Courtesy Amatuer Golf
Continuing his prolific 2022 campaign, Kevin VandenBerg has added the Senior Porter Cup to his growing list of accomplishments on the Senior circuit.
Following Wednesday’s postponement at Niagara Falls Country Club, the championship was reduced from 54 to 36 holes, meaning VandenBerg was just 18 holes way from a coveted title after carding 3-under 67 on Thursday.
The Pulaski, N.Y. resident suffered an early dent in the opening holes of Friday’s final round, making a double-bogey 7 at the par-5 3rd. Additional bogeys at 7 and 9 brought him to 1-over for the tournament and into a four-way tie for the lead with just the back nine remaining.
VandenBerg, after turning at 39, drained three birdies including a clinching 2 at the par-3 18th to claim a one-shot victory over Andy Bernatovicz.
The win is VandenBerg’s second major title this year, with the first coming back in January at the Heron Creek Senior Invitational. Overall, it’s his eighth top-5, including an impressive 4th-place finish at the Jones Cup Senior — one of the strongest fields of the season.
Defending champion Steve Maddalena was in Friday’s final group alongside VandenBerg and Michael Hughett. The trio were tied atop the leaderboard on the 10th tee box but Maddalena and Hughett would go on to post 2-over 72 to finish in a tie for fourth place.
Bernatovicz, of Grand Island, N.Y., turned in the round of the day which pushed him into a solo second-place finish. His final-round 68 was the second lowest score of the tournament, and had the potential for more were it not for a pair of closing bogeys at 14 and 15.
The Super Senior title went to Philip Stegemann, who earned a one-shot win over Michael McNulty with rounds of 71 and 74. He began Friday with a two-stroke cushion over McNulty and Bruce McEwen.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column] [/et_pb_row] [/et_pb_section]