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| Tom Peters goes low to line up a putt on the second green while brother Ben checks the line from above. The brothers were teamed up for the first time in an event their dad, Scott, has won six times. (Click photo to enlarge) |
That’s OK with the onetime Hanover High School standout who has challenged land-speed records on the Dartmouth College course in years past. And not just because he and partner Andy Hydorn toured the par-71 layout in a nifty six-under 65, behind only medalists Nick and Shane MacDonald (63), and Mitch Cable and Mike Hathorn (64).
The slower-than-usual round was OK with Peters because the other team in his group was made up of a couple of former Hanover High players with whom he is intimately familiar, sons Ben and Tom.
“It was great to have them out here together for the first time,” said Peters, who has won the Keane six times with his brother Mike. “Playing with them didn’t take me back as much as it took me forward, because it showed the Tommy Keane tradition is moving forward.
“It is neat that the tradition is being passed on. I’m glad Ben and Tom and the younger players are enthusiastic about what the Tommy Keane is and what it’s all about.”
Ben Peters, 21, will be a senior business major at the University of Vermont in the fall while Tom Peters, 18, will be a freshman at West Virginia University.
“I’ve been kind of waiting until he was 18 and old enough to play,” said Ben, still scraping rust off his game after spending part of the summer studying business in China. “I played with (Hanover High teammate) Shane Wolter the past couple of years and we had a blast. But once Tom turned 18 I wanted to play with him and keep the ‘Brothers Peters,” thing going on.”
Tom Peters, who has seen his 5:30 a.m. shift on the Hanover Country Club grounds crew cut into his own rounds this summer, never considered playing with anyone but his older brother once he was eligible for the tournament.
“That was a decision made long before this year,” he said. “Seeing my dad and my uncle play together so many times, it only made sense that I would play with Ben once I was 18.”
Proud grandfather Seaver Peters, who years ago took on the role of tournament announcer after his final Tommy Keane as a player, took satisfaction in seeing the next generation of Peters brothers tee it up in an event that is clearly special to him.
“It was a great thrill to see them come out and play together,” Seaver Peters said, “and it was really fun to see them play with their dad.
“They are part of the younger contingent that is the future of this tournament. It’s refreshing to have the younger players here. It has been a pleasant surprise and helps solidify the future.”
If Tom Peters has his way, that future will be long and healthy.
“It’s not just a weekend’s worth of golf,” he explained. “Everyone who plays is always in a good mood. You get to play with anyone you want, but you also meet a lot of new people.
“Match play is always fun. No matter what skill you are, there are going to be people you can have a good match against, and that’s important. I’d definitely recommend playing in this tournament for anyone coming up. I’m not even halfway trhough my first one and I’m already having a great time.”
Like his brother, Ben Peters has been around the Tommy Keane virtually all his young life.
“I remember always coming out and watching the last day with my mom,” he said. “Then when I was old enough to work here, as soon as I was off I would get in a cart and go out and see how it was going.
“It’s a fun tournament to watch and to play in. It’s the most fun weekend I have golfing. Whether you play well or you play badly, it’s good to be out here.”
While their dad’s team was lighting up the course, Ben and Tom shot an 89, but even that disappointment couldn’t tarnish an experience they have been waiting to enjoy together.
“We didn’t hit it great but it was awesome anyway,” said Ben Peters. “It was just really fun to play with my brother and my dad, and it’s always a treat to be in this tournament, no matter how we played.”
If it pleased their old man that his sons have come to appreciate the tradition of the Tommy Keane, he might have been just as pleased by how they reacted to a score that wasn’t what they wanted.
“They probably handled today better than their father and uncle would have,” Scott Peters said with a chuckle. “I remember the year after we won it for the first time, we came back and we didn’t even make the championship flight. That was humble pie.”
This year’s tournament is certainly a lot more satisfying for Scott Peters, who has heard his father’s voice come over the PA system introducing three Peters for the first time.
“This is a special tournament for the Keanes,” Scott Peters said. “But I think it’s just about as important to our family as it is to theirs.”
DIVOTS
Nick and Shane MacDonald, who teamed up to win the 2010 Tommy Keane, recorded eight birdies in a bogey-free round to finish atop the leaderboard. Nick MacDonald did yeoman work, shooting a 66 on his own ball.
Awaiting the father-son team from Lebanon is a tough opening match Saturday against Hartford alums Jake Obar and Bill Vielleux, who came in at even-par 71. Obar teamed with Rex Whitney for a win in the ’06 Tommy Keane.
Second-seeded Hurricane veterans Mitch Cable and Mike Hathorn will take on the father-son team of Jim and Andrew Jankowski, who came in with 71.
One shot behind the Peters-Hydorn team was the pairing of recent Hanover High grads Nate Choukas and Benny Hayes, who shot a blistering 29 on the front and finished at 66.
Action in three flights continues with morning and afternoon matches Saturday. The championship will be determined after morning and afternoon matches Sunday.
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