BY JEFF FALK
The fact that Andy Gibbons is the top amateur golfer in Lebanon County was not the reason his team won the Sullivan title. The crown just re-affirmed the claim.
The reason that Gibbons’ team won was because he and partner Jim Gardner came together to form the best team.
Playing well individually and as a duo, Gibbons and Gardner claimed the championship of the 67th edition of the storied W.B. Sullivan Better-ball-of-Partners tournament, Sunday afternoon at the Lebanon Country Club’s 6,562-yard, par-72 test. Gardner and Gibbons edged Brady Goodling and Kyle Deisher 2-up in the final match of the championship flight.
Gibbons and Gardner held off two separate charges from the teenaged tandem. But ultimately the key to the championship match was that the Lebanon Countians never trailed.
Actually, the final was Gibbons and Gardner’s only real test of the tournament, and their only match all weekend that went the distance. In their Sunday morning semifinal, Gardner and Gibbons had dispatched Steve Walton and Marco Poccia 5&4.
For Gardner, it was his third Sullivan championship, after teaming with Jim Calhoun to win it in. For Gibbons, a talented and steady competitor who seems to be realizing his potential, it was the first of his amateur career.
“When you go super low, that’s the name of the ball game, both players playing well,” said Gardner. “Yeah, by far, he’s (Gibbons) one of the best we have in our area. He’s a heck of a player.
“The thing I remember about Andy is about eight to ten years ago coming back on to the scene,” Gardner continued. “I can remember him picking my brain about the Sullivan. Look at him. He hits it a mile. I’d definitely take him as a partner any day.”
“We just kept putting pressure on opponents, hitting greens, hitting good shots,” said Gibbons. “I’ve been playing ten years. My first year was ’01 and I just wanted to see what the Sullivan was about. As the years went on, I switched partners. Finally I hooked up with Jim in 2010. We teamed up and we’ve always done pretty well.
“For me, ’07 was a good year because I won the County Amateur,” Gibbons added. “Yeah, this has been a pretty good year for me. I’ve had some good rounds. I don’t think I’m going to be able to top this.”
“They’re great players,” said Goodling of Gibbons and Gardner. “Gibbons is a very solid player. On the back-nine he struggled a little bit, but his partner picked him up. They’re great players. I really liked playing with them.”
When Goodling and Deisher birdied the par-five 15th and the par-four 16th, all but one of Gibbons and Gardner’s three hole lead had evaporated. But the Lebanon Countians stemmed the tide with a par that halved number 17.
And when both Gardner and Gibbons were within reasonable striking distance of birdies on the par-four closing hole, Goodling and Deisher conceded when it became apparent that the best they could do was halve the hole.
“It was extremely important not to fall behind,” said Gardner. “It’s a different ball game when you’re up. When you get down it’s almost like there’s pressure on you instantly.
“Down the stretch we just wanted to keep applying pressure,” added Gardner. “They (Goodling-Deisher) were forced to make birdies, and they did.”
“Being ahead you can free-wheel it with your swing,” said Gibbons. “When you’re ahead, you feel like you’re playing well and your opponents are not. And when you’re behind it feels like you’re not playing well and your opponents are.”
“No, I didn’t think we ever lead,” said Goodling, 19 and the Lebanon Country Club’s reigning champion. “We were always behind. When you are you just got to attack everything. You’ve got to get even more aggressive.”
Goodling and Deisher squared the match with birdies on the par-five seventh and the par-three ninth holes. But Gibbons turned a 35-foot eagle putt on the par-five tenth hole into a tap-in birdie and a one-up advantage, then Gardner birdied the next hole, the par-four 11th, from ten feet away.
And when par was good enough to win the 12th hole, Gardner and Gibbons enjoyed a three-hole advantage.
“We gave one up on 13,” said Gibbons. “It was a difficult match. It was the hardest match we had all weekend. We were under pressure. Those guys are good.
“It’s always good to be up three,” continued Gibbons. “I know what it’s like to be down three. It’s like climbing a mountain.”
“Just remaining clam,” said Gardner, “and playing golf. That was the key.”
“The people who got there (championship flight), they’re all good players,” Gardner continued. “But I know we can make birdies.”
“It was a great experience,” said Goodling. “Each match we got a little stronger. You get nervous over shots, especially when you have 50 or 60 people watching.”
It was Gardner who got his team off to a hot start when he chipped in for eagle on the 507-yard, par-five second hole. The locals lead went to two-up when they rolled in a long birdie putt at par-four fifth.
“I think when I have a shorter iron in my hands I’m pretty good,” said Gardner. “My friends always say that I’m good around the green.
“It’s something to look at the list of people who have won the Sullivan and realize you’re one of them,” added Gardner. “It’s satisfying to see your name on the wooden plaque.”
“It feels great,” said Gibbons. “There’s guys who’ve been trying to get this their whole life. Now Jimmy has three. I’m just happy to get one.”
Goodling and Deisher had reached the championship match with a 3&2 victory over Brian Golembiewski and Casey Blankenmiler in the Sunday a.m..
“I’m going to say on the front-nine I wasn’t hitting my driver well,” said Goodling of the final match. “We both hit some errant tee-shots. But we ham-and-egged it pretty well.
“To score well here, first of all you’ve got to hit the fairway,” Goodling continued. “You’ve got to keep it in play. And you’ve got to know where to miss it. That’s what I did very well. If I was missing, I was missing it at good spots and making putts.”
Meanwhile, the team of Trever Mertz and Ryan Kline captured the first-flight title with a 70-63-71=204. Eric Schmidt and Greg Etimos teamed for a 71-64-68=203 and the championship of the second flight.
In the third flight, Craig LaBarbera and Jim Gardina posted a 73-70-67=210 to take top honors. And the fourth flight went to P.J. Tigher, Phillip Cillo and their 74-72–67=213.
Flt Player 1 Player 2 Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Tot
1st Mertz, Trever Kline, Ryan 70 63 71 204 $700 Team
1st Sauder, Jeff Farrell, Terry 70 69 67 206 $600
1st Schmidt Jr., Mike Schmidt, Mike 70 68 69 207 $450
1st Orcutt, Ryan Lukow, Nicholas 70 69 68 207 $450
1st Kimbley, Dave Sullivan, Pat 71 65 72 208 $250
1st Meredith, Tom Goserud, Kevin 70 71 67 208 $250
1st Kline Jr., Al Gunkle, Ed 71 67 71 209
1st Fritz, Gil Sweigart, Jamie 71 68 71 210
1st Whitman, Byron Klemmer, Joe 70 71 69 210
1st Kegerreis, Scott Kegerreis, Austin 71 71 69 211
1st Clarkson, Nathan Turner, Mike 69 71 72 212
1st Tompos, Andy Goodley, Steve 70 71 71 212
1st Behney, Greg Deraco, Tony 71 70 71 212
1st Stover, Rob Wortman, Rick 70 74 70 214
1st Massar Jr., Bill Hoke, Jeff 70 71 73 214
1st Erney, Doug Vogle, Mark 70 72 75 217
1st Austin, Jeff McCullough, Kevin 70 74 73 217
1st Bolcavage, Ken Haley, Curtis 70 72 77 219
1st O’Connor, Greg Beittel, Andy 69 74 77 220
1st Shollenberger, Ian Shollenberger, Dylan 70 70 81 221
1st DiBiaso, Eric Hanley, Alan 71 81 74 226
Flt Player 1 Player 2 Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Tot
2nd Schmidt, Eric Etimos, Greg 71 64 68 203 $700 Team
2nd Barbush, Garret Brightbill, Andy 71 68 68 207 $500
2nd Auman, Brian Brown, Dan 71 68 68 207 $500
2nd Troutman, Rick Ulp, Greg 72 68 67 207 $500
2nd Demey, Brady Neufeld-Kreider, Sasha 72 70 69 211 $300
2nd Gnias, Dan Bernat, Andrew 72 72 68 212 $200
2nd Schultz, Bill Ward, Jimmy 71 71 72 214
2nd Brown, Jesse Kersey, Cody 71 72 71 214
2nd Karsnitz, Roger Karsnitz, Brock 71 71 73 215
2nd Weaber, Ryan Hanford, Stu 72 71 73 216
2nd Weaver, Jason Sweigart, Chad 72 70 75 217
2nd Fizz, Mike Patton, Kelly 72 71 75 218
2nd Pusey, Kevin Knoll, Ed 72 74 72 218
2nd Mayer, Jeff Wildasin, Kurt 72 75 72 219
2nd Keller, Scott Farrell, Kevin 72 74 73 219
2nd Hunter, Chelton Heistand, Chris 72 72 78 222
2nd Browne, Tom Krueger, Steve 72 72 80 224
2nd Mease, Dave Hoover, Brett 72 75 78 225
2nd Gillmor, Steve Pechin, Kevin 71 78 76 225
2nd Yingst, Dale Kintz, Ted 72 78 82 232
Flt Player 1 Player 2 Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Tot
3rd LaBarbera, Craig Gardina, Jim 73 70 67 210 $700 Team
3rd Gillespie, Martin Gillespie, Jim 73 71 67 211 $600
3rd Kliewer, Alan Kliewer, Craig 73 68 71 212 $450
3rd Gingrich, Shane Seidel, Greg 73 71 68 212 $450
3rd Schell, Andrew Romanoski, Tony 73 71 71 215 $300
3rd Knox, Bob Garron, Rick 73 70 73 216 $66
3rd Pici, Tim Osborne, Casey 73 72 71 216 $66
3rd Obert, John Weyhausen, Gary 74 71 71 216 $66
3rd Jester, Norman Kowalski, Jason 73 70 74 217
3rd Schneiter, Ryan Wolfson, Brad 72 76 71 219
3rd Ahern, Mike Hunger, Chris 73 74 73 220
3rd Kintzer, Tom Winters, Dave 74 75 71 220
3rd Battistelli, Mike Palazzo, Rick 73 70 78 221
3rd Bellew, Larry Chronister, Jon 73 72 76 221
3rd Enders, Bob Charlesworth, Norm 73 77 73 223
3rd Sherk, Steve Wentling, Skeet 73 79 72 224
3rd Adams, Scot Arnt, Justin 74 78 73 225
3rd Brown, Brian Katchmore, John 74 78 74 226
3rd Ward, Joe Ward, Patrick 74 76 77 227
3rd Fake, Ryan Fake, John 74 82 78 234
3rd Majzlic, Josh Hunter, Chris 73 80 NS DQ
Flt Player 1 Player 2 Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Tot
4th Tighe, P.J. Cillo, Philip 74 72 67 213 $700 Team
4th Haag, Kevin Stoner, Jay 74 69 72 215 $550
4th Mull, Randy Knox, Matthew 76 71 68 215 $550
4th Kendig, Brett Erb, Dave 74 68 76 218 $350
4th Digiacomo, John Allwein, Steve 75 68 75 218 $350
4th Marshall, Dave O’Shea, Chris 75 74 70 219 $200
4th Gress, Mike Firestone, Noah 76 71 73 220
4th Succi, Jerry Meyer, Doug 75 74 73 222
4th DeLong, Mark Staub, Joe 76 76 71 223
4th Wade II, Bret Stover, Mike 75 73 77 225
4th Anspach, Steve Kreiser, Josh 76 75 74 225
4th Reed, Gerry Campanelli, John 76 72 78 226
4th Dilks, Bob Capas, John 75 74 77 226
4th Blanck, Phil Krzanowsky, Ed 74 76 77 227
4th Fuller, Ray Carr, George 76 78 74 228
4th Roberts, Brad Ahern, Tim 75 76 79 230
4th Howell, Robert Webber, Rich 76 75 79 230
4th Linneman, Kurt Giannopoulos, Harry 74 79 77 230
4th Bebla, Bryan Owens, Bill 75 79 79 233
4th Brown, Bernie Pisarcik, Paul 76 90 72 238
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