Watterson, Mckendrick the winners in GAP's Tee It Forward -- Fall Net Championship at Brookside

   Tom Watterson of Loch Nairn Golf Club played a pretty good round of golf last Thursday, good enough to win the men’s overall title in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Tee It Forward – Fall Net Championship.

   But even though the 61-year-old retired IT professional got to take a trophy back to his Avondale home, that wasn’t the highlight of his day at Pottstown’s Brookside Country Club. It was just being out there, enjoying the day, enjoying the company. Playing well was just icing on the cake.

   “This is the third time I’ve played in one of the GAP net events,” Watterson told the GAP website. “The highlight for me today, even with the win, was just playing in the championship and I’m dead serious on that.

   “Now that I’ve been to a few of these, I feel more comfortable out there. The players are just nice people. As an individual, playing well is nice, but having a good time was even better.”

   GAP couldn’t find a better spokesman for what it is trying to accomplish with its net events than Watterson.

   And Watterson did play well. The net events encourage a player to seek out the best tees for him or her to play. Watterson played from the red tees, making Brookside a 5,359-yard, par-71 challenge for him. He carded a gross 87 with eight net birdies that helped him pile up 42 points in the Stableford scoring system.

   Monte Ross of Wilmington Country Club was just a point behind Watterson in second with 41 points. Paul Visokey of Yardley Country Club and Charles Johnson of Jericho National Golf Club finished tied for third with 40 points apiece.

   Three players – James Konnick of host Brookside, Edward Osciak Jr., one of Watterson’s pals at Loch Nairn, and Brian Jasperse of Jericho National – shared fifth place, each compiling 39 points.

   Murray Felzer of White Manor Country Club finished alone in eighth with 38 points and Michael Kyle of Talamore Country Club and Dan Neill of LuLu Country Club finished tied for ninth with 37 points apiece.

   Trent Thompson of Bala Golf Club, Timothy Joyce, a Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association entry, and Bruce Berger of Philmont Country Club finished tied for 11^th with 36 points apiece.

   Philadelphia Country Club’s Eva Mckendrick, meanwhile, had a similar experience to Watterson’s in capturing the women’s flight with 38 points.

   Mckendrick played the yellow tees at Brookside, making it a 4,960-yard, par-72 challenge for her. She posted a pair of natural birdies on her way to a gross total of 86.

   Mckendrick’s clubmate at Philly, Marybeth Baldwin, winner of the Tee It Forward – Spring Net Championship at Coatesville Country Club, shared runnerup honors with Lucia Simon of Saucon Valley Country Club, winner of the Fall Net Championship a year ago, as they put up 34 points apiece.

   Alison Kellock of Flourtown Country Club finished fourth with 33 points and Pam Kennedy, another Saucon Valley entry, took fifth with 31 points.