Area Professionals Pour It On With Victory Over Amateurs in Challenge Cup
 
By Mike Dyer
 
VOORHEESVILLE, May 7....This is not for the faint of heart. Stop reading now if the sight of ooozing blood bothers you.

Area amateur golfers will be thinking of Wednesday for a long time. They were victimized by area professionals in the Challenge Cup at Albany Country Club.

There was no let-up as members of the Northeastern New York PGA pounded the amateur All-Star team, 44 1/2-to-9 1/2.

It was the most lop-sided triumph in the history of the series, which began in 1976. The victory was also third in a row for the professionals, their longest winning streak ever.

Amateurs still lead the overall series, 8-6-1.

 "Yeah, I'm pretty surprised by the score," said Mill Road Acres Golf Club head pro Peter Gerard.

"Amateurs usually play more golf than the professionals. There were a lot of good players here."

Gerard, playing with Taconic Golf Club head pro Rick Pohle, knocked in 5 birdies with a sweep of the team of Country Club of Troy's Joe Quillinan and David Mooradian.

Lefty Jon-Michael Socaris (Capital Hills at Albany) has had his share of winning but his team was blanked.

"It was a bad defeat," said Socaris, a 2006 Albany County amateur champion. "We'll have to swallow it and come back better next year."

The Play-for-Pay guys built a 17 1/2-to-1/2 lead after just 9 holes.

Other winning professional teams Wednesday were Capital Hills head pro Steve Vatter and Albany CC head pro Glenn Davis; Wyantenuck's Tom Sullivan and Cobleskill's Bob Meheran; Oneonta's Jeremy Kerr and Catskill's Keith Sprenger; Canajoharie's Ian Breen and Berkshire Hills' Josh Hillman; and Colonie G&CC head pro Frank Mellet and Massena's Tom Siddon.
Rick Wright, head pro at The Edison Club, was captain for the winners