Old stagers getting better with age in Napa
Bermuda’s Max Abend and Vincent Frith have reached the finals of their respective matchplay events at the World Senior Golf Championships at the Silverado Country Club in Napa, California.
Abend knocked off the top seed Adren Cunningham, of the United States, 2 and 1 in yesterday’s semi-final in the CL Tutt Flight.
The twelfth seed will now meet second seed Chip Burr, also of the United States, in today’s final.
Cunningham and Burr beat Abend’s Bermuda Senior Golfers Society team-mates Ed Faries and Geza Wolfe en route to the final.
Abend’s other wins came against fifth seed Nicolas Vukelja, of Panama, at the 20th hole, and Taiwanese fourth seed Fisher Yu by one hole.
Fifth seed Frith reached the final in the Brinton Flight after seeing off top seed Willard “Phil” Woodman, of Panama, by one hole in the semi-final.
He will now face third seed Juan Ernesto Champsaur, of Panama, in today’s final.
Champsaur beat seventh seed Charles "Charley" VanClief, also of Panama, 3 and 2 in yesterday’s remaining semi-final in the Brinton Flight.
Earlier this week Abend and Frith played an integral role in helping the island’s representatives place second in the net division of the team event to earn the Japan Trophy.
The pair also earned individual prizes: Frith the low net daily prize and Abend the second place low net in his age group.
Paraguay won the Stableford event.
The two-day tournament, which has been contested in various US cities since 1958, featured more than 80 players representing Japan, Taiwan, Argentina, Panama, Canada and Bermuda.
Jim Ferguson is the remaining member of the Bermuda team.