WOODSTOCK, Vt. – Dale Abraham (Cape Arundel GC) carded his second consecutive round of 68 for a two-day total of 136 and two shot victory over David Grygiel (Tee ‘N Tee Golfland) in the 2021 NEPGA Senior Championship.
With the victory, Abraham qualifies for the 2021 Senior Professional National Championship, set for this October at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
RELATED LINKS: FINAL RESULTS | DAY 2 PHOTOS | DAY 1 PHOTOS
The Cape Arundel professional will play in this fall’s Senior PNC alongside Kirk Hanefeld (Salem CC), who was exempt from qualifying as the 2011 Senior PNC Champion.
Joining Abraham and Hanefeld are the top-5 finishers from the week at Woodstock: David Grygiel, Ed Kirby (The Aquidneck Club), Paul Parajeckas (Pleasant Valley CC), and Jeff Seavey (Goose River GC). The final three qualifiers listed edged out Dan Gillis (Nabnasset Lake GC) and Brian Owens (North Kingstown GC) in a 5-for-3 playoff.
Abraham opened his final round with birdies on 1 and 3 to kick-start his round. From there, Abraham recorded three more birdies and three bogeys to maintain a score of -2 on the day and -4 for the tournament. After a close approach and birdie on 17, Abraham needed just a bogey on 18 for a comfortable two shot win.
Grygiel fired a second straight 69 today at Woodstock to finish solo second in the Senior Championship. Grygiel went out at one-under 34 and recorded two birdies, two bogeys, and five pars on the back nine to finish at 35. Grygiel’s best finish at the NEPGA Senior Championship prior to this week came in 2007, where he finished in a tie for third at Okemo Valley.
Kirby, the 2013 Senior Champion, overcame a double bogey on 4 with two birdies and 11 pars to finish the round with a 71. In the PNC Qualifying playoff, Kirby put his approach shot in the left greenside bunker on 18 and managed to get up and down for the par and qualifying spot.
Parajeckas, the four-time Senior Champion, tallied five birdies compared to just a single bogey for a second round 66 and two-day score of 140 (E). The Pleasant Valley professional once again qualified for the Senior PNC with a two-putt par in the playoff hole.
Rounding out the PNC Qualifiers was Seavey, who, like Parajeckas, recorded five birdies to one bogey in the second round for a two-day score of 140. Seavey’s long birdie putt on the playoff hole came up a few feet short, but he made the next one for the spot in the Senior PNC this fall. With a tied for third finish, Seavey cracks the top-5 in the NEPGA Senior Championship for the fourth consecutive year.
The five qualifiers will compete in the 33rd Senior Professional National Championship, held from October 21-24 at PGA Golf Club.
In the age flights, Abraham won the 50-54 group, Seavey won the 55-59 group, Grygiel won the 60-69 group, and Parajeckas won the 70+ group.
The 2021 NEPGA Senior Championship is presented by Cadillac and supported by Avidia Bank, the Golf Channel, John Deere, Mohegan Sun, the PGA TOUR, and RJ Shepherd.
The NEPGA would like to thank Woodstock CC Director of Golf Matt Closter, Superintendent Tim Stanwood and the entire WCC staff for once again serving as fantastic hosts of the Senior Championship despite the poor weather conditions that presented several challenges.