Barron doesn't miss at Mid-Am this time

   A year ago, Pete Barron III of Stone Harbor Golf Club saw his chance at a Golf Association of Philadelphia Mid-Amateur championship, presented by Callaway Golf, slip away in a playoff loss to Merion Golf Club’s Michael McDermott, who won one of GAP’s prized major championships for a fourth time.

   Barron got another chance at this year’s Mid-Am title Thursday at Gulph Mills Golf Club and this time the 38-year-old Mays Landing, N.J. resident made the most of the opportunity.

   Barron holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole at the 6,536-yard, par-71 Gulph Mills layout to complete a final-round 68 and finish at 5-under 137, one shot clear of Yardley Country Club’s Chris Ault.

   Barron had driven it poorly on the shortish 452-yard, par-5 finishing hole and had to chip out. His 9-iron approach landed 30 feet from the pin and spun back to 10 feet.

   “I told myself to make an aggressive swing that will get to the back of the green and spin back,” Barron told the GAP website. “I wanted to hit something hard. I read the putt to have about two feet of break. It broke a hair more than that and snuck in the right side.

   “I was relieved. I could breathe. I was just thinking, get it to the hole and give it a chance.”

   Ault double-bogeyed the tough par-3 17^th,  but needed just a pitching wedge to reach the last in two and holed a five-footer for eagle. That completed a final-round 68 that got him to 4-under 138.

   Chip Lutz of LedgeRock Golf Club and one of the leading senior amateur players in the world, faltered down the stretch. Lutz had led after Wednesday’s opening round with a 3-under 68 and still had the lead heading to the back nine. Lutz finished with an even-par 71 and shared fourth place with Andy Latkowski (71-68) at 3-under 139.

   Barron and Lutz had two holes remaining when Thursday’s wild weather hit and they had to wait out a three-hour delay before returning to the course to complete their rounds.

   McDermott, a Haverford High and Saint Joseph’s product who has been the dominant GAP  mid-am player for more than a decade, came on strong in Round 2 after opening with a 74. His 3-under 68 Thursday left him in a tie for sixth at even-par 142. He was joined at that figure by Jeff Osberg (73-69), briefly a member at Llanerch Country Club who now plays out of Huntingdon Valley Country Club.

   Among some other finishers with Delco ties are: Merion’s John Sawin (72-71—143, tied for ninth), a Haverford School All-Delco; Llanerch’s Steve Seiden (73-72—145, tied for 17^th), a Strath Haven All-Delco; Overbrook Golf Club’s James Kania Jr. (72-75—147, tied for 24^th), the 2005-06 Daily Times Player of the Year at Haverford School; Overbrook’s Chris Lange (75-73—148, tied for 32); Overbrook’s Brad McFadden (76-73—149, tied for 36^th); Llanerch’s Cory Reighard (77-72—149, tied for 36^th); Overbrook’s Chris Lange Jr. (77-73—150, tied for 43^rd); Rolling Green Golf Club’s Shawn Levin (76-75—151, tied for 48^th); Overbrook’s Oscar Mestre (78-75—153, tied for 57^th); Overbrook’s Ray Thompson (76-77—153, tied for 57^th); White Manor Country Club’s Conrad Von Borsig (76-77—153, tied for 57th), the 2005-05 Daily Times Player of the Year at Strath Haven; Llanerch’s Kevin McDermott (78-79—157, tied for 67^th), a Haverford High All-Delco; Llanerch’s Sean Coyle (78-80—158, tied for 71^st); and Concord Country Club’s Doug Fedoryshyn (74-84—158, tied for 71^st).

Hargrove teams with Matthews for share of second

   Many of the state’s top players were at Chester Valley Golf Club Monday and Tuesday for the Pennsylvania Better-Ball Championship sponsored by Allegheny Health Services and a formidable team of former Haverford School standout Nelson Hargrove and reigning GAP Player of the Year Brandon Matthews got a share of second with rounds of 69 and 65 for a 6-under 134 total.

   The Oakmont Country Club pair of Spencer Mellon and Justin Miller emerged from a closely-bunched group of leaders to take the title with rounds of 66 and 67 for a 7-under 133 total.

Will Wears and Cameron Roth (69-65) shared second place with Hargrove and Matthews.

   Hargrove was coming off a solid senior season at Brown, which saw him lose the Ivy League title in a playoff after finishing in a tie for first. Matthews had a strong sophomore season at Temple, capped by earning an individual berth to the NCAA Regional at Raleigh, N.C.

   The brothers Kania, Overbrook’s James Jr. and Michael, both two-time Haverford School All-Delcos, teamed up to finish in a tie for ninth with rounds of 69 and 68 for a 3-under 137 total.

Conrad Von Borsig teamed with Rich Keenan to post rounds of 68 and 71 for a 139 total that left them in a tie for 14^th.

   Overbrook’s Liam Fahey teamed with Radnor Valley Country Club’s Bobby Svigals, a former Episcopal Academy standout who’s at Franklin & Marshall, for rounds of 70 and 72 for a 142 total that left them in a tie for 26^th.