Rompala captures 2009 Beachview Golf Club Championship
Rich Rompala is a big, strong guy who used his head to turn around a major paint company in nearly a dozen years at the controls – but he could have easily done it with his fairway shots, too.
He proved that on Feb. 21 when he turned his golf game around in a matter of hours and won the annual Club Championship of the Beachview Golf Club.
After the first 18-hole round was held on Feb. 17, Rompala trailed Helmut Peters, a multi-sport star, by six strokes. When Peters’ game went south in the final round, Rich was there to capitalize with a 78 and a two-shot victory.
Peters, also a leader on the club tennis team, wound up third when he lost a scorecard playoff to Bill Stell. Stell had a 78 to go with an opening round 86. Helmut was the exact reverse, 78-86. That’s the tantalizing fun of golf, learning which game you brought to the course on a given day.
Marty Gallagher, exactly one year after meeting his new hip, won the “A” flight with a pair of 86’s and a 172 total. Mark Ryan rallied to an 83 in the last round for 175 and second. Barry Humphries placed third with a 181.
In the closest flight, Guy Tober became the “B” champion with 93-95-188. John Linden tied that total but settled for second after a scorecard playoff. Dan Kays was one shot back at 189.
Ralph Barton, a World War II veteran, really made a great purchase two months ago when he decided to have his cataracts replaced with new lenses. He joked that he got a “special” lens from Dr. Mark Gorovoy – one that finds the middle of the fairway.
In a consistent week, Barton put two 63’s together to outpace Rene Lohser’s 129 by three shots. Bob Ritchlin was third with a 67-63-130.
In the annual Beachview Homeowners’ Tournament, Don and Kenene Weymouth teamed with Ed and Ginny O’Neil to post a gross two under par 33. The same team won the putting award with only eight putts in nine holes.