Hilliker’s personal-best 67 leads Wednesday Travel League
CASSADAGA — The Wednesday Travel League played through intermittent rain in this week’s event at Cassadaga Country Club.
Josh Hilliker shot the second lowest score in league history with a personal-best 67 (3-under par). The late Ron “Moonie” Rys is the only golfer to ever best Hilliker’s score, having once shot a remarkable 64, also at Cassadaga CC.
Hilliker won his seventh straight event, his 22nd victory of the season and 45th career win. He passed Kerry Murphy (44 wins) and is now tied with Paul Olkowski for fourth place all-time with 45 career wins.
Hilliker’s front nine 32 included four birdies and an eagle 3 on the par-5 ninth hole. He also led the back nine with an even-par 35. Jeff Nelson and Ed Tofil tied for second place with 84s. The B Flight winner was Don Kujawa. The winner of the Bruce “Java” Chrabasz Commissioner’s Award was Jack Hood.
Untied birdies were recorded by: A Flight, Hilliker (Nos. 1, 4, 7,9 with an eagle,10), John Waterman (No. 8), and Dave Franklin (No. 18); B Flight, Lenny Leszkowicz (No.1), Hood (Nos.4, 14), Joe Bifaro (Nos. 6, 15), and Mike Willoughby (No. 11).
Closest to the pin were Bifaro (No. 15) and Nelson (No. 17). Winners of the steeplechase were Hilliker in A Flight and Mike Dornan in B Flight.
Top point winners were Hilliker (75), Bifaro (38 and Hood (17). Season points leaders (through 33 events are: 1. Hilliker (1,152), 2. Dave Wallace (477), 3. Robert Calph (463), 4. Pete Pinkoski (425), 5. Gary Haase (407), 6. Tofil (357), 7. Nelson (351), 8. Franklin (327), 9. Tom Sacilowski (317), 10. Tony Destro (257).
This week the league is playing Downing Golf Course in Harborcreek, Pennsylvania with a 10 a.m. start. Golfers are asked to be signed up by noon Monday.