Commonwealth National's Breslin tops Caddie Tournament field with a 68

   The best golfing caddies in the Philadelphia area – and there are a bunch of them – descended on Bellewood Country Club, in North Coventry just across the Schuylkill River from Pottstown (the old Gruber Estate for an old-time Pottstown reference from the former sports editor of The Mercury), Monday for the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 71^th Caddie Tournament.

   Although no overall champion is crowned, Commonwealth National Golf Club looper John Breslin had the day’s best round, a 3-under-par 68 over the 6,105-yard, par-71 Bellewood layout in capturing top honors in the 21-to-25 age group.

   Breslin, a 22-year-old Jenkintown resident, was two shots better than three players who also were under par at Bellewood, each carding a 1-under 70. Lookaway Golf Club’s Robert Crawford was the runnerup to Breslin in the 21-to-25 division while Philadelphia Country Club’s Chris Button and Merion Golf Club’s Chris Tobias were atop the leaderboard in the 26-to-41 division. Button was awarded the top spot in the age group in a match of cards.

   Breslin reached the 10^th tee at even par and proceeded to knock a 60-degree wedge from 30 yards to 10 feet for a birdie on the par-5 hole.

   Breslin fell back to even with a bogey at the 14^th, but finished up strong with three birdies in his last four holes. He knocked a sand wedge to five feet at the 15^th and made the putt, hit a 6-iron at the 175-yard, par-3 17^th to eight feet and made that and reached the par-5 finishing hole in two with a 6-iron from 190 yards and two-putted from 30 feet for birdie.

   “I was pretty consistent the whole day,” Breslin, a recent Saint Joseph’s grad who is planning to the take the L SAT and hopes to go to law school, told the GAP website. “I missed a bunch of birdie putts on the front, but I was striking the ball well. I went to the back, had a birdie on No. 10 and held it together.”

   In the 21-to-25 age group, Stewart Rickenbach of Lookaway carded a 1-over 72 to finish third behind Breslin and fellow Lookaway looper Crawford. Kyle Henofer of North Hills Country Club finished fourth and Corey Betham of St. Davids Golf Club was fifth with a 74.

   Shawn Gensbauer of The ACE Club and Mark Kelly of St. Davids finished tied for sixth, each posting a 76. Colton Heisey of Applebrook Golf Club was eighth at 77 and Michael Fedak Jr. of Gulph Mills Golf Club and Ryan Estock of Spring-Ford Country Club finished tied for ninth at 79.

   The co-medalists in the all-important battle for low Stonewall, Matt Hildenbrand and Seth Hartman, were two of the three players tied for third behind Button and Tobias in the 26-to-41 age group, each carding a solid 3-over 74. Joining them at 74 was Jason Wilt of Applebrook.

   Stephen Kunkle of the Philadelphia Cricket Club finished alone in sixth with a 76 and Ross Tucker of St. Davids was seventh at 77. Three players – Timothy Zimmaro of The ACE Club, Jonathan Sharp of Aronimink Golf Club and Robert Bangs Jr. of Merion – finished tied for eighth at 78.

   Luke McKeogh of Commonwealth National was awarded the top spot in the 18-to-26 division in a match of cards after finishing tied with Pat Donaldson of Tavistock Country Club and Thomas Weir of Aronimink, with all three coming in at 4-over 75.

   Mark Amadio of French Creek Golf Club finished fourth with a 79 and Michael Risser of Chester Valley Golf Club was fifth with an 80.

   Jason Swartz made it three division winners for Commonwealth National as he topped the 17-and-under group with a 76. Jack Larosa of the Union League Golf Club at Torresdale was the runnerup with a 78.

   Joseph Hassey Jr. of Llanerch Country Club took third with an 86 and Alex Tobiassen of French Creek was fourth with an 88.

   Rob Kingston of Saucon Valley Country Club took top honors in the 42-and-over division with a 76. John Patella of Rolling Green Golf Club and Jack Lukens of Lookaway shared second place, each posting a 77.

   Eric Dahl of Manufacturers Golf & Country Club finished alone in fourth with a 78 and Douglas Thompson of French Creek was another shot behind Dahl in fifth with a 79.

   Four players finished tied for sixth at 82, including Mike Kaplan of Llanerch, Jeff Campbell of Saucon Valley, Mike Petruccelli of the Union League at Torresdale and Chris Catanese of Applebrook. Stonewall’s Ernesto Umana (if he ever caddies for you at Stonewall and gives you a read on a green, trust it) and Paul Bilous of Lehigh Country Club finished tied for 10^th at 83.

   Another of Stonewall’s top loopers, Billy Beamer, gave it his best shot, finishing with a 99.

   “The driver let me down a little,” Beamer told me exclusively in the Stonewall caddyshack Friday. “I didn’t hit enough greens in regulation. Putted OK, though.”