Published: June 08, 2008 12:09 am      

Sunnehanna Amateur: Greenwood just missed seeing mark fall

On Wednesday, Bobby Greenwood presented the borrowed putter he had used to establish the Sunnehanna Country Club record for a low round in 1965.

Greenwood, 69, of Cookeville, Tenn., was in Johnstown as an honored guest in conjunction with the 55th Sunnehanna Amateur Tournament for Champions.

In one of local golf’s great ironies, soon after Greenwood returned home this weekend, his 43-year-old record 63 round had been broken by Zach Sucher, who shot a 9-under-par 61 during Saturday’s third round of the Amateur.

“Beautiful,” Greenwood said, when reached by phone in Cookeville. “I had somewhere around 30 course records. This was the last course record that hadn’t been broken. It took 43 years to break it. With the technology and the new ball, every single one of my course records have fallen. This was the last one to go. I’m thrilled and happy. I wish I would have been there to witness it.

“I’m happy for the young man who did it,” Greenwood added. “If he has as much fun with his 61 as I had with my 63, he’s going to have a great future.”

Greenwood established the record during the second round en route to his victory in the 1965 Sunnehanna Amateur. He set the mark in unorthodox fashion.

Greenwood’s luggage and clubs were lost by an airline, so he borrowed woods from club member Jack Vanyo, irons from head professional John Goettlicher and a putter from course superintendent Joe Harlow.

He shot a first-round 70.

When his own clubs arrived the next day, Greenwood continued to use the borrowed putter during his record round of 63.

Bob Zender tied the mark during the second round in 1971, when he also was the overall winner. Lee Williams again tied the record during the third round in 2002, and Michael Sim repeated the feat during the second round three years ago while winning the Amateur after a five-hole playoff.

“I didn’t know the record,” Sucher said after his 61. “I thought it was somewhere around there but I didn’t know I had it by two.”

Greenwood, his wife, Elma, and their 9-year-old daughter Viola attended a banquet held at Sunnehanna prior to the Amateur last week. He was presented a special sports coat.

“A new record will help the tournament,” Greenwood said. “I remember the headlines when I shot 63. The headline was ‘Wow, a 63 at Sunnehanna.’ I’m looking forward to seeing this headline.”

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Matter of perspective: Veteran Sunnehanna Amateur participant Sean Knapp consistently is among the contenders in the Tournament for Champions.

The Oakmont golfer also has a sense of humor.

After carding a 3-under 67 on Saturday, including an eagle on the 519-yard, par-5 No. 11, Knapp watched Sucher roll a birdie putt on No. 18 to clinch the course record.

“It’s all relative,” Knapp said, when reminded of his solid round. “When you watch someone shoot a 61, then a 67 isn’t so nice.”

Knapp birdied Nos. 8 and 9 on the front nine and shaved off two more strokes with his eagle. He also made birdie on 13. He bogeyed 5 and 10.

“I hit a driver and an iron to about two feet on 11,” Knapp said. “It just kind of funnels in there. Since they took the trees down it’s a lot easier for me because I don’t have to go up over them. I can go on a direct line and get a better angle.”

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Local ties: Sunnehanna Country Club champion John Zack of Cresson and Greater Johnstown champ Matt Moot, a Bishop McCort graduate, each shot 1-over 71 on Saturday. Moot is at 219 for the tournament, while Zack is at 230.

Hollidaysburg’s Sean Brannan was 8-over 78 on Saturday and is at 224 overall.

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Up front: Dan Woltman of Beaver Dam, Wisc., entered the third round one stroke off the lead at 4-under.

After shooting even-par 70 on Saturday, Woltman slipped to three strokes off the pace.

“It was a tough day out there for me,” Woltman said. “I didn’t strike the ball as well as I would have liked. I hit 14 greens which is down from (Friday). I had back-to-back three-putts on the front nine. That was a little frustrating.”

Woltman pointed to bogeys on 5 and 6 on Saturday, as well as bogeys on 2 and 8 on Friday, and at No. 2 on Thursday as problem spots.

“I need to make some putts on the front nine,” Woltman said. “I’ve struggled on the front nine. I’ve shot 1-over on the front nine and I’m 5-under on the back. I need to go home and figure out where I need to hit it on these greens. I got on the wrong side of a couple holes and made costly three-putts on 5 and 6. I’ve got to figure out what to do better.”