Finger finds Doylestown to his liking in Marston Cup victory

    The Golf Association of Philadelphia has a deep stable of talented mid-amateur players and DuPont Country Club’s Matthew Finger is most definitely one of them.

   The 43-year-old Wilmington, Del. resident proved that point again last week with a two-shot victory in GAP’s Marston Cup, an event open to players between the ages of 40 and 54. Even in the mid-am ranks, it can start to get tough to compete against the younger guys, the 25 to 40 types. Not that Finger thinks that way. He fired a 2-under-par 70 at Doylestown Country Club last Monday to best his fellow older mid-ams.

   Doylestown has been generous in giving up its 6,436-yard layout to GAP this month. Earlier this month, Doylestown was the site for the rescheduled Philadelphia Open after shifting coronavirus protocols in New Jersey forced a move from Galloway National Golf Club. The Marston Cup was rescheduled after being rained out in August and, in a year that has demanded flexibility above all things, Doylestown has been an accommodating host.

   Finger couldn’t really remember playing the course before he carded a 77 in the opening round of the Philadelphia Open. He opted out of the second round to play in the Metropolitan Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship at Somerset Hills Country Club, where he finished in a tie for second place. But having that round from the Philly Open under his belt proved to be valuable when Finger returned for the Marston Cup.

   And Finger’s been playing some solid golf. In addition to the runnerup finish in the Met Mid-Am, Finger ended up in a tie for ninth place in last month’s GAP Middle-Amateur Championship at LedgeRock Golf Club.

   “I’ve kind of hit my groove here lately,” Finger told the GAP website. “I’ve got my swing down and I feel good about my game.”

   After an early bogey at the third hole, Finger got that shot back by sinking a 20-foot birdie try at the 368-yard, par-4 sixth hole.

   Finger hit a gap wedge to 20 feet at the 365-yard, par-4 10^th hole and the putter again delivered a birdie. Finger then went back-to-back when his sand wedge into the 415-yard, par-3 11^th hole finished two feet from the hole and he brushed it in for a tap-in birdie.

   He twice landed in places he couldn’t easily escape on the 499-yard, par-5 14^th hole and a three-putt compounded the problem and resulted in a double bogey that dropped Finger back to even for the day.

   But Finger battled back, getting it back into red figures by cashing in a 10-foot birdie opportunity at the 380-yard, par-4 16^th hole.

   The 519-yard, par-5 finishing hole at Doylestown, which produced plenty of fireworks in the Philadelphia Open, is gettable and Finger got it. He bombed a 3-hybrid from 225 yards away onto the green in two and made a two-putt birdie. Finger was the only player in the field to better par.

   Neil Gordon of Five Ponds Golf Club matched par with a 72 to earn runnerup honors. Sean Torpey of Commonwealth National Golf Club was a shot behind Gordon in third place with a 1-over 73. Keith Matt of Talamore Country Club took fourth place with a 2-over 74.

   A couple of players from the seemingly endless supply of talent at Philadelphia Cricket Club, Ryan Gelrod and Kevin Kelly, headed a group of five players tied for fifth place, each carding a 3-over 75.

   Rounding out the quintet at 3-over were Matthew Scriff of the Steel Club, Scott McLaughlin of LuLu Country Club and Dan Ayers of Running Deer Golf Club.

   Rounding out the top 10 was Concord Country Club’s Larry Benedetto, who finished alone in 10^th place with a 76.

   I always get a kick out of the little note GAP adds to its Marston Cup roundup each year about the tournament’s namesake Max Marston. The guy had himself a year in 1923, competing for the United States in a Walker Cup victory over Great Britain & Ireland and dominating the local amateur scene before heading off to the U.S. Amateur and winning the thing, beating Bobby Jones and Francis Ouimet along the way.