Vitali survives exceptional heat to win Senior State Amateur
By Murray Evans
Photos by Ryan Munson
OKLAHOMA CITY – It’s been exceptionally hot in Oklahoma this week – perhaps you noticed the triple-digit temperatures. Peter Vitali certainly did, as he slogged through six grueling rounds over four days at aptly named Twin Hills Golf and Country Club.
Through it all, he kept his focus on the ultimate goal, which was winning the Oklahoma Golf Association Senior State Amateur title. He proved successful, never providing an opening for his opponent, Charlie Crouse of Oklahoma City, en route to a 4 and 2 win in the title match on Thursday morning on the Perry Maxwell-designed course adjacent to Interstate 35, on the edge of both Oklahoma City and Forest Park.
Terry Hughes of Bartlesville took the new OGA Super Senior State Amateur crown (golfers 65 and older), beating Jerry Nick of Okmulgee 2 and 1.
Vitali, a 53-year-old banker from south Oklahoma City, plays out of Belmar Golf Club in Moore. He is a former club professional at Gaillardia Country Club in Oklahoma City who regained his amateur status before winning the OGA Senior Stroke Play title in 2023 and 2024. The State Senior Amateur title was his first.
This week, he fired an even-par 72 in Monday’s qualifying round, then played two matches on Tuesday – beating Steve Steele of Edmond 6 and 5, then Christopher Lee of Edmond 1-up. Two more wins on Wednesday, 6 and 5 over Brian Cook of Tulsa and 3 and 2 over Ron Roden of Oklahoma City, earned Vitali a spot opposite Crouse in the title match.
Playing so many rounds in such a short time in such hot weather taxes a player, Vitali said.
“It’s a physical test, but it’s also a mental test, because you’re tired and stiff,” he said. “You have to mentally want to give up or give in and you just have to keep telling yourself to stick with it. The hardest thing to do is to maintain your focus on what you’re trying to do.
“Your mind drifts to, ‘I just can’t wait to get this over with. When I get done, I’m going to take a cold shower.’ But I still had more work to do, so it was focus, focus, focus. Go through your routine.”
One observer watching the match Thursday remarked that it seemed like Vitali never hit a shot under stress. Vitali laughed when that remark was relayed to him.
“You’re stressed the whole time,” Vitali said. “But when you walk to the first tee and they say your name to go play, it’s like you’re plugged into an electrical socket. It’s a positive nervous tension. That’s what we pay money to do, is to play tournament golf where the whole time, you have that nervous tension.”
The first three holes of Thursday’s match were a roller coaster – Vitali won the par-4 No. 1 with a birdie, but then bogeyed the par-5 No. 2, allowing Crouse to even the match. Vitali went back ahead by winning the par-4 No. 3 and never trailed again.
Crouse, who plays out of Oak Tree National in Edmond, hit his second shot on the par-5 No. 5 into a hazard and took a penalty shot as a result. Vitali took advantage to win the hole and go 2-up. Vitali made a rare mistake on No. 6, as his second shot came to rest on a cart path near the hole. He chipped onto the green but missed his par putt, allowing Crouse to win that hole.
A two-hole stretch on the back side proved decisive. Vitali drove the green on the 291-yard par-4 No. 10, while Crouse’s tee shot landed to the left of the green. Vitali two-putted for birdie to go 3-up.
He went 4-up on the par-3 No. 11 after misfortune for Crouse, who hit what appeared to be a perfect tee shot from the elevated tee box – but he caught the ball a little too perfect and the shot landed behind the green in a tricky spot, eventually resulting in a bogey.
“That was a fantastic, (PGA) Tour-quality shot on 11 and he caught a bad break,” Vitali said. “That was a gift to me.”
Crouse made a 20-foot birdie putt at No. 12, providing him a glimmer of hope, but he missed a medium-length eagle putt on the par-5 No. 13 and ended up halving the hole with Vitali. Crouse then barely missed a par putt at No. 14 while Vitali made his par putt.
Crouse extended the match with a par at No. 15 as Vitali three-putted from the fringe. But Crouse’s first tee shot sailed far out of bounds on No. 16 and he had to take a second tee shot, which also landed in the rough. At least it was playable, but Crouse’s next shot hit a tree and ricocheted behind him.
His fifth shot didn’t land near the green. Vitali’s third shot was a chip that landed three feet from the hole and Crouse then conceded, a big smile on his face as he shook Vitali’s hand.
“He played real solid and I made some mistakes that he took advantage of,” Crouse said. “He didn’t have any chinks in his armor. I really needed to play better and put pressure on him and I didn’t do that today. … My putting this week was not good and it finally caught up with me.”
In the Super Senior match, Hughes won seven holes but Nick took five to keep the match close, never falling behind by more than two holes. Hughes clinched by winning the par-4 No. 17 while Nick bogeyed.
