Team Kelly uses birdie burst at Honeybrook to claim title in Father & Son (Middle) Championship

   Ryan Kelly, having recently wrapped up his college baseball career at Saint Joseph’s, and his dad, Kevin Kelly, got it going on the back nine at Honeybrook Golf Club, their first nine of the day, and that gave them the tiebreaker edge in a scorecard playoff that earned them the trophy in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Father & Son (Middle) Championship Thursday.

   The Kellys, playing out of Philadelphia Cricket Club, were one of five teams to post a 2-under-par 68 over the 6,014-yard, par-70 Honeybrook layout in northwestern Chester County in the select drive/alternate shot format. Their scorching 4-under 31 on the back nine proved to be decisive in the match of cards that decided the winner.

   One of the groups that the Kellys shared the top spot with was their playing partners, D.J. Pinciotti III, a former Holy Ghost Prep standout, and his dad, Daniel Pinciotti, one of three Huntingdon Valley Country Club pairs to finish among the top 10.

   The Father & Son (Middle) is open to sons ages 19 to 29 and was added to the Father & Son (Older) and Father & Son (Younger) championships that have always been such popular draws on the GAP schedule.

   The 23-year-old Ryan Kelly, who will start a new job at Philadelphia Insurance Companies in July, sank a 10-foot putt for par at the 12^th hole and that seemed to get Team Kelly going.

   A little power golf helped produce four straight birdies in the next four holes. Kevin Kelly’s 7-iron at the 13^th hole finished 10 feet from the hole and Ryan Kelly converted the birdie try. The 52-year-old Kevin Kelly, who works in the printing industry, nearly drove the short, par-4 14^th, the ball finishing hole high to the left of the green. Ryan Kelly chipped it to tap-in range for a birdie.

   Ryan Kelly bombed his drive on the par-5 15^th hole and dad followed it up by reaching the green in two by sending in a rescue from 225 yards away. Two putts gave Team Kelly a third straight birdie. Ryan Kelly then drove the green at the 280-yard, par-4 16^th hole, setting up Team Kelly for another two-putt birdie.

   A couple of bogeys on the front side left the Kellys at 2-under 68, a total that proved to be popular.

In addition to Team Kelly and the Pinciottis, the duos of Philmont Country Club’s Glenn Meyer and Cory Meyer, Aronimink Golf Club’s Dan Bernard, a former Bucknell standout, and Charles Bernard, and Wyoming Valley Country Club’s John Olszewski and A.J. Olszewski each signed for a 2-under 68 as well.

   Jim Fullerton and Carlos Fullerton of Brookside Country Club in Allentown finished alone in sixth place with a 1-under 69.

   Another Huntingdon Valley team, Brian Isztwan, the former Penn Charter standout who is coming off a solid freshman season at Harvard, and his dad, Andrew Isztwan, shared seventh place with the Commonwealth National Golf Club tandem of Brandon Cassidy and Barry Cassidy at even-par 70.

   Spring-Ford Country Club’s Ryan Tall, the former Conestoga standout who claimed GAP’s Junior Boys’ crown last summer at Blue Bell Country Club, and his dad, John Tall of the RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve, shared ninth place with the Huntingdon Valley duo of Seth Cooley and Benjamin Cooley, each team posting a 1-over 71. Ryan Tall is coming off a solid freshman season at Lafayette.

   Low net honors went to the pair of Andrew Repetto of Cobbs Creek Golf Club and Phillip Repetto, a Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association entry, as they carded a 9-under 61 with their handicaps figured in. Christopher Knox and Michael Knox of Downingtown Country Club were a shot behind the Repettos in second place at 8-under 62.

   The procession of late-afternoon storms that plagued the region this week continued, halting play for just under an hour. Mercifully, this storm lacked the punch of some of its predecessors earlier in the week and the entire field was able to complete the round.

Williams-Woodward claims victory in Francis B. Warner Cup (Net) at French Creek

   Terry Williams-Woodward completed his round at French Creek Golf Club in East Nantmeal Township in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Francis B. Warner Cup (Net) Wednesday long before some severe spring weather forced a couple of delays.

   A couple of groups had to return to French Creek Thursday morning to complete their rounds, but Williams-Woodward’s 6-under-par 64 over the 5,541-yard, par-70 early Gil Hanse design held up for the title.

   Mark Angel of Talamore Country Club actually matched Wiliams-Woodward’s 6-under 64, but Williams-Woodward prevailed in a match of cards, his 2-under total on French Creek’s back nine giving him the tiebreaker edge.

   The 63-year-old Collegeville resident, who plays out of Bellewood Country Club, wasn’t spectacular, but his gross 5-over 75, combined with his 11 handicap, gave him the victory. It was his second round in the 70s this season.

   “I had my playing partner, John Lobb, sending me updates on the leaderboard,” Williams-Woodward told the GAP website. “But I wasn’t sure where I stood (Thursday) morning after not hearing anything (Wednesday) night. Winning a trophy in a GAP event like this is the biggest golfing achievement of my 37 years of playing.”

   Michael Maro of Laurel Creek Country Club finished alone in third place, three shots behind the top two with a 3-under 67.

   Mike Schuster of Applebrook Golf Club, Jack Polidori of DuPont Country Club, Thomas Brennan
Sr. of Moselem Springs Golf Club and William Choy of Flourtown Country Club shared fourth place, each posting a 1-under 69.

   Williams-Woodward’s buddy Lobb, a fellow Bellewood member, finished in a tie for eighth place with Robert Smedley of Coatesville Country Club, each matching par with a 70.

   There was another match of cards to determine the Second Flight winner as Spike McKeeta of Chester Valley Golf Club had the tiebreaker edge on Guy Crompton of Limekiln Golf Club for the top spot after each signed for a 3-under 67.

   Steve Backstrom of Little Mill Country Club and Timothy Kiorpes of Lookaway Golf Club shared third place, each carding a 2-under 68.

   Dirk Edmiston of Penn Oaks Golf Club took top honors in the Third Flight with a 5-under 65. Richard Sperry of Merion Golf Club was the runnerup with a 3-under 67, two shots behind Edmiston.

Brian Chidester of Chester Valley was another two shots behind Sperry in third place with a 1-under 69.

   Kathy Pilla had the tiebreaker edge on fellow Fieldstone Golf Club representative Dawn Welte to claim a victory in the Women’s Flight.

   The 58-year-old Pilla, an Avondale resident, and Welte each carded a 3-over 73. Pilla’s back-nine 39 enabled her to win the match of cards.

   Josie Anthony of White Manor Country Club finished just a shot behind the top two in third place with a 4-over 74. Alison Kellock of Flourtown Country Club took fourth with a 76.

Kwon, Vannucci make run to semifinals in U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Bandon Dunes

   According to the USGA website, 25-year-old Vince Kwon is a looper at Philadelphia Cricket Club and Merion Golf Club.

   In its Twitter updates on the progress of Kwon and fellow Marlton, N.J. resident Troy Vannucci in this week’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort’s Old Macdonald Course, the Golf Association of Philadelphia listed Kwon as playing out of Huntingdon Valley Country Club with Vannucci part of the talented stable of golfers at Little Mill Country Club.

When the U.S. Four-Ball comes to the Cricket Club next spring, Kwon won’t be there as a caddy, but as a player.

   When Kwon, a Cherry Hill East High product, and the 27-year-old Vannucci, who works at American Athletic Track and Turf in Southampton, N.J., claimed a 2-up victory over the duo of Matt Parziale, the Brockton, Mass. firefighter who won the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, and Herbie Aikens of Kingston, Mass. in Tuesday afternoon’s quarterfinals, they were fully exempt from qualifying for the 2020 U.S. Four-Ball.

   Kwon and Vannucci saw their U.S. Four-Ball run come to an end when they fell to eventual champions Scott Harvey of Kernersville, N.C. and Todd Mitchell of Bloomington, Ind., 4 and 3, in Wednesday morning’s semifinals.

   They are already looking forward to playing in front of a supportive group of family, friends and Philadelphia-area golf supporters next spring at the Cricket Club.

   “Oh, that’s going to be great,” Vannucci told the USGA website. “Got the home crowd behind you. I had a bunch of support from the Golf Association of Philadelphia, the New Jersey State Golf Association, family, the membership of Little Mill Country Club, Huntingdon Valley Country Club.

   “We had everyone texting us, rooting us on. A bunch of great guys and family, that should be fun. Can’t wait to play.”

   Harvey and Mitchell then came back Wednesday afternoon to claim a 2 and 1 victory over East Carolina teammates Logan Shuping and Blake Taylor in the title match. They are just the second mid-amateur pair to win the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. Western Pennsylvania’s Nathan Smith, a  four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, and Todd White of Spartanburg, S.C. captured the inaugural U.S. Four-Ball title in 2015 at The Olympic Club.

   Harvey has had two nice U.S. Mid-Amateur runs in southeastern Pennsylvania. The 40-year-old property manager won the 2014 U.S. Mid-Am at Saucon Valley Country Club and let another title slip away when he fell to Stewart Hagestad on the 37^th hole in a memorable U.S. Mid-Am final in 2016 at Stonewall.

   It was quite a week for Kwon and Vannucci, who earned their ticket to Bandon Dunes in a local qualifier last summer at Green Brook Country Club in North Caldwell, N.J.

   Cold-weather gear was very much in evidence on the USGA website when qualifying opened Saturday with the thermometer struggling to hit the 50-degree mark. Kwon and Vanucci opened with a 7-under 64 over the Old Macdonald course, a homage to legendary golf course architect C.B. Macdonald designed by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina.

   The two Jersey guys then added a 6-under 64 at Doak’s Pacific Dunes Course as things warmed up Sunday to get a share of medalist honors with former Santa Clara teammates Matthew McCarty and Derek Ackerman and Texans Derek Abel of Dallas and Christopher Wheeler of Addison at 13-under 128. Bandon Dunes never really warmed up all week, but it didn’t stop the action on the golf course from being hot and heavy all week.

   Abel and Wheeler had opened with a 5-under 66 at the Old Macdonald Course and erupted with an 8-under 62 Sunday at Pacific Dunes to get their share of medalist honors. McCarty and Ackerman opened with an 8-under 63 at the Old Macdonald Course and added a 5-under 65 at Pacific Dunes to also reach 13-under.

   A couple of 30-somethings, former Southern California standout Taylor Wood, 35, and Andrew Medley, 39, who played collegiately at Mississippi and Arizona, shared fourth place with the pair of Nicholas Osterberg and Oliver Mast at 12-under 129. Both teams opened with a 5-under 65 at Pacific Dunes and added a 7-under 64 at the Old Macdonald Course.

   The intriguing mid-am pair of Hagestad, the winner of the 2016 U.S. Mid-Am at Stonewall, and Derek Busby of Ruston, La. finished alone in sixth place in qualifying at 11-under 130. Hagestad and Busby opened with a 5-under 66 at the Old Macdonald Course and added a 6-under 64 at Pacific Dunes.

   I watched all of Busby’s round-of-16 match with three-time BMW Philadelphia Amateur champion Michael McDermott in the 2016 Mid-Am at Stonewall, a match McDermott won on the 18^th hole, and Busby was as pure a ball-striker as you’ll ever see.

   The only other Philadelphia area team – and we’re stretching this to the Jersey Shore here -- to make match play were Christian Brothers Academy teammates Jack Wall, a South Carolina commit, and Brendan Hansen, who is headed for Rutgers. Wall of Brielle, N.J. and Hansen of Spring Lake, N.J. opened with a 2-under 68, but surged into the match-play bracket with an 8-under 63 at the Old Macdonald Course that left them in the group tied for seventh place at 10-under 131.

   Vannucci made it a memorable Memorial Day for the Jersey guys when he holed a 25-foot putt on the 18^th hole to lift them to a 1-up victory over M. Tyler McKeever of Atlanta and Steven Groover of Birmingham, Ala., former college teammates at Auburn, in the opening round of match play.

   The Jack Wall-Hansen pairing fell in the opening round of match play, but not without a fight. The duo of 33-year-old Brandon Cigna of Arlington, Va. and 36-year-old Ben Warnquist of Olney, Md., who fell in the 2016 U.S. Four-Ball final at Winged Foot Golf Club, needed 21 holes to oust the Christian Brothers Academy seniors.

   Kwon and Vannucci then cruised into the quarterfinals with a 5 and 3 victory over Louisianans John Faulk and Matt Nichols.

   Meanwhile, Parziale and Aikens advanced to the quarterfinal matchup with Kwon and Vannucci by edging the team of Hagestad and Busby, 1-up.

   In the quarterfinals, Kwon and Vannucci won the ninth and 11^th holes with birdies to take a 3-up lead. Parziale and Aikens battled back by winning the 12^th with a birdie, but Kwon and Vannucci restored their 3-up advantage with three holes to play by taking the 15^th with a birdie. A half at the 16^th sent Kwon and Vannucci into the semifinals.

   Harvey and Mitchell, a 40-year-old former professional baseball player who is in the insurance  business, won the first hole in the semifinal match, but Kwon and Vannucci got it right back by taking the second hole with a birdie. But Harvey and Mitchell ripped off wins at the fourth, sixth and ninth holes, all with birdies, to take control of the match.

   Kwon and Vannucci cut into the lead by winning the 10^th hole with a birdie and were still just 2-down with five holes to play. But Harvey and Mitchell won the 14^th hole with a par and the 15^th hole with a birdie to close out their rivals from Jersey.

   The 21-year-old Shuping of Salisbury, Md. and the 21-year-old Taylor of Wilmington, N.C., both of whom will return to East Carolina as seniors at the end of the summer, reached the final with a 2-up win over Wood and Medley.

   Shuping and Taylor won the seventh, 10^th and 13^th holes with birdies to turn an early 2-down deficit into a 1-up advantage with five holes to go.

   But Harvey and Mitchell responded by winning the next three holes, the 14^th, 15^th and 16^th holes, all with birdies, to take a 2-up lead. When Shuping and Taylor could only get a half at the 17^th hole, it was over.

   A couple of teams with Philadelphia ties just missed the cut for match play as seven teams that landed on 6-under 135 played off for the final four spots in the match-play bracket.

   Reigning Patterson Cup champion Michael R. Brown Jr. of Maple Shade, N.J. and Peter Barron III of Mays Landing, N.J. opened with a 4-under 67 at the Old Macdonald Course, but finished at 5-under 136 with a 1-under 69 at Pacific Dunes.

   Brown and Barron got into the field as an alternate out of the qualifier at Garden City Country Club in Garden City, N.Y.

   Drexel teammates Connor Schmidt, the reigning Pennsylvania Amateur champion, and Alex Butler, both seniors, also landed on 5-under 136 as they opened with a 3-under 67 at Pacific Dunes and added a 2-under 69 at the Old Macdonald Course.

   Schmidt was a member of the 2015 PIAA Class AAA runnerup team as a senior at Peters Township and Butler, an East Norriton resident, was a member of St. Joseph’s Prep’s 2014 PIAA Class AAA championship team as a junior. They took a road trip to the Oglebay Resort’s Palmer Course in Wheeling, W.Va. last August and earned qualifying medalist honors with a 58 to earn their ticket to Bandon Dunes.

   The Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Sean Sementz and former Cricket Club member Jack Wallace, who moved to Burlington Country Club, posted a 4-under 137 total, rallying with a 4-under 66 at Pacific Dunes after matching par in the opening round with a 71 at the Old Macdonald Course.

   Sementz and Wallace were co-medalists in a GAP-administered local qualifier on familiar territory, the Cricket Club’s Militia Hill Course, last fall.

   Reigning BMW Philadelphia Amateur champion Jeremy Wall and brother Ethan Wall opened with a 1-under 69 at Pacific Dunes and added a 2-under 69 at the Old Macdonald Course to finish at 3-under 138 in qualifying. The former Loyola of Maryland teammates are the older brothers of Jack Wall, who reached match play with his Christian Brothers Academy teammate Brendan Hansen.

   The Wall brothers, the Jack Wall-Hansen team and semifinalists Kwon and Vannucci all emerged from the qualifier at Green Brook Country Club in North Caldwell, N.J.

   Pretty good story on Team Wall of Brielle, N.J. on the USGA website by David Shefter as part of the U.S. Four-Ball coverage.

   Pretty sure Jeremy Wall will be headed for Stonewall next month to defend his BMW Philadelphia Amateur crown.

   Smith, a six-time winner of the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s R. Jay Sigel Match-Play Championship, and White missed match play as they matched par with a 71 at the Old Macdonald Course and added a 1-under 69 at Pacific Dunes for a 1-under 140 total.

   Like the champions, Harvey and Mitchell, Smith and White have been in the U.S. Four-Ball field in each of its five editions.

   An interesting pair popped up that also failed to make match play in former Temple standout Mark Farley and Connor McNicholas, a one-time Hatboro-Horsham standout. Farley and McNicholas struggled to a 4-over 74 in the opening round at Pacific Dunes before carding a solid 4-under 67 at the Old Macdonald Course for an even-par 141 total.

   Farley is a Calvary Christian product out of Penndel. McNicholas had a strong start at Temple nearly a decade ago, but had his college career derailed when he was the driver in a car accident that killed two of his friends. He was convicted of vehicular homicide and it appears he spent some time in jail. Sounds like he might be on what I’m sure is a long road back from that devastating incident.

Farley and McNicholas were the qualifying medalists at Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln, R.I. last September.

   A couple of Maryland guys, Andrew Rice and Josh Notes, came up to the Cricket Club and shared qualifying medalist honors with Sementz and Wallace at the Militia Hill Course last fall. Rice and Notes opened with a 3-under 68 at the Old Macdonald Course before posting a 3-over 73 at Pacific Dunes for an even-par 141 total.