Feld takes major step with Middle-Amateur victory at Overbrook

   Drexel golf coach Ben Feld, playing out of Huntingdon Valley Country Club, had the day’s best round, a 3-under-par 67 on a rain-softened Overbrook Golf Club layout to win the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Middle-Amateur Championship presented by Callaway Golf Thursday.

   Feld opened GAP’s first major championship of the season with a 1-under 69 and, despite a bogey at the par-4 18^th at the 6,568-yard, par-70 Overbrook layout, finished at 4-under 136 with his closing 67.

   Morning rains caused a two-hour, 20-minute delay, although the leaders got a nice window in which to play their final round.

   It looked for much of the day that Feld’s fellow Huntingdon Valley member Jeff Osberg, the reigning two-time William Hyndman III Player of the Year, was going to add the only missing piece to his GAP major championship resume, but a double bogey at the 18^th left him in a three-way tie for second, two shots behind Feld.

   The double bogey left Osberg, who was bidding for a third straight GAP major win after taking the Philadelphia Open and the Patterson Cup to close out the 2016 major campaign, with an even-par 70 which, combined with his opening-round 68, gave him at 2-under 138 total.

   Chris Lange Jr. of the host club, who fired a second straight 1-under 69, and St. Davids Golf Club’s Stephen Dressel, who was the opening-round leader with a sparkling 66, but fell back with a 2-over 72 Thursday, joined Osberg in the group tied for second at 138.

   Defending champion Matthew Mattare of Saucon Valley Country Club carded a second straight even-par 70 to finish tied for fifth at even-par 140. Mattare shared fifth place with James Gillespie of Little Mill Country Club, who added a 3-over 73 to his opening-round 67.

   Feld started slowly with a bogey at the fourth, but then ripped off three straight birdies at five, six and seven to get to 3-under. After making birdies at 13 and 17, he arrived at the 18^th tee at 5-under, but gave back a shot at the last with a bogey.

   Osberg got it to 5-under with four birdies in a seven-hole stretch, at seven, nine 12 and 13, around a bogey at the 11^th. He fell back to 3-under with back-to-back bogeys at 15 and 16, but was tied for the lead at 4-under with a birdie at the 17^th. His double bogey at the 18^th hole dropped him back into the tie for second.

   Peter Barron III of Stone Harbor Golf Club finished alone in seventh place at 1-over 141 after firing a 1-under 69 in the second round.

Merion Golf Club’s Michael McDermott, a four-time Middle-Amateur champion, added an even-par 70 to his opening-round 72 to get a share of eighth place at 1-over 142. Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Michael Carr was also at 142 after a 4-over 74. He had opened with a 2-under 68 Wednesday.

   The Cricket Club’s Conrad Von Borsig, the 2009 BMW Philadelphia Amateur champion, rounded out the top 10 as he finished alone in 10^th with scores of 72 and 71 and a 3-over 143 total.

   Dan Brown of Llanerch Country Club added a 74 to his opening-round 70 to finish alone in 11^th place at 4-over 144.

   A couple of former Middle-Amateur champions, 2010 winner Thomas Gramigna of Tavistock Country Club, who had a 74, and 2010 winner Michael R. Brown Jr. of LuLu Country Club, who had a 70, finished tied for 12^th at 5-over 145.

   A couple of other Llanerch guys, Tom Spano and Stephen Seiden, were among a group of three players who finished tied for 14^th at 6-over 146. Each carded a 1-over 71 Thursday after opening up with a 75.

   They were joined at 146 by William Jeremiah of Bidermann Golf Club, who had a pair of 73s.