Winnetka's Ted Pecora captured the 21st CDGA Senior Amateur Championship title with a 5-and-3 win over Terry Werner.Day Four: Thursday, June 8
The 67-year-old has come excruciatingly close to capturing a CDGA-administered senior title before. There was the 2018 CDGA Senior Amateur at Itasca Country Club, falling to Brad Kay in the finale. Then, later that summer in the Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship at Riverside Golf Club; he lost in a playoff to senior stalwart Tim Sheppard. And just last September, again at Riverside, and again in a playoff for the Illinois State Senior title, he faltered to Scot Frankenreider.
“I thought to myself, ‘This isn’t going to happen again’,” said Pecora. “I kind of just slowed down and I thought about a lot of the things that I did before and it all kind of stayed together with me. I didn’t lose it, which was good. It’s great - I can’t believe I won.”
The pep talk indeed helped, as Pecora held on for the 5-and-3 victory to capture the Charles Morgan Auld Cup. It capped off an impressive week in which he earned medalist honors with a 1-under 71 in stroke-play qualifying on Monday and then proceeded to only trail for three holes during his four matches en route to the title.
Related Links: (Full Recap) / (Match Play Tree) / (Photo Gallery) / (All Event Photos)
MATCH PLAY RESULTS
Championship Match
(1) Ted Pecora def. (3) Terry Werner, 5 & 3
Day Three: Wednesday, June 7
Pecora, who began with a Quarterfinal match against 2021 Illinois State Senior Am champion David Feder (Lincolnshire / Conway Farms GC), faced what would be his stiffest competition throughout the day during the match’s opening nine. His win at the par-5 second was quickly matched with a Feder birdie at No. 5 and the two remained tied through the par-4 eighth. No. 9 was the first of three-consecutive wins for Pecora, as he caught his stride on the closing nine to win the match, 4 and 3.
Meeting Pecora in the Semifinals Wednesday afternoon was Glenn Przybylski (Frankfort / Sanctuary GC), as the latter disposed of Mark Roche (Forest Park / Oak Brook GC), 6 and 5, in the Quarterfinal round. His first of two two-putt birdies on Aurora’s front-nine par 5s put Przybylski in the driver’s seat just two holes into the match. A par at No. 3 and birdie at No. 4 had Pecora back on top soon after. Facing another 1-down deficit after Przybylski captured the sixth and seventh holes, Pecora again seized control while making the turn with a pair of wins along the club’s expansive entranceway. A trio of victories at Nos. 12, 14 and 16 secured Pecora’s 3-and-2 triumph.
A win Thursday would mark Pecora’s first CDGA-administered senior title.
Ready to face Pecora in the finale is the 2017 CDGA Senior Am champion and CDGA Senior Player of the Year in Werner. Though Pecora’s deficits were never insurmountable, Werner kept the lead throughout the day apart from four holes in which his matches were tied. A 3-and-1 defeat of Brien Gerber (Bolingbrook / Bolingbrook GC) began his Wednesday, as Werner secured the lead on the fourth hole and never looked back.
Werner then set his sights on Tim Stodder (Chicago / Stonewall Orchard) for his Semifinal match after Stodder defeated Ted Zurkowski (Chicago / CDGA Member’s Club) in the morning. The duo traded wins during the opening four holes before Werner found his groove on the par-4 fifth. Four wins in five holes ahead of the turn provided Werner with a commanding 4-up lead. Unable to best Werner during the first five holes on the back nine, Stodder looked on as Werner poured in another birdie at No. 15 to win the match, 5 and 3.
The pair is set to return to Aurora for the Championship match Thursday morning at 8 a.m.
MATCH PLAY RESULTS
Quarterfinals
(1) Ted Pecora vs. (9) David Feder, 4 and 3
(4) Glenn Przybylski def. (12) Mark Roche, 6 and 5
(2) Tim Stodder def. (7) Ted Zurkowski, 2 and 1
(3) Terry Werner def. (11) Brien Gerber, 3 and 1
Semifinals
(1) Ted Pecora def. (4) Glenn Przybylski, 3 and 2
(3) Terry Werner def. (2) Tim Stodder, 5 and 3
Day Two: Tuesday, June 6
Pecora, who is searching for his first CDGA-administered championship title after numerous close calls, squared off with No. 16-seeded Randall Schwartz (Valparaiso, Indiana / Olympia Fields CC) in the first match of the day. The 67-year-old got off to a hot start, winning the first three holes. Schwartz looked to claw back following a win on the par-3 fourth, but Pecora responded with wins on Nos. 6 and 7 to build a 4-up advantage. Despite another Schwartz win on No. 9, Pecora answered with wins on Nos. 10 and 11. A 5-and-4 victory would be enough for a ticket to the Quarterfinals on Wednesday morning.
Meeting Pecora in the Quarterfinals is 2022 CDGA Senior Am runner up and 2021 Illinois State Senior Amateur champion David Feder (Lincolnshire / Conway Farms GC), who advanced via a 4-and-3 victory over 2022 Illinois State Senior Amateur victor Scot Frankenreider (Peoria / Arrowhead CC). The 60-year-old looks to become the seventh player to capture both CDGA-administered individual senior championships.
Among those who also advanced following Tuesday’s action was 2014 Illinois State Public Links champion Glenn Przybylski (Frankfort / Sanctuary GC), who defeated Don Gaspar (Glen Ellyn / Glen Oak CC), 6 and 4. 2017 CDGA Senior Player of the Year Terry Werner (Dyer, Indiana / Briar Ridge CC) also advanced to Wednesday, as the 2017 CDGA Senior Amateur champ took down Gregory Seelinger (Downers Grove / Village Links of Glen Ellyn) in 19 holes.
Wednesday’s Quarterfinal matches will tee off at 8 a.m., with the Semifinals slated for the afternoon. The title tilt will then be contested on Thursday morning.
MATCH PLAY RESULTS
Round of 16
(1) Ted Pecora vs. (16) Randall Schwartz, 5 and 4
(9) David Feder def. (8) Scot Frankenreider, 4 and 3
(12) Mark Roche def. (5) Curt Minkel, 2 and 1
(4) Glenn Przybylski def. (13) Don Gaspar, 6 and 4
(2) Tim Stodder def. (15) Daniel Brassil, 1 up
(7) Ted Zurkowski def. (10) Daniel Freed, 4 and 3
(11) Brien Gerber def. (6) Dave Esler, 1 up
(3) Terry Werner def. (14) Greg Seelinger, 19 holes
Day One: Monday, June 5
Terry Werner (Dyer, Indiana / Briar Ridge CC) was the only past winner of the Charles Morgan Auld Cup to advance, as the 2017 champion carded a 2-over 74 to earn the No. 3 seed in match play. The past victors to fall short of the 5-over 77 cut were Brad Kay (Arlington Heights / Ivanhoe Club), Vance Antoniou (North Barrington / Butler National GC), Dave Ryan (Taylorville / Illini CC) and Tim Sheppard (East Peoria / Pekin CC). Notably, the latter two had combined to win the three most-recent iterations, with Ryan entering as the defending champ and Sheppard claiming the previous two events.
Still in search of his first senior title despite many near misses, Ted Pecora (Winnetka / Bob O’Link GC) was the only player to finish in red figures, as he earned medalist honors with a 1-under 71. He countered two bogeys with three birdies, including on Nos. 16 and 17 to surge to the top of the leaderboard. Other players of note who advanced to the 16-player match-play field were 2022 CDGA Senior Am runner up David Feder (Lincolnshire / Conway Farms GC) and reigning Illinois State Senior Amateur winner Scot Frankenreider (Peoria / Arrowhead CC), both of whom carded 3-over 75s. Frankenreider, the No. 8 seed, will take on Feder, the No. 9 seed, in the Round of 16.
Round of 16 Matches will take place on Tuesday beginning at 8 a.m. The Quarterfinals and Semifinals will follow on Wednesday, before a champion is crowned on Thursday.
Related Links: (Stroke Play Results) / (Match Play Tree)
Preview
The 110th season of amateur golf championships conducted by the CDGA is set to continue with the 21st CDGA Senior Amateur Championship, June 5-8 at Aurora Country Club in Aurora. One 18-hole round of stroke play qualifying and a 16-golfer match play bracket await a field featuring 77 of the area's best amateur golfers age 55-and-up.
Schedule
Monday, June 5
The entire field will play 18 holes of stroke play in the morning to determine the low 16 who will advance to match play.
Tuesday, June 6
The Round of 16 matches will take place beginning at 8 a.m.
Wednesday, June 7
The Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches will be contested.
Thursday, June 8
The Championship match will occur on Thursday morning.
CLICK HERE or the image to the right for a full preview and notes package.
Related Links: (Full Preview) / (Stroke Play Tee Times) / (Field) / (2022 Recap) / (Event History)
Championship Information
Created in 2002, the CDGA Senior Amateur Championship is a match play tournament for golfers age 55 and up. In 2019, the maximum handicap limit was increased to 10.4. The event begins with an 18-hole qualifier for the entire field, with the low 16 players advancing to match play. The champion of this tournament is the recipient of the Charles Morgan Auld Cup. Taylorville's Dave Ryan is the defending champion of the event following his win in 2022 at Medinah Country Club's historic Course Three.
Qualifying
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