Bryn Mawr resident Lee Oxman was a PGA Tour caddy for three years in the mid-1970s and has always been around the game in one way or another.
The 67-year-old Oxman, playing out of Berks County’s hidden jewel at Moselem Springs Golf Club, put together a solid net total of 4-under-par 67 last Monday at Talamore Country Club in Ambler to capture the overall title in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Francis B. Warner Cup (Net).
Oxman’s brother Neil is a political consultant by trade, but has gained quite a bit of notoriety in the golf world as the occasional caddy for Tom Watson, dating back to 1999. Lee Oxman has spent the last few years assisting his son Nate, who was the head golf coach at Haverford High. Nate Oxman is also an assistant caddiemaster at Merion Golf Club.
I’ve had a chance to chat with Lee Oxman a couple of times in recent years at the District One Championship at Turtle Creek Golf Club, where he was coaching up Fords standout Riley Quartermain, one of the top girls in District One who is taking her game to North Carolina later this summer. Nice guy and, as you would expect, pretty knowledgeable about the game, both locally and at its highest levels.
Lee Oxman regrets giving up the life of a PGA Tour caddy, but he was happy to be helping out his son Nate with mentoring the next generation of golfers. And the guy can still play a little, which he proved with his showing at the 5,528-yard, par-71 Talamore layout.
Oxman was particularly strong on the back nine at Talamore. At the 496-yard, par-5 13th hole, Oxman hit a good drive, laid it up short of the creek that crosses the hole and then knocked a wedge to 12 feet. He made the putt for a natural birdie and a net eagle. Net birdies at the 16th and 17th holes enabled Oxman to finish a shot clear of the field. Oxman signed for a gross total of 10-over 81.
“Today was my best round in a while,” Oxman, a 27-year member at Moselem Springs, told the GAP website. “I hit a ton of greens in regulation. I had a couple of birdie putts on the back nine that I missed. Real good ones that were right in the jar. But overall, I played really solid today.”
Sean Jakubowski of host Talamore and Greg Smith of Radley Run Country Club shared runnerup honors, each finishing a shot behind Oxman with a net total of 3-under 68. David Bennett of Raven’s Claw Golf Club and Julian Sur of Waynesborough Country Club shared fourth place, each landing a shot behind Jakubowski and Smith at 2-under 69.
Another Talamore member, Joe Puchalski, finished alone in sixth place with a 1-under 70. William McCabe of McCall Golf Club matched par with a 71 to end up in seventh place.
Talamore’s Hal Morris headed a trio of players tied for eighth place, each landing on 1-over 72. Joining Morris at that figure were Rick Ames of the Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association and Dennis O’Donnell of Old York Road Country Club.
Two more players from host Talamore, Terrance Schmidt and James McFadden, headed a group of six players tied for 11th place at 2-over 73. Rounding out the group at 2-over were Shugung Wu of Blue Bell Country Club, Ed Kocher of LedgeRock Golf Club, Victor Donnay of McCall and Frank Skilton of Manufacturers Golf & Country Club.
Playing in the group with LedgeRock’s Ed Kocher was his wife Charlotte, who posted four net birdies and a net eagle to record a 1-over 72 and take home a Warner Cup (Net) trophy for the women’s division. The 64-year-old Charlotte Kocher, a Lititz resident, was representing Conestoga Country Club.
“I played really, really well,” Charlotte Kocher told the GAP website. “I kept the ball straight and that’s what you have to do here. It feels amazing to bring home a trophy like this. I’m going to bring it home, move over all of (Ed’s) trophies and put it front and center.”
Kathleen Gallagher of Penn National Golf Club was the runnerup with a 4-over 75 that left her three shots behind Kocher.
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