In tight match, Flory claims Belvedere title on final hole

By Jim Davis

The 2023 Belvedere Hickory Open (June 15-17) got off to cool start on the Thursday practice round, marked by northerly winds that were chilled by Lake Michigan to create a “brae” day. Both Northern and Southern visitor alike donned sweaters and jackets to brave a cold and heavy day-long mist that saturated a hitherto hard, dry golf course.

“Only just a few days ago,” the locals were saying, “the course was completely different.” In Michigan, the weather is completely different every five minutes, some like to say.

Nevertheless, spirits were high at the Thursday evening reception, held at the Chicago Golf Club’s handsome clubhouse. Drinks and a warm dinner erased the chill of the day; smiles and laughter soon replaced shivers and hunched shoulders.

Friday’s round was greeted with a beautiful cloudless sky, though temperatures never topped 65. Heartened golfers took full advantage, shooting low scores while jockeying for those prestigious Saturday pairings. 

Adventures on Belvedere’s 16th hole, a classic of great risk and small reward, dominated conversation at the evening gathering in the gracious Belvedere Golf Club clubhouse. “It’s Tom Watson’s favorite hole at Belvedere,” one said. “Tom is crazy,” said another, with some warmth, perhaps the same victim who took a 14 on the hole that day. 

(Your correspondent pauses the narrative here, to note that he heroically parred this demonic hole on the second day of the tournament, a small reward likely due the remorse of golf gods who smote him with relish over the rest of the course.)

The Saturday weather was a repeat of Friday and hopes were as high as the first tee of this famous Willie Watson-designed course.

It must be said that, for the visitor, nothing can quite compare with the friendly company of a Belvedere “regular” for a round over this course. To a one, they are as friendly and supportive as one could ask. One only needed a watchful eye to note where they aimed approaches and how they read putts to gain a small insight into this course they love so well. (A tip of the cap to Doc Gels, Paul Fiedorek and Tom Gallagher for their friendship and company.)

While the rest of us fell into either the “participant” or the “hopeful” category, three golfers set themselves apart at the 2023 Belvedere Hickory Open.

Joey Piatek of Munster, Ind., Peter Flory of Glencoe, Ill., and two-time Belvedere Champion Rick Woeckener of Garrettsville, Ohio, are hickory champions of the first order. Woeckener is a two-time U.S. Hickory Open champion – 2010 at Mimosa Hills in Morganton, N.C., and in 2019 at Belvedere where Flory finished second, just one stroke back.

Following is an account of the final holes by Joey Piatek, who had a front row seat for the contest.

“After Peter, Rick, and I tied with 79s Friday, we had a lot of pars (16) through the first seven holes of the second round as a group, but Peter and Rick both missed the green on the par three 8th hole, and they made a 4 and 5 respectively. Also Peter made a double bogey on 9 while Rick birdied.

“Through the first nine of the second round, Rick led with a 38, I had a 39, and Peter had a 41 as a result of going +3 total on 8 and 9. 

“Peter really showed how good a tournament player he is by making birdies on 10 and 11 exactly when he needed them. On 10 he hit the green in two with two great woods and barely missed his eagle putt. Standing on the 12th tee, Rick was +2, and Peter and I were both +3. I stumbled on the next three, going +4 on those, while Rick continued to make steady pars, and Peter made a double bogey on 13. By the 16th tee, Rick was leading by 3 strokes at +2 for the day. Peter was +5 and I was +7. 

“As you know, at No. 16 at Belvedere anything can happen. (It is a signature hole with a steep dropoff to the right that requires precise approaches and steady putting.) I made a mess of the hole. Rick had a 4-putt from the front of the green to the back flag for his double bogey, and Peter hit a gutsy niblick close to assure an easy par.  Peter was then 1 stroke behind with two holes to play.

“On the 165-yard 17th we all hit mashies to try to ride the wind from right to left and bounce it up to the front pin. Peter’s rolled up to one foot for his third birdie of the back nine. Rick also hit a good shot to 15 feet or so but missed the birdie putt. They were tied going into 18, confirmed with a quick ‘all square?’ on the tee box.”

Would Woeckener, again, best Flory by one at Belvedere?

Mr. Piatek continues:

“All three of us missed the 18th green in regulation after good drives. It seems like a ball landing just short on the green there usually stays short, and a ball landing on the green commonly rolls off the back left as Rick’s and mine did. Rick chipped up and Peter putted from off the green, both coming up shorter than they wanted; but Peter was able to make his for the par while Rick hit the back of the hole and it bounced out. 

“Congratulations to Peter for overcoming both a three-shot deficit and Rick’s steady game (which included 13 pars on the day). Rounds like that are why we play tournament golf.”

Flory’s delicate approach putt from the front of the 18th green had bedeviled others throughout the day. Just a hint of speed would have it running past, a gleeful prisoner escaping expected incarceration. He guaged it to a nicety and that was the difference. But Lady Luck may have had her say as well. Consider the rejection of Woeckener’s penultimate putt.

“Rick had another such putt earlier in the round,” Piatek recalled. “On No. 7 he had a 20-foot birdie putt that hit the cup liner dead center and bounced out. If the liner had been set another half inch further down, that ball might have stayed in. In golf we are reminded anything can happen, and usually does. Golfers who can keep their focus and never give up put themselves in a position to allow the universe to line up in their favor.”

Such is the rub of the green. One thing about this game, though, and not subject to the whims of fate is a rich reward that no scorecard will show: lasting friendships. Your correspondent was fortunate to be seated adjacent to Woeckener and Flory at that evening’s award banquet, a front row seat for friendly banter and tales of a competition that dates to several years. 

Like Nicklaus and Watson, Hogan and Nelson, and many another on a long list of legendary foes, golf is a game where no matter the heat of of competitive fire, the aftermath is one of friendship and stories to tell long into the night.

Peter Flory, however, looked like a very happy man, indeed.

Many thanks to all our Belvedere hosts and the staff from golf course to the banquet and buffets. It was all a treat to be remembered.

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