Overbrook's Kennedy opens Philadelphia Section PGA schedule with a win

   The Philadelphia Section PGA kicked off its 2016 Omega Player of the Year presented by Haverford Trust Co. points schedule in fine fashion Monday with near summer-like conditions for The Callaway Golf TPD Championship at Commonwealth National in Horsham.

   And the title went to Overbrook Golf Club head pro Eric Kennedy, who also won The Callaway Golf TPD title in 2012. It was also his only other Philadelphia Section title.

   Playing a modified Stableford scoring system, Kennedy piled up 24 points to finish two points ahead of Bill Sautter of Philadelphia Cricket Club. Kennedy’s three-birdie, no-bogey effort over the 6,700-yard Commonwealth National layout might have prevailed under any kind of scoring system.

The victory makes Kennedy the early leader in the Player of the Year points standings.

   Sautter had four birdies and two bogeys in putting up 22 points. He bested the senior players in the field -- and the old guys in this Section can play -- and has the early lead in the Robert “Skee” Riegel Senior Player of the Year points standings.

   Rick LeBeau from Gulph Mills Golf Club, a newcomer to the Philadelphia Section, finished third with 20 points. Three players – Eric McNamee of Golf Galaxy Montgomery, Michael Little of Lookaway Golf and Bob Fritz of Manufacturers Golf & Country Club – finished tied for fourth with 18 points.

   Dave McNabb, the head pro at Applebrook Golf Club, finished alone in seventh place with 17 points.

   A large group finished tied for eighth with 16 points, including Eddie Perrino of Eagle Rock Resort, George Forster, the head pro at Radnor Valley Country Club, Carson Solien of Aronimink Golf Club, Spring-Ford Country Club head pro Rich Steinmetz, Dave Pagett of Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, Steve Swartz of the Country Club of Harrisburg, Kevin Kraft of Bumble Bee Hollow, Curtis Kirkpatrick of Indian Springs Golf Club and Bertus Wessels of Green Valley Country Club.