BY JEFF FALK

MYERSTOWN – They came from everywhere, and at varying rates. They usually do at the Lebanon County Better-Ball-of-Partners golf tournament.

But Justin Arnt and Scott ‘Skeeter’ Wentling, Jr. never stopped making birdies.

On a beautiful Sunday over Lebanon Valley Golf Club’s 6,136-yard, par-71 test, Wentling and Arnt collaborated on nine birdies to catch two pretty talented groups ahead of them and win the 26th edition of the county better-ball. Arnt-Wentling’s final-round score of 64 gave them a two-day total of 130, which was 12-under par.

Arnt and Wentling won by two strokes over the power group of Jimmy Gardner-Chris Gebhard, who carded a 66-66=132, or ten under. Finishing third was defending champions and first-round leaders Mike Schmidt, Jr.-Pete Parpagene, who followed up an opening 64 with a final-round 69.

Tony Deraco-Greg Behney fired a 66-69=135 to tie for fourth place with Jeff Hoke-Chris Fairbanks and their 67-68=135. Steve Sherk and Matt Cecil were another stroke back at 67-69=136.

For LVGC regulars Wentling and Arnt, it was their first Lebanon County Better-Ball-of-Partners championship, on their home course. Earlier this summer, Arnt and Wentling had combined to win a better-ball event at Royal Oaks.

“We were already down three coming into today, so we knew we had to make birdies,” said Wentling. “I know Jimmy (Gardner) and I know Gebbie (Chris), and they can flat out play. And the same thing goes for Pete (Parpagene) and (Mike) Schmidty. But we don’t play for second. We don’t lay up. I trust what he (Arnt) says and he trusts what I say. We have a good partnership.”

“We’ve been playing pretty good together,” said Arnt. “I tried as hard for him as I did for myself. That’s what teammates do.”

Arnt and Wentling made up at least three shots on Gebhard-Gardner and Schmidt-Parpagene on the final four holes, and their familiarity with Lebanon Valley’s small but tricky greens may have come into play.

Sitting at four-under for the day and nine-under for the tournament, Arnt rolled in a ten-foot birdie putt at the 530-yard, par-five 15th hole. Then Arnt stuck his approach shots close at the par-four 17th and the par-four 18th, and made a pair of short birdie putts.

“We knew we had a shot on the 16th tee,” said Arnt. “We got word about where we were. On the last three holes we thought if we go one, maybe two, under par, we had a shot. We had momentum.”

“You go by word of mouth,” said Wentling. “But you never know. You go with your gut. I hit it (his drive) into the creek on 18. But I thought we had to birdie, so I told Justin to hit driver. When he and I play in a tournament, we don’t play for second.

“Coming into the tournament, I was confident,” Wentling added. “We were both confident. We said, ‘Let’s stay in the hunt and have a good chance on Sunday.’ Knowing the greens is key. They’re not easy to read.”

With Gebhard-Gardner and Schmidt-Parpagene playing well early, Wentling-Arnt’s double bogey at 473-yard, par-four fourth appeared fatal. But they bounced back nicely, with five birdies over the next seven holes.

The highlight was Wentling’s 25-foot birdie at the par-four ninth hole, after Arnt had birdied from eight feet at Number Six and Wentling had birdied from four feet at Number 5. They proceeded to can short birdie attempts on the first two holes on the back-nine, the 335-yard tenth and the 308-yard 11th.

“We both felt pretty good,” said Wentling. “We both had our games. When we double bogeyed four we got down. So we had to birdie (Number) Five. We trust each other. If it’s a four-foot par putt, I know he’s going to make it. And if doesn’t make it, we move on.

“This was important to me because my dad (Scott Wentling, Sr.) was the superintendent here,” Wentling continued. “He passed away almost ten years ago. If I was going to win a county better-ball anywhere, I wanted it to be here. It means more that it’s here.”

“We’re not afraid,” said Arnt. “If he’s going to hit a certain club, neither of us is concerned. We’re doing it as a team. We ham-and-egg it very well.

“Skeet did not play his best yesterday,” Arnt added. “But it was enough to keep us in the tournament.”

With four birdies and an eagle, Gebhard and Gardner made the turn at five-under par and tied with Schmidt-Parpagene for the lead. They got to six-under for the day and 11 under for the event with a birdie at the par-four 11th, but did not make a birdie the rest of the way.

“We played fantastic on the front nine,” said Gardner. “We were making birdies. But after (Number) 11 we stopped making them. It wasn’t what we needed.

“We knew we were tied with Schmidty andParpagene,” Gardner continued. “But sometimes you lose track of the guys not in your group. I don’t play any differently. You’ve got to make birdies. I’m trying to make birdies all the time.”

Schmidt and Parpagene, who entered the last day with a two-shot advantage, got off to a hot start with a birdie on the opening hole and an eagle on the second. Schmidt-Parpagene also eagled the par-five fifth hole and birdied the par-three sixth, but played two-over par golf over their final 12 holes.

Deraco and Behney were one-under on the front and one-under on the back. Hoke-Fairbanks followed up a four-under par score of 32 on the front with a one-over par 36 on the back.

Also on Sunday, Jon Hurst and Chip Sattazahn carded a second-round 66 to win the first flight. The second fight was captured by Dave Albright and Ed Killian, who collected a 77-69=146.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To purchase images in this article email jkfalk2005@yahoo.com, or to view more go to https://lebanonsportsbuzz.com/photo-gallery/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lebanon County Better Ball

 Past Champions

Player Name	Score	Course	Year
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