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ficult in addition to the course .
“ It definitely got competitive out there ,” he described . “ It was different being out there with all the officers . It ’ s a little bit more pressure than just going out and playing with your friends .”
There were plenty of moments to raise the pulse rates . Phillips had one of those when he put his tee shot on the 161-yard , par-3 11th hole 23 inches from the flag . That was the closest-to-the-pin hole , which Phillips thought he had won until meeting somebody at the pig roast who came within 21 inches .
East Hanover Local 227 State Delegate Roberto Chiazzo and his playing partner , Joseph Zeppetelli , had another moment when they put a birdie binge together in the middle of their round . Alas , their day eventually fell victim to Ballyowen , though they did par the final hole to finish with an 80 and in 14th place .
“ We hit as many bad shots as good shots , but that didn ’ t really matter ,” he commented . “ You know how golf is . You par that last hole , and it keeps you coming back .”
Rawding and Edwards experienced what can take place among cops when they get out on the golf course . They were playing with Stephen Zoeller and Mark West of Lincoln Park Local 192 , the pair that won the tournament in 2017 .
“ They didn ’ t tell us that until we hit the back nine ,” Edwards revealed . “ It got a little more competitive when we found out we were playing with the defending champs .”
At the end of the day , the day belonged to the Dubois brothers , who try to play together once a month . Dan , who is the Wayne Superior Officers Local 136A president , indicated the brothers were motivated this year by just missing the playoff last year . They pummeled Ballyowen with five birdies , including four by Dan .
“ He putted lights out ,” Mark praised . “ It was fun to watch him play .”
A winning touch
The playoff included the Dubois brothers , Zoeller and West , Rawding and Edwards , Adamo and Henderson , Don Franklin and Mike Migdon from Howell Township Local 228 and Tim Hecht and Andy Schmidt from Jefferson Township Local 190 . Now , none of the players admitted that they felt the pressure , but it would have been understandable .
“ We ’ re used to dealing with things under pressure ,” Edwards noted . “ I wouldn ’ t say we were nervous , but it ’ s not like what you see on TV . It was exciting with all the guys screaming and yelling .”
Edwards had a five-foot putt for par on the playoff hole that would have been the best score if it had gone . “ Missed it on the low side ,” he said . “ It broke a little more than I anticipated .”
The last player to putt was the guy in the stripes , Dan Dubois , who had a three-footer for a par to win the tournament . Mark Dubois called it “ surreal ” when his brother dropped the putt and all the players rushed out to congratulate them .
“ I definitely felt the pressure of that small putt , you ’ re not kidding ,” Dan Dubois sighed . “ We didn ’ t really understand the magnitude until afterward holding the trophy . Seeing how this event is going to grow , it ’ s nice to get our name on the trophy .”
The trophy bears the names of each year ’ s winners . Phillips said he is going to put the trophy on display at the PBA office in Woodbridge and perhaps bring it to the Mini Convention in March to promote more participation . As Chiazzo declared , “ Hopefully , we will be doing this 20 years from now .”
That ’ s Mulvihill ’ s plan . He sees the event growing to use the resort ’ s other courses – Wild Turkey and Crystal Springs – for qualifiers into a championship playoff on Ballyowen . He wants to generate enough sponsorship to offer a scholarship and raise more support and awareness for the Unity Tour .
“ Seeing that we can do a day when officers can enjoy themselves makes us think about how we might expand the event ,” he added . “ We want to do more things in recognition of how much law enforcement officers do for us .” d
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