Flanagan Shoots 66 to Capture First-Round Lead at Otesaga Hotel Seniors Open

COOPERSTOWN, NY – Bob Flanagan of Lawrenceville, Ga., shot a 5-under par 66 on Wednesday to grab the first-round lead at the Otesaga Hotel Seniors Open in Cooperstown.

Four golfers were three shots off the lead at 69: Adam Adams of Coconut Creek, Fla.; Chris Dachisen of Wayne, N.J.; John Gentile of Fairfield, Conn.; and Jim Karr of Palm Beach, Fla. Seven other golfers finished one shot under par at 70: Mark Balen of Lackawanna, N.Y.; Jerry Courville of Westport, Conn.; Mike Dunsmore of Elizabethtown, N.Y.; Mike Lawrence of Easley, S.C.; Billy Smith of Oyster Bay, N.Y.; Tom Sullivan of Sheffield, Mass.; and Ken Tarling of Sandford, Ontario.

The 28th annual tournament continues through Friday, with 103 senior golfers from throughout the country competing for a total purse of $75,000. The traditional post-Labor Day event is hosted by the Otesaga Hotel and its Leatherstocking Golf Course, and presented by sponsors NBT Bank, Coca-Cola Enterprises and Strategic Financial Services, LLC, of Utica. Play concludes at Leatherstocking late Friday, followed by an awards ceremony and check presentation to this year's champion.

Proceeds from this event benefit Pathfinder Village, located in nearby Edmeston, a residential community dedicated to children and adults with Down syndrome. Annually, the Seniors Open raises more than $50,000 for scholarships for Pathfinder Village.

Proceeds also benefit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum educational programs, which enable the world-famous Museum to fulfill its educational mission and care for its collections.