By Bob Oliver
Middletown is a compact 80 acres of challenging golf, with rolling hills and large specimen trees that have watched many golfers travel its fairways over time. It has retained its old time feel with tees and greens in close proximity, allowing golfers to walk the course if they choose.
With host Tony Leodora will travel both near and far to bring viewers a look at some of the most spectacular golf destinations in the world!
There is an old adage that implies there are different horses for different courses.
In golf, that's true.
Well, maybe not for Tiger Woods, who wins anywhere any everywhere around the world. But even Mr. Woods has a mastery over the Firestone Country Club where he's won 6 of his 62 PGA Tour victories.
The dream goes on for Jon Rusk.
The Washington Crossing native, who won the 1997 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association State Championship while at Council Rock High School, got a taste of a high level of professional golf last year.
After playing recent years on several mini-tours Rusk earned a berth on the Nationwide Tour, a step below the PGA Tour, making 5 cuts in 18 events playing alongside familiar if not household names such as Jason Gore, Chris Couch, Camilo Villegas and Bill Haas.
It came down to a putt between Bishop Egan High School grad Mike Laudien and 2002 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Champion Matt Gogel.
Laudien, now head professional at the Rotella Golf Club in New York, canned a 12-footer on the 3rd playoff hole to put the pressure on Gogel. The former PGA Tour winner missed his 8-footer, and Laudien secured the final spot in this week’s PGA Tour Buick Championship.
The Egan grad had carded a 2-under-par 70 at the Robert Trent Jones Course at Lyamn Orchards to get into the 6-man playoff for the final spot in the $4.4-million PGA Tour event which offers a a first place check for $774,000. Make the cut and you earn about $8,000.