Pete Wins Father/Son Opener

This past weekend marked the opening of the Father/Son golf season between Randy and Peter Dannenfelser. 2004 was their first full year of competition and this year, while there will be a lower number of matches, look for them to be a bit more competitive.

The opener was scheduled to be a 36 hole all day affair at Rolling Greens on Saturday, May 14. However, 12 completed holes into the round, Pete received a call and was forced to cancel the match due to an emergency at home. However, once the issue was resolved, the round was replayed on Sunday, May 15.

After parring the first two holes, Pete jumped out to an early lead. However, by the time the front nine were over, Randy had taken a 6-3 lead. Randy could not seem to keep it together on the back 9 however, and lost holes 10 through 16.

Going into hole 17, Pete had taken a 10 to 6 lead. Hole 17 saw Pete’s fatigue set in. He had nearly lost the ball on 16 but toughed out a bogey to take it from Randy, and on the penultimate hole he did the same thing. This time, when he attempted to pitch onto the green, he hit behind the ball and it came up short – way short. His next pitch had him on the par three green in three and then a two putt gave him a double bogey and his father his first win since the 30 foot putt for par he sank on 9.

Randy had honors on 18 and trailed 10-7. His tee shot was short but in a good approach position. Pete drilled his shot wide left and fatted his pitch to once again take three shots to get on the par three’s green. Randy chipped on and felt the pressure to sink the putt for par as Pete was close enough to bogey. The elder Dannenfelser dropped the putt in for his second par of the day and Pete proceeded to miss his bogey putt.

Pete won the match $10 to $8 but the overall score was tied (with handicap) 94-94.

The second event of the 2005 season will be this weekend at High Bridge Hills. Pete will once again give up 9 handicap strokes and the winnings will be $1.00 per hole. A “19th” hole is being proposed that would act as a tie breaker on the last hole and as a bonus dollar for the round: closest to the pin on all 5 par threes.