If you read my account of Brandon Matthews’ victory in
Wednesday’s Philadelphia Open in Thursday’s Daily Times, you got a little of
the regret the Temple senior felt over failing to qualify for the U.S. Amateur
two days earlier.
The qualifier was held at Old York Road Country Club and
Cedarbrook Country Club in Monday’s searing heat. It is always a tough test with
just five tickets available for a trip to the U.S. Amateur, which will be held
Aug. 17 to 23 at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill.
And Matthews, with rounds of 1-over 73 at the 7,045-yard,
par-72 Cedarbrook layout and 1-under 70 at the 6,547-yard, par-71 Old York Road
layout, finished two shots short of qualifying.
The qualifying medal went to Henry Smart of Charleston, S.C.
who had 68s at both courses for a 7-under 136 total. Smart is a former Virginia
teammate of 2010 Pennsylvania Amateur champion Cory Siegfried and Cole Willcox,
who qualified for the 2005 U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club as a senior at Malvern
Prep.
“A GAP event is fantastic,” Smart said of the event run by
the Golf Association of Philadelphia. “Pace of play is quick. The hole locations
are fair. You couldn’t ask for a better setup for a U.S. Amateur qualifier.
Cory and Cole speak so highly of the GAP. That was one of the reasons why I
came up and did it.”
Another southern invader, East Carolina senior Jacob Hicks
of Greenville, N.C., added a 71 at Cedarbrook to the blistering 5-under 66 he
fired at Old York Road to share second place with Vinay Ramesh, the PIAA Class
AAA champion as a senior at Pennsbury last fall. Ramesh, who will join
Philadelphia amateur runnerup Michael Davis at Princeton this fall, had a 69 at
Cedarbrook and a 68 at Old York Road.
Grabbing the final two spots were Jack Wallace, a
31-year-old Beverly, N.J. resident who had 69s at both courses, and Michael
Brown Jr., a 42-year-old Maple Shade,
N.J. resident, who had a 70 at Old York Road and a 71 at Cedarbrook for a
2-under 141 total.
Methacton junior Kyle Vance, who had a 72 at Cedarbrook and
a 70 at Old York Road, and Roland Massimino, the PIAA Class AA runnerup at New
Hope last fall (and yes, grandson of Rollie) who had a 74 at Old York Road
before rallying with a 68 at Cedarbrook, are the alternates at 1-under 142.
Some other notable finishers (Cedarbrook score first)
included: Georgetown sophomore and reigning Philadelphia Amateur champion Cole
Berman (72-74—146); Aronimink Golf Club’s Siegfried (75-73—148); former St.
Joseph’s Prep standout Mac Ryan
(74-74—148); Overbrook Golf Club’s Chris Lange Jr. (73-76—149); former
Episcopal Academy standout Bobby Svigals (77-73—150); Radnor All-Delco Carey
Bina (75-77—152); recent Episcopal graduate Trey Croney (78-74—152); Llanerch
Country Club’s Steve Seiden (75-78—153), who has qualified for the U.S. Amateur
twice out of this event; Rolling Green Golf Club’s Matthew Bastian (78-79—157);
Rolling Green’s Shawn Lavin (79-78—157); and Merion Golf Club’s J.D. Bradbeer
(80-78—158).
Sautter captures Hyndman Memorial
It was only fitting with the Philadelphia Section PGA marking
the occasion of the late William Hyndman III’s 100th birthday with
Monday’s playing of the William Hyndman III Memorial Classic at Huntingdon Valley
Country Club that 59-year-old Philadelphia Cricket Club pro Bill Sautter would
capture the title.
With the heat index hovering around 100, Sautter fired a
4-under 66 on the challenging William Flynn design to finish a shot ahead of
the hottest player all year on the Philadephia PGA circuit, Gulph Mills Golf
Club assistant pro Josh Rackley. On the occasion of the legendary Hyndman’s 100th
birthday, the top prize was increased to $10,000, so Sautter’s timing was
impeccable.
Spring-Ford Country Club head pro Rich Steinmetz finished
third with a 68 and Billy Stewart, The ACE Club assistant pro who grew up
playing at Llanerch Country Club, and John Pillar of the Country Club at
Woodloch Springs finished in a tie for fourth at 1-under 69.
Sautter also bested the senior division and Rackley edged
Stewart as the event was a designated Philadelphia Assistants’ Organization
tourney.
Concord Country Club head pro Mike Moses and M Golf Range
instructor Stu Ingraham were among five players tied for sixth with 70s. Merion
Golf Club head of instruction Mark Sheftic finished in a tie for 11th
with a 71.
Other top finishers included: Overbrook Golf Club’s Eric Kennedy
(72, tied for 22nd); Radnor Valley Country Club assistant pro Tony
Perla (72, tied for 22nd); Aronimink Golf Club assistant pro Bryan
Kienke (72, tied for 22nd); Merion assistant pro Robby Bruns (74,
tied for 41st); Aronimink head of instruction John Bierkan (74, tied
for 41st); The Springhaven Club’s Gregg Gipp (74, tied for 41st);
and Radnor Valley head pro George Forster (75, tied for 50th).
Rackley, Stewart, Forster, Sheftic and Ingraham all had
strong showings two days later in the Philadelphia Open held at the
Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course.
Look for a roundup of
some Philadelphia PGA Junior Tour action, including two wins each for
Chichester junior Caprian Kan and Agnes Irwin sophomore Kaitlyn Lees, and a few
thoughts on the strong showing, at age 59, by Radnor Valley’s George Forster at
the Philadelphia Open in Tom McNichol’s Golf Notebook in the Saturday Daily
Times.
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