Stephen Maddalena wins the SOS Jack Hesler

24 Jul 2024
by Society of Seniors
see also: View results for The Hesler, Turning Stone Resort - Kaluhyat Course, Steve Maddalena Rankings
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Stephen Maddalena (Society of Seniors Photo)

Consistency was the key to success this week in upstate New York. Storms threatened to throw a wrench into the final round at the 16th Jack Hesler Tournament at Turning Stone Resort. After a 35-minute lightning delay at 11:25 a.m., the competitors went back to work on the difficult Kaluhyat Course.

Stephen Maddalena, of Jackson, MI, cruised to a nine-stroke victory in the Senior Division to claim his first Society of Seniors crown. Maddalena held a six-stroke lead going into Wednesday’s final round and played it safe for the majority of the day with a steady dose of fairways and greens. He finished three rounds at 4-over overall with rounds of 75-71-74 for a 220 total.

“This course really suited my game well,” said Maddalena. “You had to hit it straight, and distance wasn’t really the main thing. I was playing conservative out there today and just trying to keep it in play and do what I could to avoid any big mistakes. You never want to be the guy that gives up a big lead, so it was nice to settle in and close it out.”

Michael Mercier of Juno Beach, FL, finished in second place with a 13-over total of 229. Daniel Russo of Hagaman, NY, was in third place, one stroke behind at 14-over.

Super Senior Division

Gregory Goode, of Salina, Kan., continues to be a force whenever he tees it up in a Society of Seniors event. Just a day removed from his 66th birthday, Goode used a strong start on Wednesday to make his intentions known. Goode ended up posting consistent rounds of 73-74-74 for a +5 total of 221 to win by one stroke over Byron Whitman of Bonita Springs, Fla.

“I enjoyed the challenge here on the Kaluhyat Course,” said Goode. “I putted well today, especially early in the round to get in the mix. Keeping the ball in play was the most important thing on a course that was this demanding. I tried to hit a lot of ‘safe’ shots to avoid any big numbers out here. It’s always nice to win, and it’ll be fun to celebrate this one along with my 66th birthday.”

Finishing in third place was Stephen Daly, of Wheaton, Ill., at 13-over.

Legend Division

Surprise, surprise, Don Donatoni, of West Chester, PA, is in the winner's circle again after sleeping on a four-shot lead heading into the final round. Donatoni posted rounds of 70-74-73 for a 1-over par total of 214 to stay four strokes clear of runner-up Edward Turner of Richardson, TX. Things weren’t always comfortable during the closing stretch, as Donatoni did well to avoid disaster on hole No. 11, which was his 17th hole of the round. After finding the penalty area from the tee, he eventually made a nice up-and-down from a greenside bunker to escape with just a bogey.

“It was a nice stretch of consistent golf this week,” said Donatoni. “I kept it in the fairway off the tee and it gave me some short shots into the greens, but I struggled getting my wedges close enough to think about anything other than some solid two-putts. On No. 11, I was in some trouble and made a nice recovery to get out of there with bogey. That could have been a turning point, so I was happy limit the damage there and get the win.”

Finishing in a tie for third place at +8 overall were John Armstrong, of Frostburg, MD, and Jody Vasquez, of La Quinta, CA. Armstrong fired the low round of the tournament on Monday with a 4-under 68, while Vasquez was the only player to break par in the final round with a 1-under 71.

Super Legend Division

John Osborne, of Charlottesville, VA, went wire-to-wire to win the Super Legend Division by three strokes over Johnny Blank, of Frostburg, MD. Osborne carded consistent rounds of 75-76-76 for a +11 total of 227.

“I was really solid off the tee this week and my putting was good until the end here,” said Osborne. “I went 30 plus holes without a three-putt then had two in my last three holes. The course was one of the toughest as far as being so demanding and penal on missed shots. It was brutal if you just missed a yard or two off the fairway or green, so I was happy to keep it in play for the most part and grab the victory.”

In third place at 232 was Jim DuBois, of Coral Springs, FL.