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.