Right On Course
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — Holding the trophies at the end of Sunday's Butler Eagle Amateur Open golf tournament were two people familiar to the scene.
Butler residents Geoff Patterson and Paige Scott won the overall and women's championship, respectively, with scores of 69 and 66 at Slippery Rock Golf Club.
Patterson made it back-to-back titles as he won last year's event at Lake Arthur Golf Club. Scott previously claimed the women's title in 2016 and 2017.
Both golfers call Slippery Rock their home course, though Patterson said he has not golfed there much this season.
“I've been following my son, Colin, around and watching his baseball games,” said Patterson, 51, who was also crowned the Senior champion with his 1-under effort. It was one stroke better than Jake Gentile's 70.
Patterson's round started on the 305-yard, par-4 No. 3 and he promptly bogeyed the hole. A second bogey followed on No. 8, another par 4, and Patterson was plus-2 after six holes..
“You're going to have some bogeys and I wasn't rattled,” he said. “I knew there were some birdies out there for me to get.”
Three in a row, in fact.
Patterson was 1-under on Nos. 12, 13 and 14.
“I made a 20-foot putt on 13 and that was the only putt of any real distance I made all day,” he said. “I was hitting it close (to the pin) for much of the round.”
Standing at 1-under after 13 holes, Patterson managed par on each of the final five holes to secure the title.
He became the first golfer since Sean Knapp in 2012-13 to win consecutive Eagle Amateurs.
“I was surprised to win last year and I'm surprised to win again,” he said.
Gentile, a Slippery Rock resident, had the best men's score after the morning session with his par-70.
“Coming in, I thought if I could shoot a 68, I'd have a really good chance of winning,” said Gentile, who is a member here and estimates he plays between 50-60 rounds per year at his home course. “The course is very challenging. If you miss a fairway or green, the bounces are crazy.
“On my second hole (No. 8), I missed the green by a foot and got into some tall grass. I ended up taking a 6 (double-bogey). That's what can happen here.”
Gentile said he has golfed in every Eagle Amateur since 2014.
“I've placed decent before, but don't remember exactly where I finished.”
He is satisfied that his effort Sunday had him in the mix for a championship.
“As any good golfer will tell you, I left some shots out there, but I played a good round,” Gentile said. “Overall, I'm pleased.”
Scott frequently plays Slippery Rock's course. In a practice round Saturday, she carded a minus-3 67, the best she'd ever managed here.Until Sunday.She had six birdies and managed no worse than par until the final hole (No. 3, 286-yards), where she took a double-bogey. Still, her effort was more than enough to defeat Casey Morrow's 69.Morrow was attempting to win her third straight title. She and Scott golfed in the same foursome and the former's round began with consecutive bogeys.“She got off to a rough start, but we both made a lot of putts,” Scott said. “It was tough competition between us.”Scott golfed from the red tees Sunday. Only those who golfed from the white tees were eligible for the overall championship.“I golf from the white tees here all the time,” she said. “There's really only three or four holes where you get any advantage going from the red tees. That's maybe three or four strokes, at most, that would've been added to my score.”Scott said she already has next year's Eagle Amateur Open event in her sights. The 2022 tournament will be held at another course she knows very well — Hiland Golf Course. She plays there regularly as a member of Butler's varsity girls team.“I'm going to golf from the white tees and win it all,” she said.
