Bala Golf Club’s Scott McNeil, who had established a
three-shot lead with a 2-under-par 68 in Wednesday’s opening round, held off
some Golf Association of Philadelphia heavyweights Thursday to win GAP’s first
major title of the season, the Middle-Amateur Championship.
McNeil, the 29-year-old parking facilities manager at 10
Rittenhouse Square, struggled to a 5-over 75 over the testy 6,557-yard, par-70
St. Davids Golf Club layout, a typically classic Donald Ross design, but his
3-over 143 total was good enough to hold off hard-charging Jeff Osberg, the
reigning Philadelphia Amateur champion, by a shot.
Osberg, a Huntingdon Valley Country Club member who played
out of Llanerch Country Club for a couple of years, fired a 2-under 69 Thursday
to finish at 4-over 144.
“(It’s a) great feeling,” McNeil, who was the qualifying
medalist in a U.S. Open local qualifier at Trump National earlier this month,
told the GAP website. “(I’ve put in) lots of hard work early on in the season
(and) I’m glad is has finally paid off.
“I’ve been close before, but for once I put myself in good
position and (was) able to drive the bus rather than riding in the back of it
and looking to get to the front of it.”
Merion Golf Club’s Michael McDermott, who has won this title
four times among his nine career GAP majors, made some noise as well.
McDermott, the Haverford High and Saint Joseph’s University standout who grew
up playing at Llanerch, matched Osberg’s 1-under 69 and grabbed a share of
third place at 5-over 145.
Plymouth Country Club’s Michael Carr, who had an
opening-round 71, had a 74 Thursday to share third with McDermott. Stephen
Dressel, the reigning club champion at St. Davids, briefly had a share of the
lead with McNeil before falling back. He had a pair of 73s to finish alone in fifth
at 146.
Llanerch’s Brian McDermott, Michael’s younger brother, had
one of Thursday’s best rounds, a 1-over 71, to finish in a tie for ninth at
148.
A couple of Overbrook Golf Club players, Brad McFadden (74-76)
and the ageless Ray Thompson (76-74), were in a large group at 150.
Another large group at 153 included Overbrook’s Oscar Mestre
(74-79), Aronimink Golf Club’s Jeff Klagholz (79-74), Rolling Green Golf Club’s
Jon Lavin (75-78) and Llanerch’s Brandon Murdock (74-79).
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