Even without defending champs back, the 2023 CCNB Fourball features competitive field
It's been a quick 10 years since Jason Hantman teamed up with his father, Dr. Ron Hantman, to win the 2013 Country Club of New Bedford Men's Fourball.
"Time really flies," said Hantman, who has a wealth management practice with the Morgan Stanley Westminster Group in Providence. "It's hard to believe that 10 years have passed already."
The father-son duo played together a number of times in the tournament, including a final appearance as a team in 2015.
"We had a very successful partnership and playing with my father made it extra special," Hantman said. "We won it in 2013 and we made it to the semifinals in 2014. That was going to be our last time, but we changed our minds, and we came back for one more go at it."
The 93rd annual CCNB Men's Fourball will get underway with first-round action on Tuesday. The 64-team match-play tournament will be contested over six days, with the championship match scheduled for Sunday.
"It's always a great week, but it's also a tough week. You play a lot of golf and that can grind on you," Hantman said. "My father wanted to keep playing, but six straight days of golf can take a toll on you, and he didn't want to play if he couldn't be competitive."
Dr. Hantman was 67 when the team won back in 2013 and he's 77 now. A renowned local neurosurgeon who was one of the area's last solo practitioners before retiring in 2006, he took care of patients at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River. He still plays golf when he can, while wintering in Florida and spending the summer in Stonington, Connecticut.
"He still walks the course and carries his own bag," Jason Hantman said. "He's always been a big golfer and getting a chance to play in the fourball was something he always looked forward to. He'll play golf until the day he dies."
Back in 2013, the Hantmans notched a hard-fought 2-up win over Bob Marinelli and Brian Radell in the championship match to cap a tough week of competitive golf.
"We got off to a good start and we managed to squeak by in a couple of really tough matches," Jason Hantman said. "The final was a battle from start to finish. The match went back and forth, with neither team going more than one up. We hung tough and I made a par-three at the 17th hole to win the match. That was a great moment and winning with my father was icing on the cake. That was a special day for the both of us. It's a one of a kind event and we're proud to have our names on that trophy."
2023 CCNB Fourball Field
This year's tournament will be packed with plenty of good teams. Sixty teams qualified automatically and 16 others battled it out for the remaining four spots in the field.
The father-son team of Dr. Jeff Silva and Kevin Silva, who won the 2022 championship, will not be back to defend their title, but the field will be as strong as ever.
LOOKING BACK Winning the CCNB Fourball with his son, Kevin, 'means everything' to Jeff Silva
Chris Perry and Thomas Ayala, who came up just short last year in a 1-down loss to the Silvas, are back to see if they can take it to the next level. They will be joined in the field by the father-son team of David Pelletier and Kyle Pelletier, the 2021 champions, and the team of Mike Koska and Tim Rezendes, who won in 2020.
Two other pairings to keep an eye on are Kevin Nery and Bruce Barboza, and the veteran team of Paul Debortoli and Dean Snell.
Jason Hantman will be teamed up with Adam Fernandes for the third time. Both are Dartmouth High School graduates and Fernandes combined with Dr. Tom McCormick to win the 1998 championship.
"We made it to the quarterfinals last year, so we'll be looking to improve upon that this time around," Hantman said. "It's such a great tournament, with so many good players. You have to play well, but you also have to catch some breaks. Everything has to fall into place just right. We both know what it takes to win out there, so we'll have that going for us."
Richie Packish, the club's new director of golf, is looking forward to overseeing his first CCNB fourball.
"This is my first time with a week-long event and it's going to be interesting to see how everything plays out," Packish said. "We have a full membership out here and the course is in great shape after some minor modifications. We're ready to go and everybody is looking forward to another great week of golf."
If you go ...
When: Tuesday, Aug. 8, through Sunday, Aug. 13
Where: Country Club of New Bedford (585 Slocum Road, North Dartmouth)
Complete coverage: Southcoasttoday.com
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Preview 2023 Country Club of New Bedford Men's Fourball
