George McDonald (right) won his third low gross championship during the Seniors’ Club Tournament played at the Luverne Country Club Sunday. Don Cashin (left) emerged as the low net champion. McDonald won a one-hole playoff with Tim Connell to become the first player in the 60-69 flight to win the gross crown. Cashin won a chipoff against Jerry Wethor to claim the low net championship.By John RittenhouseExtra play was needed to decide the low gross and low net championships during the Seniors’ Club Tournament played at the Luverne Country Club Sunday.George McDonald prevailed as the low gross champion after edging Tim Connell in a one-hole playoff.Don Cashin won a chip-off against Jerry Wethor to secure the low net title.The showdown between McDonald and Connell pitted two men who have won four of the last five low gross titles of the Seniors’ Club Tournament against each other.McDonald won his first tournament championship in 1998 and successfully defended the title in 1999.Playing in his first Seniors’ event in 2000, Connell won a two-hole playoff against Bob Jarchow to take the crown and defended the championship by winning the tournament outright in 2001.Connell didn’t play in the 2002 version of the event, when Curt Vander Stoep won his first low gross title.With his performance on Sunday, McDonald became the first player competing in the division for players between the ages of 60-69 to win the gross championship. The 50-59 division yielded the gross champions in all prior tournaments.McDonald’s play was worthy of a championship. He shot a one-over-par 37 during the first round of the event before carding a 38 in the second round to finish with a three-over-par 75.Connell, a member of 50-59 division, matched McDonald’s scores in the first two rounds to force a playoff.The sudden death playoff was settled on the par-4, No. 1 hole.McDonald delivered a perfect drive into the fairway before sending his second shot off the green to the right. A near-perfect chip set up a four-foot par putt that McDonald stroked solidly into the cup.Connell, who had a run of five straight par efforts snapped when he missed a five-foot putt on the 18th hole of regulation play, caught a bad break during the playoff.His drive was longer than McDonald’s, but the ball came to rest 15 feet behind a tree on the right side of the fairway. Connell hoped to hook a shot around the tree. The ball, however, maintained a straight line and ended up on the gravel road that is out of bounds on the left. The two-stroke penalty incurred by the shot resulted in a double bogey that gave McDonald his third tournament title.The champion seemed to have mixed emotions after the playoff.On one hand, McDonald felt bad for his friend when he found out Connell’s ball sailed out of bounds during the playoff. On the other hand, he was elated to have shot a 75 over 18 holes, which was his best total score during the Seniors’ Club Tournament. McDonald shot 79s while winning his titles in 1998 and 1999."I just happen to be playing some really good golf at this particular time," McDonald explained. "I got a couple of breaks."McDonald and Connell were pushed by others during the tournament.The 37s shot by McDonald and Connell during the first round gave them a one-shot edge over Gary Golla (38), a two-shot cushion over Rick Serie (39) and a three-shot advantage over Wethor (40).Golla and Serie compete in the 50-59 division. Wethor played in the 60-69 division.Wethor carded a tournament-low 37 during the second round to lock up third place in the gross field. His 18-hole total of 77 strokes was two strokes off the pace set by McDonald and Connell.After shooting a 38 during the first round, Golla recorded a 40 on the back nine and placed fourth in gross competition with a 78.Along with winning the overall gross title, McDonald was the gross winner of the 60-69 flight. Wethor was second with his 77, and Elmer Menage, who made three birdies during the tournament, placed third in the flight with an 87.Connell won the gross crown in the 50-59 division. Golla finished second and Tom Serie, who shot a 41 during the first round, carded a 39 during the second round to place third in the division with an 80-stroke effort.Cashin shot a 43-41-84 to take gross honors on the 70 and over flight. Don Lien was second with his 45-51-96.Alvin Boomgaarden, the only player in the 80 and over division, shot a pair of 45s for a 90 for a gross flight title.Along with winning the gross title in the 70 and older division, Cashin won the net championship in the division with a 63.Both Cashin and Wethor had net 63s to lead all players during the tournament. Cashin won a chip-off on the putting green to earn the low net championship for the event.Boomgaarden, an LCC member who does not have an established handicap, may have emerged as the net champion if he had a handicap. Based on his handicap he established three years ago, which was ruled to be unofficial for this tournament, Boomgaarden would have shot a net 62.Tom Serie and Bruce Olson placed third and fourth respectively with net 64- and 65-stroke efforts respectively.Tom Serie and Olson placed first and second in the low net competition in the 50-59 flight. Rick Serie, Sam Hansen and Bernie Heikes shared third place with net 67s.Wethor won the net title in the 60-69 flight. Menage and Nick Veenhof tied for third place with net 67s.Cashin took low net honors in the 70 and older flight. Don Vrtacnik and Jay Jackson placed second and third with net 67- and 71-stroke efforts respectively.
