Steve Ford Captures 34th Annual Otesaga Hotel Seniors Open
Melbourne, Fla. Resident Finishes 13-under-par in 3-day event
(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – Steve Ford of Melbourne, Fla. carded a 66, 65 and a final-round 69 for a three-day total of 200, 13-under-par, to win the 34th Annual Otesaga Hotel Seniors Open by one stroke.
John Elliott of Westerly, Conn., who was tied with Kevin Savage and Alan Schulte for the first-round lead on Wednesday with 65, finished one stroke back with a three-day total of 201. Schulte of Fisher, Ind., placed third with a score of 205, tying with Savage of Baldwinsville, N.Y. Tim Conley of Braselton, Ga., placed fifth with 209.
Ford, who had never been to Cooperstown prior to the Seniors Open, had only positive things to say about the course, and the town.
“It was a really nice event, I enjoyed coming here – it was my first time to Cooperstown. It’s a beautiful place,” he said on Friday evening, after receiving a $6,500 check for the tournament victory.
Ford elaborated that while he enjoyed competing in the Seniors Open, it was one of the more challenging courses he had played on. “This golf course allows you to make some birdies, but there are some hard shots out here. The Par-3s are pretty tough, so it’s a nice mix of birdie holes, but some very hard holes too. It’s a fun test, and I look forward to coming back.”
“I’ve played a lot of tournaments over the years,” Ford added. “This is a nice one.”
The 34th annual tournament concluded Friday, with nearly 100 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, with NBT Bank the presenting sponsor.
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.
For more information on the Seniors Open and a complete list of scores, please visit www.otesagaseniorsopen.com.