Gulph Mills Golf Club assistant pro Jordan Gibbs fired a
2-under 68 Wednesday at Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course, an A.W.
Tillinghast Classic, to take a one-shot lead heading into the final round of
the Philadelphia Section PGA Championship.
Combined with the 5-under 67 Gibbs put up Tuesday at the
Militia Hill Course, it gave him a 36-hole total of 7-under 135. Defending
champion Dave McNabb, the head pro at Applebrook Golf Club, is a shot back at
6-under 136 after he added a 2-under 70 at Militia Hill to the 66 he shot
Tuesday at the Wissahickon Course.
In addition to competing for the Section championship, the
top 12 finishers advance to the 50th PGA Professional Championship,
which will be held next June at the Sunriver Resort in Oregon.
Gibbs started fast Wednesday, making birdies on two of the
first three holes. He had three more birdies and three bogeys the rest of the
way for a solid 2-under total on a course that hosted the top senior
professionals earlier this summer in the Senior Players Championship, a PGA
Champions Tour major won by Bernhard Langer.
Stu Ingrahm, the head of instruction at the M Golf Range in
Newtown Square, carded a 2-under 70 at Militia Hill and is tied for third at
5-under 137. Ingraham won the Philadelphia Section PGA Senior title last month
at St. Davids Golf Club.
Ingraham was joined at 5-under by Philadelphia Country Club
head pro Scott Reilly, who had set the pace in the first round with a 6-under
66 at Militia Hill. Reilly posted a 1-over 71 at the Wissahickon Course
Wednesday.
The round of the day belonged to Whitemarsh Valley Country
Club pro Dave Pagett, who fired a sizzling 6-under 64 at the Wissahickon
Course, the competitive course record since the Wissahickon underwent some
renovations. Pagett’s game heated up on the back nine as he ripped off five
straight birdies beginning on the 11th. His brilliant round left
Pagett alone in fifth place at 4-under 138.
Michael Little of Lookaway Golf Club and John Pillar of the
Country Club at Woodloch Springs, both of whom posted a 2-under 70 at Militia
Hill, are tied for sixth at 2-under 140.
Leading a group of four players tied for eighth at 1-under
141 is Radnor Valley Country Club head pro George Forster, who had a 1-over 73
at Militia Hill after opening up with a 2-under 68 at the Wissahickon Course.
He was joined at that figure by Stonewall head pro Ryan
Lagergren, who had an even-par 72 at Militia Hill, Alex Knoll of Bethlehem Golf
Club, who had a 3-over 73 at the Wissahickon Course, and Bill Walker of
Riverton Country Club, who had an even-par 70 at the Wissahickon Course.
As always, the major subplot is the race for the top-12 finishers
who earn a trip to Sunriver for the PGA Professional Championship. And nobody
would like to get back to Sunriver more than Mark Sheftic, the head of
instruction at Merion Golf Club.
Sheftic is one of three players tied for 12th at
even-par 142 after a solid 1-under 69 at the Wissahickon Course Wednesday.
Sheftic was the 54-hole leader the last time the National Club Pro was staged
at Sunriver and settled for a tie for fourth. That earned him a trip to the PGA
Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.
Sheftic is joined at even par by Tony Perla of host the
Cricket Club, who had a 1-over 73 at Militia Hill, and Jason Lamp of Galloway
National Golf Club, who had an even-par 72 at Militia Hill.
Spring-Ford Country Club head pro Rich Steinmetz is one of
seven players tied for 15th at 1-over 143 and very much in the hunt
for one of those tickets to Sunriver. Steinmetz matched par with a 72 at
Militia Hill.
He was joined at 1-over by Terry Hertzog of the Country Club
of York, who had a 2-under 70 at Militia Hill, Terry Hatch of Hidden Valley
Golf Club, who had a 2-under 70 at Militia Hill, Overbrook Golf Club head pro
Eric Kennedy, who had an even-par 72 at Militia Hill, Ryan Shaughnessy of
Wedgewood Golf Course, who had a 3-over 75 at Militia Hill, John Spina of host
the Cricket Club who had an even-par 70 on the Wissahickon Course, and Mike
Molino of The Country Club of Scranton, who had a 4-over 74 at the Wissahickon
Course.
The shot of the day belonged to Indian Springs Country Club’s
Curtis Kirkpatrick, whose 3-wood shot at Militia Hill’s par-5 sixth hole found
the cup for a double eagle. He finished with a 1-over 73, but his 152 total failed
to make the cut for the final round, which fell at 8-over 150.
The top 60 and ties who made the cut will all tee it up at
the Wissahickon Course Thursday.
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