Herchuk, Kempel claim senior golf titles

The Hillcrest Sports Centre's senior men's league championship was a lesson in consistency.
Daryl Herchuk won the top handicap flight with a two-day total of 145, posting a 73 Thursday to add to his Wednesday score of 72.
In fact, most of the flight winners were within a couple strokes of their previous day's score on Thursday. Otto Kempel won the 10-16 handicap flight - in addition to taking home the Super Senior title - with a 162 (80-82) total, while Lloyd Thiele topped the 12-23 group with a score of 175 (87-88).
Herchuk was pleased with his solid, if not flawless, play.
"I thought I played very good," he said. "I missed a few, but I guess everyone does. Only a few, though. I putted really good, ball striking was good, not too many errors."
Herchuk has now won the title two years in a row and he says he plans to defend it for a few more years.
Senior men's provincial champion Ken Bradley was nipping at Herchuk's heels after the first day, and both men knew the other wouldn't provide much breathing room.
"We weren't playing together (but) I felt his presence when I missed my last 10-foot putt. I thought, 'Boy is this going to cost me,'" laughed Herchuk. "I didn't know how he was doing, but I assumed he was doing good."
Bradley finished with a 151 (74-77) total, while Craig Tressel was third with 156 (76-80).
Kempel picked up his first Super Senior title, reserved for golfers over 70 years of age. He too was satisfied with his overall performance.
"I was a little shakey at times, but I finished strong," he said. "I missed some putts that I normally would make."
Both men praised the quality of the course for aiding them in their victories.
"The course was really good. The greens were rolling good. The weather was great," said Herchuk. He added wryly: "The only thing that was wrong with today was there was no wind. That kind of throws us, when there's no wind."
Asked what he would attribute his two-stroke Thursday score increase on, Kempel only had to think for a moment.
"I started out with an eagle on the first hole (Wednesday) and today it was just a lousy par," he quipped. "So there's two strokes right there."

Taylor Lambert can be reached at 691-1260