WOODSTOCK, Vt. – Dan Gillis (Nabnasset CC) and Kirk Hanefeld (Salem CC) carded 3-under 67s in the opening round of the 2022 NEPGA Senior Championship to take a one-shot lead over defending champion, Dale Abraham (Cape Arundal Golf Club), into tomorrow’s final round.
Four professionals shot even par to hold a share of fourth place at the end of day one: Daniel Wilkins (Laconia CC), Jeff Monteleone (Bellevue GC), Jeff Seavey (Goose River GC), and John Hickson (Northport GC).
Gillis kicked off the round with a birdie on the first hole and carded another birdie on eight to finish the front nine 2-under. He added two more birdies on 10 and 11 before finishing with a bogey on 18 to finish 3-under, 67, overall for a share of first place.
Hanefeld also birdied the first hole before evening out with a bogey on the second. He went on to birdied hole 3 and shot par on the final six holes of the front nine to head into the back 1-under. Birdies on 13 and 17 claimed Hanefeld a share of first place as he finished 3-under.
Abraham, who won the 2021 NEPGA Senior Championship held solo third place with a two-under 68 at the end of day one. He started hot with an eagle on the first hole before adding a stroke on the par-5 sixth hole. Abraham birdied the 9th and 10th holes to drop to 3-under before a double bogey on 12 and a birdie on 13 leveled him to an even 35 on the back nine and a two-under, 68 overall.
Wilkins, who shares fourth place with three other professionals, shot a bogey on hole 15 and a birdie on hole 16 to head into the back at an even 35. He parred every hole on the back nine to finish with an even par-70.
Monteleone birdied the first hole of the day, but two bogeys on hole three and eight put him 1-over heading into the back nine. He put up birdies on 10 and 17 before a bogey on 18 brought him to one-under on the back and an even par-70 overall.
After shooting 3-over on the front nine, Seavey had a strong through the back nine; putting up three birdies on 13, 15 and 16 to jump to an even 70 for a share of fourth place.
Hickson joined the fourth-place crew. After a birdie on the first hole, he finished the front nine two-over. A birdie on 11 brought him to one-under before a bogey on the par-3 13th hole put him back to two-over. Hickson finished strong with birdies on the par-4 17th and 18th holes to finish the back nine two-under and an even 70 overall.
Greg Farland (Marlborough CC), Todd Scarafoni (Bass Rocks Golf Club), Paul Parajeckas (Pleasant Valley CC: 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2019 winner), John Paesanie (The Bay Club at Mattapoisett), and Dave Tiedemann (Shelter Harbor GC) rounded out the top eight, shooting 2-over 72s for a share of eighth place.
Farland also birdied the opening hole of the day. Bogeys on the par-4 4th and 9th holes put him at 2-over heading into the back nine. He had a similar round on the back, putting up a birdie on the 10th and bogeys on 13 and 17 to finish two-overall, 72 overall.
Scarafoni finished the front nine 2-over before shooting an even 35 on the back to finish two-over overall and tied for eighth place at the end of day one.
Parajeckas shot 3-over on the front nine and birdied on hole on the back to finish 2-over, 72, tied for eighth place.
Paesani finished the front nine 2-over and went even through the back to also take a share of eighth place with a final 2-over 72.
Tiedemann shot one-over on the back nine while carding two birdies. He added another birdie on the back, but also finished one-over to claim a share of eighth place with a 2-over 72 in round one.
Six qualifying spots at the 34th Senior PGA Professional Championship are up for grabs tomorrow. Hanefeld, the 2011 Senior PNC Champion, is exempt from qualifying. Tomorrow’s round will determine the six qualifiers as well as five alternates for the senior PNC in October in Santa Ana Pueblo, NM.
The 2022 NEPGA Senior Championship is presented by Cadillac and supported by Avidia Bank, the Golf Channel, Mohegan Sun, the PGA TOUR, and R.J. Shepherd.
The NEPGA would like to thank Woodstock CC Director of Golf Matt Closter and the entire WCC staff for hosting the two-day Championship.