQuiston
1956 — Marvin Serber-Henry McQuiston
1955 — Al Rabold-Larry Shaw
1954 — Bob Batdorf-John Yocum
1953 — Stan Knight-Harry Offut
1952 — John Markel-Stan Ross
1951 — Serio-Stortoni-Bill Johnson
1950 — Jack Binswanger-Robert Gilbert
1949 — George Robotham-Leo Heller
1948 — H.H. Haverstick Jr.-I. Richard Herr
1947 — George Robotham-Leo Heller
1946 — Buddy Lutz-Billy Eben