Smart move at U.S. Amateur qualifier

   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 100^th 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 100^th 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 11^th with a 71.

   Other top finishers included: Overbrook Golf Club’s Eric Kennedy (72, tied for 22^nd); Radnor Valley Country Club assistant pro Tony Perla (72, tied for 22^nd); Aronimink Golf Club assistant pro Bryan Kienke (72, tied for 22^nd); Merion assistant pro Robby Bruns (74, tied for 41^st); Aronimink head of instruction John Bierkan (74, tied for 41^st); The Springhaven Club’s Gregg Gipp (74, tied for 41^st); and Radnor Valley head pro George Forster (75, tied for 50^th).

   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.