Schmidt, Parpagene set the pace at Lebanon County Better Ball

MYERSTOWN - There were few surprises and http://www.dusenadup.com/star-lotulelei-jersey-c-1_2.html plenty of light moments during the opening round of the Lebanon County Better Ball Golf Championships Saturday at Lebanon Valley Golf Course.
Defending champs Mike Schmidt, Jr. and Pete Parpagene shot a blistering 29 on the back nine to post a 7-under round of 64 to grab the early lead.
Three groups, tournament director Tony Deraco and Greg Behney, Skeet Wentling and Justin Arnt and Chris Gebhard and Jim Gardner, shared second place with rounds of 66.
For anybody who has ever played Lebanon Valley, much of the gallows humor circled around holes Nos. 4 and 6.
Depending on the pin placements, both greens can lead to calamitous putts.
"I never laughed as much on a green as I did today on No. 6," Schmidt said. "Pete had a 3 or 4-footer up the hill. It lipped out, rolled around the cup and he had to jump out of the way as it rolled back toward him. It went 20 feet off the green."
Similar tales were in abundance.
Ben Brewer, playing with Shane Gingrich and in a group with Schmidt and Parpagene, had the chip of the day on No. 4, a 473-yard uphill par 4 to a tilted green. The pin was in the lower right corner of the green.
"Ben hit a chip that went 20 feet past the hole up the hill," Parpagene said. "He was all ticked off because it went so far past. But it started rolling back down the hill and Mike said it 'it's going to go in,' I looked at it and sure enough, it broke a little left and right in the hole. Otherwise, it was off the green."
There was also plenty of good golf played. Deraco and Behney were the first group in.
"We had a good round, but we left some shots out there," Derarco said. "We putted well enough. Local knowledge on this course is a definite plus."
Deraco rolled in a 20-footer on 17 to get his team to 7-under, but then a double bogey followed on 18.
"One of us drove right and the other drove left, both behind trees," he said. "Then second shots behind trees and so forth. We were hoping for tap-ins for bogey, but it never happened."
Wentling and Arnt, both with plenty of local knowledge, were next in with their 66. Wentling grew up working with his brother, Derek, for their dad, Scott, who was head groundskeeper at LVGC before his untimely death nearly a decade ago.
Arnt, a graduate of Elco and Alvernia, has been http://www.hl-sapporo.com/devin-funchess-jersey-c-1_19.html playing Lebanon Valley all his life. They teamed together earlier this summer to win a Better Ball tournament at Royal Oaks.
"Playing here means a lot to me, because of my dad's history here," Wentling said. "My first so-called job was here when I was 12. It put a lot of pressure on Justin, because I didn't necessarily play too well today, but he did. I was just along for the ride."
Gebhard, who won the Sullivan this summer at the Lebanon Country Club with Noah Firestone, and Gardner, a local veteran golfer, were next in with 66, but not real happy about it.
"We never really got it going," Gebhard said. "Too many bogeys."
Twelve teams will comprise the championship flight. Following with 67s were the teams of Jeff Hoke and Chris Fairbanks and Steve Sherk with Matt Cecil. Greg Seidel and Matt Lebo carded a 68.
Bob Grubb and his son, Troy, shot a 69, which included a rare eagle on the par 4 ninth hole.
"I drove it left, next to the creek," Bob Grubb said. "I had about 120 yards left. I hit a 9 iron that looked good, but I couldn't see where it ended up because of the hill in front. But when we got up there, it was in."
Other 69s were turned in by Bill Massar, Jr. and Dave Berkheimer, Tom Plunket and Ron Heisey, Ryan Fake and Zach Layser and Kerry Wentling (Skeet's uncle and Scott's brother) and Jon Day to close out the championship flight.
As it was last year at Fairview, the day belonged to Parpagene and Schmidt. Their 64 included eagles by Parpagene on No. 5, a 497-yard par 5, and by Schmidt on No. 15, a 530-yard par 5.
"On my eagle, I had a decent drive, hit a 7 iron Charles Johnson Jersey to about 12 feet and made the putt," Parpagene said. "On 15, Mike drove right to behind some trees. He hit a ball out of the rough that was a knuckle ball. It was right on line, but barely made it over the trees. It was the kind of shot that you can't judge the distance. He thought it'd be 20 feet over the green. When we got up there, it was two or three feet away for an eagle."
Schmidt said he was happy with the round, considering he hasn't been able to play much golf this summer, due to having 14-month old twin sons at home.
"It's kind of tough getting away on weekends for any length of time," he said.