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First-year partners turn heads with opening win at the 2023 CCNB Men's Fourball

laurie los lee, the standard-times
·4 min read

DARTMOUTH — Len Roberts and Chris George made quite the debut as first-year partners at the 93rd annual Country Club of New Bedford Fourball as they beat Steve and Adam Bradshaw, 1 up, on Tuesday to advance to the second round.

“I was looking for somebody because I’m a member here now and a friend of mine said, ‘I’ve got a guy for you. He hits the ball pretty good and he’s a grinder,’” said Roberts, who lives in New Bedford. “So, we played. We didn’t qualify last year, but we made it this year. We got lucky and got our first win and we’ll keep trying for tomorrow.”

George, a member at Sandwich Hollows Golf Club and Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds Golf Course, said he jumped at the opportunity to play at the Fourball again after partnering up with Joe Bean three years ago.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “It’s the way to play golf right here.

“We’re going to keep trying to win as best as we can.”

Rene Lachapelle fist bumps his partner, Mark Tennihan, after sinking a big putt on Hole 3 at the Country Club of New Bedford Fourball Tournament.
Rene Lachapelle fist bumps his partner, Mark Tennihan, after sinking a big putt on Hole 3 at the Country Club of New Bedford Fourball Tournament.

George said his strength is his consistency.

“I just keep it in play,” he said. “He tells me where to hit it and I just hit it there.”

It took strong play from both George and Roberts to advance against the Bradshaws.

“It was a back-and-forth match. We won it on the second to last hole,” Roberts said. “Steve Bradshaw, the father, played tremendous. He hit the ball as good as any of us. I was very impressed with how he played and his game.”

Daniel Scully, Tom Neves, Jerry Lamontagne and Dan Eilersten take a look at the fairway from the tee on Hole 4 at the Country Club of New Bedford Fourball Tournament.
Daniel Scully, Tom Neves, Jerry Lamontagne and Dan Eilersten take a look at the fairway from the tee on Hole 4 at the Country Club of New Bedford Fourball Tournament.

Despite the early exit, 75-year-old Steve Bradshaw said he loved every minute.

“I enjoy being with my son. The important part is playing with Adam,” said Bradshaw, a member at Allendale Country Club for more than 20 years. “He’s the player. I just go for the ride. I’m lucky at this age to be able to come here and play.

“It was one of those days. Some days they go in and some days they don’t.”

Adam Bradshaw added, “I love it. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to continue to play with him.”

Career day for Hantman

For the first time, Jason Hantman shot under par at CCNB, finishing Tuesday’s opening round with a one-under par 69 thanks to five birdies.

“I started with a birdie on the fifth hole, which is our hardest hole,” Hantman said. “I just got into a groove.”

Hantman went on to birdie on the 12th, 13th, 16th and first holes.

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“Last birdie came on the last hole,” he said. “I was way out of position. I hit a good shot that caught a good break and I ran in a 40-footer, which is crazy. I didn’t deserve to make birdie there. It felt like destiny today.

“I’ve shot even par a handful of times, but I have never managed to break par and I’ve been a member for 34 years.”

With Hantman and partner Adam Fernandes beating Joe Ribeiro and Charles Mello 5 & 4, Hantman didn’t get to finish out the round.

“You have to fill out the card based on your handicap so I had to get a bogey on the third hole, but I really would have liked to have played it out to see if I really could break par,” he said. “I’ll have to put an asterisk next to this.”

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Tight matchups

It took 19 holes for five of Tuesday’s 32 matchups to be determined. Another one went 18 holes.

Mother Nature impacts tournament

With the severe storm passing through the SouthCoast during the day, the start of the Fourball was delayed by nearly four hours. It began at 2:15 p.m. with a shotgun start.

First round results

Pelletier/Pelletier def. Perry/Shea, 6 & 5

Abaray/Corrigan def. Donovan/Donovan, 2 & 1

Giusti/Giusti def. Calabro/Downing, 4 & 2

Bean/Annunziata def. Powers/Powers, 4 & 3

Rogers/DoCouto def. Baptiste/Merritt, 18 holes

Gomes/Luiz def. Ferreira/Medeiros, 6 & 5

Snell/Debortoli def. Reilly/Antonio, 2 & 1

Visconti/Craig def. Cardoso/Eilertsen, 4 & 3

Hantman/Fernandes def. Ribeiro/Mello, 5 & 4

Allen/McCarthy def. Lake/Lake, 2 & 1

Stickley/Hickman def. Kim/Medeiros, 3 up

Nery/O’Connor def. Heron/Winters, 19 holes

Roberts/Coucci def. Snell/Rosa, 2 & 1

Zahn/Lombardi def. Champagne/Walecka, 19 holes

Miranda/Tavares def. O’Connor/Moniz, 2 & 1

Adao/Lindo def. Winterhalter/Winterhalter, 1 up

Lafreniere/Guthrie def. Kim/Massoud, 3 & 2

Manzone/Blanchard def. Marinelli/Blanchette, 2 & 1

Glassman/Meggison def. Joel Gonsalves/Santos, 6 & 5

Lachapelle/Tennihan def. Moura/Moura, 4 & 2

Neves/Scully def. Eilertsen/Lamontagne Jr., 2 & 1

Franco/Avilla def. Dextradeur/Portelance, 1 up

Lees/Winn def. Reedy/Reedy, 3 up

Costa/Munafo def. Marujo/Brightman, 2 up

Nery/Barboza def. DiCesare/Sullivan, 7 & 6

Mathes/Bonneau def. Correia/Correia, 4 & 3

Simmons/Tavares def. White/Stimpson, 19 holes

Canto/McCarthy def. Braga/Mangelson, 3 & 2

Roberts/George def. Bradshaw/Bradshaw, 1 up

Koska/Rezendes def. Oliveira/Mason, 19 holes

Winterhalter/Clarke def. DaCosta/Davis, 3 & 2

Saba/Eilertsen def. Rocha/Rego, 19 holes

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: First round of the 2023 Country Club of New Bedford Fourball