The Society of Seniors

Tutwiler

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Jerry Greenbaum of Boca Raton, Fla., and Alan Foster of Manlius, N.Y., and the local pairing of Ched Hikes, Scottsdale, and Gerry Graham, Mesa, were the winners Wednesday June 3, in the Society of Seniors’ 27th annual Ed Tutwiler Memorial Four-Ball Championship at Desert Mountain Golf Club.

Greenbaum birdied the 17th hole as he teamed with Foster to win the senior division for players 55 to 64 years old on the Geronimo course. The second round leaders, Greenbaum and Foster closed with 68-197 and a two-stroke margin over Mesa’s Ed Smith and Steve Dallas, who shot 66-199. Smith and Dallas led Greeenbaum and Foster after the first day, 63-64, in the four-ball stroke play format.

Greenbaum (age 68) and Foster (age 65) passed up an opportunity to play in the Super Senior Division, choosing to compete with the younger men, and obviously are still a factor in Senior Golf. One of the members has nicknamed Greenbaum "The Desert Fox" referring to his win in the Senior Masters (Palm Springs) in April.

It was Greenbaum’s fifth Society championship, including the Tutwiler with Foster in 2002 at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Va. Foster now has two Society titles overall. They are the third team to win the Tutwiler more than once, following Floridians Austin Jones and Jack Veghte in 1991-92 and 1994, and Virginians Peter Jacobi and Tom Flory in 1999-2000.

Hikes and Graham won the super seniors flight, ages 65-and-older, on the Cochise course, with 67-199 to overtake the first and second round leaders, Russ Berkoben of Perrysburg, Ohio, and Bruce Rotte of Bellevue, Ky. Berkoben and Rotte slipped to second at 70-201. It’s the first Society victory for both Hikes and Graham.

Next year the Tutwiler will be held at the Pensacola CC, Pensacola, FL.