Finger, Lutz share lead on Day 1 of GAP Middle-Amateur

   One day DuPont Country Club’s Matthew Finger was battling the best mid-amateur player in the country at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship and two days later he was sitting atop the leaderboard along with the best senior amateur player in, well, the world at the 33^rd Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 33^rd Middle-Amateur Championship, presented by Callaway Golf.

   Finger carded a 2-under 69 at Waynesborough Country Club Wednesday to earn a share of the lead with reigning U.S. Senior Amateur champion Chip Lutz of LedgeRock Golf Club in the first GAP major of 2016.

   Finger teamed with Medford Village Country Club’s Michael Korcuba to qualify for match play at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at Winged Foot Golf Club. The luck of the draw left them with a first-round match Monday against the defending champions, Nathan Smith, a four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, and Todd White. Finger and Korcuba suffered a 6 and 5 setback and Finger hustled back home for the GAP Mid-Am.

   He shares the Mid-Am lead with Lutz, who last fall added the U.S. Senior Amateur title to his two British Senior Amateur crowns and one Canadian Senior Amateur title.

   Three players are tied for third at 1-under 70, including Aronimink Golf Club’s Dan Bernard, a former Bucknell standout, Huntingdon Valley Country Club’s Benjamin Smith and Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Gregor Orlando.

   Another U.S. Four-Ball combatant, Huntingdon Valley’s Jeff Osberg, the reigning William Hyndman III GAP Player of the Year, heads a group of six players tied for sixth at 1-under 71.

Osberg teamed with Merion Golf Club’s Michael McDermott at Winged Foot, but the pairing of the Philadelphia’s top two mid-am players couldn’t find its footing and failed to qualify for match play.

   McDermott, a four-time winner of the GAP Mid-Am, carded a four-over 76 and is tied for 36^th. Low McDermott honors went to younger brother Brian of Llanerch Country Club, who is tied for 17^th at 1-over 73.

   Overbrook Golf Club’s ageless Ray Thompson, another in a deep stable of GAP senior amateur standouts, leads a group of five players tied for 12^th at even-par 72.

   The cut fell at 78. The final 18 holes will be played Thursday.