Robert Polk, who on Wednesday won his third CGA Senior Four-Ball Championship with his third different partner, joked with 2016 teammate Bill Fowler that he soon may be switching him out too.
“He keeps trading down, getting somebody younger,” said Fowler, who just turned 53.
“I’m not stupid,” the 60-year-old Polk said with a hearty laugh. “You better watch yourself.”
“I turned 53 yesterday,” Fowler noted. “He’s looking for somebody 50.”
All joking aside, the Polk-Fowler team has certainly proven effective. Besides being runner-up together in the 2013 CGA Senior Four-Ball and winning this year, they qualified for the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, where a year ago they were the third-oldest team in the field.
And on Wednesday, in the first CGA championship of 2016, Polk and Fowler appeared close to mid-season form, despite the tournament being decided over 36 holes in a single day due to the snow left by a weekend storm.
Polk, from nearby Colorado Golf Club, and Fowler, from the Club at Rolling Hills, ham-and-egged it Wednesday for a one-stroke victory in the CGA Senior Four-Ball.
The two made an eagle, 10 birdies and a bogey Wednesday at Black Bear Golf Club. The eagle came from Polk (left), who drove the green on the 304-yard par-4 11th hole in the morning round, then drained a 60-foot putt. Fowler and Polk carded rounds of 66-67 for an 11-under-par 133 total.
The victory marked the ninth CGA championship for Polk and the fourth for Fowler, a former CGA president who claimed the CGA Senior Stroke Play title last fall, meaning he’s won two consecutive CGA senior championships.
So what makes Fowler and Polk such a formidable golf duo? Apparently, it’s considerable determination to go along with a fair amount of talent.
“We try on every shot,” Fowler noted. “Neither one of us gives up on any shot. Not until the ball is in the hole do I give up on that hole.”
Added Polk: “We try to figure out a way to birdie every hole. That’s the way we think. We’re scrappers.”
And it doesn’t hurt that they seem to complement each other on the course. For instance, on their 31st hole Wednesday, when Polk was out of the hole after hitting his ball in the hazard, Fowler proceeded to birdie the par-5 by holing a 12-foot putt.
Then they saved a par from 4 feet on the 32nd hole, and Fowler (left) birdied the 33rd. With a one-stroke margin of victory, all proved crucial.
“Bill played great, especially the last nine,” said Polk, a three-time CGA Senior Player of the Year. “He played really solid on the way in. We ham-and-egged it real well.”
For his part, Fowler has now finished second, second and first the last three times he’s competed in the CGA Senior Four-Ball, playing twice with Polk and once with Jim Reynolds. As for Polk, his previous Senior Four-Ball victories came with Jim Pierce and Steve Murphy.
Four teams tied for second place Wednesday at Black Bear: Dave Brown and Pat Bowe (67-67), who missed a 30-inch putt on their final hole; Tom Krystyn and Mike Larson (68-66); Jeff Oneth and Tim Kneen (67-67); and Jeff Slupe and Steve Scheffel (67-67).
Rick Kelly and Bob Beiersdorf, the 2015 champions, tied for 11th place on Wednesday at 1-under 141.
The open-division CGA Four-Ball Championship, normally also held early in May, was postponed by the weather over the weekend. It has been rescheduled for Oct. 7-9 at Legacy GC in Westminster. Registration for that event will re-open on Friday.
CGA Senior Four-Ball Championship
At Par-72 Black Bear GC in Parker
Robert Polk,Colorado GC/Bill Fowler,Rolling Hills, the Club at 66-67–133
Tom Krystyn,Commonground GC/Mike E Larson,Boulder CC 68-66–134
Pat Bowe,Commonground GC/Dave Brown,Rmgcsa Golf League 67-67–134
Jeff Oneth,Colorado GC/Tim Kneen,Colorado GC 67-67–134
Steve Scheffel,Ptarmigan CC/Jeff Slupe,Highland Meadows GC 67-67–134
Guy Mertz,Fox Hill Club, the/Tony Workman,Ptarmigan CC 68-68–136
Gary Driber,Ridge at Castle Pines North/Brian Woody,Ridge at Castle Pines North 69-70–139
Tom Lawrence,Lakewood CC/Phil Lane,Broadmoor GC 68-72–140
Mike Campbell,Aurora Hills GC/John Evans,Commonground GC 73-67–140
Joe Distefano,Telluride Ski & GC/Scott Mortimer,Flatirons GC 72-68–140
Robert West,Cherry Creek CC/Paul Edwards,Meridian GC 71-70–141
David Delich,Broadmoor GC/Bruce Hogg,Patty Jewett GC 71-70–141
Kary Kaltenbacher,Glenmoor CC/Rod Walters,Heritage at Westmoor 71-70–141
Sean Forey,Bear Creek GC/Scott Radcliffe,Rolling Hills, the Club at 67-74–141
Richard Kelly,Foothills GC/Bob Beiersdorf,Ridge at Castle Pines North 70-71–141
Louie Lee,CC at Castle Pines/Mike Giarratano,Highlands Ranch GC 70-72–142
Dennis Fields,Heritage at Westmoor/Thomas Roos,Spring Valley GC 67-75–142
David Merritt,Meridian GC/Bill Stevens,Raccoon Creek GC 68-74–142
Brent Timm,Pinery CC/Glynn Hopkins,Pinery CC 68-74–142
Terry Lorenz,Pinehurst CC/Pat Bucci,West Woods GC 71-72–143
Lance Balthaser,Englewood Men’s GC/Rob McLelland,Clubcorp Colorado 76-67–143
Robert Sherrill,CC of the Rockies/Gary Keogh,Pinehurst CC 69-75–144
Tom Sweetman,Omni Interlocken Resort/Andy Callahan,Lakewood CC 74-70–144
Steve Sullivan,Lone Tree GC/Brian Crocker,Patty Jewett GC 76-68–144
Mark Brown,Highlands Ranch GC/Wyck Brown,Lakewood CC 75-69–144
Jim Reynolds,Bear Creek GC/Bob Cloud,Commonground GC 73-72–145
Randy Kippes,Saddle Rock GC/David Draper,Green Valley Ranch GC 75-70–145
Doug Jones,Tiara Rado GC/Frank Wilkinson,Lincoln Park GC 71-74–145
Shane Unfred,Highland Meadows GC/James Pullin,Collindale GC 75-71–146
Mark Runyan,Canongate Colorado/Mark Barkley,Clubcorp Colorado 72-74–146
Jay Gomer,Indian Peaks GC/Troy Tomsick,Indian Peaks GC 73-73–146
Terry Hymans,Clubcorp Colorado/Jay Ferrare,Clubcorp Colorado 72-74–146
Jeff Sweet,Murphy Creek GC/Daryl Fengler,Murphy Creek GC 73-74–147
Gary Albrecht,Commonground GC/Bob Chandler,Foothills GC 72-75–147
Bobby Ortega,Hyland Hills/Mike Otis,Broadlands GC 73-74–147
Steve Kass,Aurora Hills GC/Bradley Becker,Plum Creek GC 68-79–147
Mark Inboden,Raccoon Creek Men’s Club/Andy Schroeder,Raccoon Creek Men’s Club 78-70–148
Bill Bolgar,Ridge at Castle Pines North/Jeffrey English,Commonground GC 72-77–149
Lee Leatherman,South Suburban GC/Charlie Davis,South Suburban GC 73-76–149
Scott Crone,Pinehurst CC/Joe Morrill,Eagle Ranch GC 72-78–150
Bill Weinman,Clubcorp Colorado/Kevin Sharp,Clubcorp Colorado 72-78–150
Richard Lund,CC at Castle Pines/Don Toller,Pinehurst CC 73-78–151
Larry Wood,Perry Park CC/Jeff Anderson,Perry Park CC 79-72–151
Jim LeMar,Meadows GC/John Applegate,Meadow Hills GC 74-78–152
David Dines,Highlands Ranch GC/Steve Bailey,Green Valley Ranch GC 78-75–153
Todd Beckman,Indian Peaks GC/Curtis Confer,Indian Peaks GC 72-82–154
Bruce Hayes,Heritage at Westmoor/Bob Sims,Clubcorp Colorado 77-78–155
Tony Tormey,Inverness GC/Tim Kromer,Inverness GC 77-78–155
John Beauchamp,Antler Creek GC/Dennis Johnson,Breckenridge GC 82-74–156
Scott Burroughs,Foothills GC/Eric Nelson,Foothills GC 80-78–158
Joe Patrick,Four Mile Ranch Club/Rex Gilbert,Shadow Hills GC 82-80–162
