Bernatovicz Claims Third Senior Title in Six Years
Two weeks after winning the NYS Men’s Senior Amateur Championship at his former home club, Andy Bernatovicz has once again captured the BDGA Senior Amateur Championship at Wanakah CC, successfully defending his 2024 title victory in dominant fashion.
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He was the only player in his division to finish his 36 holes under-par, coming in at three-under 141. Bernatovicz, who also won the BDGA Senior Match Play title earlier this summer and earned low senior honors at the BDGA Individual, raced out to a four-stroke advantage after Tuesday’s first round.
The River Oaks GC member birdied holes 5, 10, 14 and 16, but surrendered just as many bogeys to finish his round at even-par 72. His nearest competitors, 2023 champion PJ Alterio and Timothy Kolstee, shot 76.
Bernatovicz would not let up, however, as he wasted zero time extending his lead with a birdie on hole four to kick off the scoring for round two. He added another on hole seven to round out at bogey-free 34 on the front, extending his lead to six strokes over Alterio, who shot even-par on the front nine of his second round.
From there, Bernatovicz added two more birdies on holes 13 and 15. A bogey on the 18th stood as his only blemish of the day, but it was inconsequential as his second-round 69 marked the low round of the championship. With the win, Bernatovicz has now captured three of the last six BDGA Senior titles.
Axel Ackerman, who landed in the top-five after the first day with a 78, logged the second round under-par in his division with a second-round 70 that helped him take home runner-up honors at four-over par.
Alterio also finished at four-over, ending his second round with an even-par 72, to land in third place. Jim Fredo (+7) and Kolstee (+8) finished in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Ken Augustyniak overcame a two-stroke deficit heading into Wednesday’s final round to win the Legend’s Division. Opening with a 76, he trailed Brian McGahey (74), John Miosi (74) and Danny Irwin (75). Augustyniak struggled to score in his first round, rolling in one birdie on the tenth hole to five bogeys on the rest of the round.
And it seemed Augustyniak was headed towards another tough day on Wednesday when he bogeyed the third and sixth hole to start his round. However, he responded with birdies on seven and eight to finish the front-nine at even-par and remain at four-over overall.
McGahey threw up a 40 on his front nine, falling out of the lead and trailing Augustyniak by two strokes. Miosi had shot even-par through seven holes, but bogeyed the last two to allow Augustyniak to join him at the top of the leaderboard. Irwin, with four bogeys on his front, ultimately fell out of contention.
A two shot swing between Augustyniak and McGahey occurred on the 11th hole, where Augustyniak bogeyed and McGahey birdied, giving Miosi the solo lead at four-over while putting Augustyniak and McGahey in a tie for second at five-over.
Miosi bogeyed the 12th to make it a three-way tie for first place with six holes remaining. And then Augustyniak ran away with it. Parring hole 13, he converted three birdies in his final five holes, and despite bogeying the other two, would build a four-stroke advantage that he rode to victory. Both Miosi and McGahey would bogey three of their final five, unable to keep up with Augustyniak’s even-par pace.
Augustyniak finished at four-over, while McGahey (+8) took home second place and Miosi (+8) finished in third. Bob Clarke (+12) and Irwin (+12) landed in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
In the Masters Division, Michael McNulty emerged victorious thanks in part to an under-par round of 71, that included an eagle on the third hole, to kick off his race to the title. Entering the final round with a two-stroke lead over Robert Dewitt, McNulty quickly extended his lead to five with three birdies on the front nine to start his second round.
Dewitt nearly came back on the last nine, with birdies on 11 and 18, as well as some help from McNulty, who bogeyed 13, doubled 15, then bogeyed 16. But McNulty made two clutch pars on 17 and 18 to end it and win by one stroke with a final overall score of two-over. Dewitt finished runner-up at three-over, followed by Fred Gigliotti (+6), James Murrett (+7) and Craig McIntyre (+8)
