It looked as though either Peter Fowler or Peter Lonard was going to win the second, annual Shepparton BMW Victorian PGA Seniors Championship at Black Bull Golf Course last Wednesday.
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After day one, Fowler led by one stroke from Lonard with the pair firing glorious rounds of -5 and -4 respectively.
It still seemed that way as far as fans following the pair were concerned when the big names maintained their consistency, eventually both finishing on five-under-par total of 137.
But Sydneysider and relatively newcomer to the Legends Tour, Anthony Summers, who started the second day on -4 with Lonard and Darren Rix, blitzed the front nine on the second day with a four-under-par to be eight-under at the final turn.
Although he stumbled a little with two bogeys at 11 and 13, Summers birdied the 14th to be just one-over-par on the back nine for a plus-three day to better the bigger-names scores, by two strokes, with rounds of 68 and 69, for a 137 total.
It was Summers’s second Legends Tour win since being eligible to join the tour after turning 50-years-of-age on November 2.
“I hit the ball well both days. Playing with Peter Lonard on day one really helped - he seemed to pull me along,” Summers told the Yarrawonga Chronicle.
“It’s my first time to Yarrawonga and I’m really enjoying the hospitality. The Black Bull course is fantastic course. I enjoyed the Peter Thompson layout.”
Legends Tour Co-Ordinator Andy Rogers said Tuesday and Wednesday of last week were “two beautiful days, light winds and the course in excellent condition”.
“There were 70 senior professionals including Senior, Fowler, O’Malley and Lonard and 70 amateurs who joined the professionals in a Pro-Am format for the two days,” the highly respected co-ordinator said.
“This win gives Summers a winner’s category that will enable him to play all the main events.”
With Fowler and Lonard finishing tied for second, in fourth position was Rix, with a second round Par 72 to remain at four-under.
Black Bull tournament director James McCully was elated with the successful championship. “The comments we received from all the golfers were so favourable – players returning again said they’d never seen the course in such great condition,” he said.
“I thank the team at Black Bull. It was a massive effort to get the course the way it was for this championship, so to course superintendent Cameron Buckingham and his team, a big thank you.
“I think our 2020 championship raised the bar and with 72 professionals, 72 amateurs, it was a full field.
“It was pleasing to get the feedback, the professionals loved their time here and we want to see them back next year. And we really appreciate our main sponsor Shepparton BMW and all other sponsors. Without you we cannot run this tournament.”
