Little Mill Country Club’s Michael Hyland has been a major
factor in Golf Association of Philadelphia major championships for a long time.
It’s been 18 years since the 39-year-old Hyland won the
first of his two BMW Philadelphia Amateur championships in an epic 38-hole
final against Michael McDermott at Stonewall.
But somehow GAP’s Middle-Amateur Championship had eluded
Hyland. He was sidelined for the better part of the last two years after
undergoing back surgery for a disc issue that was first diagnosed when he was a
teen-ager, so he had to be wondering if his game would be able to recover to
the level that would enable him to compete at GAP’s highest levels.
All those questions were resolved on two sun-splashed May
days on one of Hyland’s favorite courses as he gutted out a three-shot victory
Thursday at Llanerch Country Club to fill that missing line on a resume that
includes major championships on both sides of the Delaware River.
Hyland grabbed a share of the opening-round lead with a
1-under-par 70 Wednesday over the tough 6,780-yard, par-71 Llanerch layout. The
course never did yield a sub-70 round in two days. A 2-over 73 in Thursday’s
final round gave him a 1-over 143 total that was more than good enough to earn
him the title.
“I’m speechless,” the always understated Hyland told the GAP
website. “It’s one that I’ve been searching for for a long time. Ever since I
won the New Jersey Mid-Am a few years ago, I had the New Jersey Amateur, New
Jersey Mid-Am and Philly Am. I’ve been missing this one.
“To complete that here at Llanerch Country Club is extremely
special. It’s a place I fell in love with a long time ago and I’ve always loved
it.”
Hyland was chased home by his rival that long-ago day at
Stonewall, Merion Golf Club’s Michael McDermott, winner of four GAP
Middle-Amateur titles. McDermott grew up playing at Llanerch. Brothers Kevin
and Brian were among the eight Llanerch members who made the cut this week.
Michael McDermott matched par with an even-par 71 Thursday
for a 4-over 146 total.
DuPont Country Club’s Matthew Finger was Hyland’s closest
pursuer for much of the day. He had opened with an even-par 71 Wednesday. But
while Hyland was grinding out pars on 14, 15 and 16, Finger went 3-over to fall
back.
Hyland sealed the deal when his tee shot at the 148-yard,
par-3 17th kicked off the bank to the left of the green and finished
six feet from the hole. He dropped the birdie putt to give him a three-shot
lead heading to the last.
Finger, who lost in a playoff in the GAP Mid-Am two years
ago at Waynesborough Country Club, ended up with a 6-over 77 that gave him a
share of third place with Llanerch’s Eddie Johnson, who also added a 77 to his
opening-round 71, at 6-over 148, two shots behind Michael McDermott.
Huntingdon Valley Country Club’s Jeff Osberg, who was
briefly a member at Llanerch and is certainly familiar with the course, headed
a group of four players tied for fifth at 7-over 149 after adding a 74 to his
opening-round 75.
Peter Barron III of Greate Bay Country Club was the only
player in the field to better par Thursday, his 1-under 70 enabling him to join
Osberg in the group tied for fifth at 149.
Rounding out that foursome at 149 were Michael R. Brown Jr.
of LuLu Country Club, who added a 75 to his opening-round 74, and Bidermann
Golf Club’s William Jeremiah, who opened with a 2-over 73, but fell back with a
76.
Reigning BMW Philadelphia Amateur champion Gregor Orlando of
Philadelphia Cricket Club headed a group of three players tied for ninth at
8-over 150. Orlando added a 76 to his opening-round 74.
He was joined at that figure by another LuLu member, Scott
McLaughlin, who had opened with a 72, but dropped back with a 78, and Old York
Road Country Club’s John Samaha, who posted a pair of 4-over 75s.
Johnson, with his tie for third, took low-Llanerch honors in
the Philly Mid-Am and it was a pretty solid showing for Team McDermott. Kevin
McDermott added a 77 to his solid opening-round 74 to finish in the group tied
for 12th at 9-over 151. Brian McDermott, who qualified for match
play when the BMW Philadelphia Amateur was held at Llanerch in 2015, finished
up with a 75 Thursday after opening with a 78 to finish among the group tied
for 22nd at 153.
The club has a deep stable of good players, evidenced by its
appearance in GAP’s BMW Team Matches final four Playoff for the third time in
four years this spring.
Also in that group tied for 12th at 151 with
Kevin McDermott was Radley Run Country Club’s Tom Grady, who played in the
final group of the day Thursday after sharing the opening-round lead with
Hyland with a 1-under 70 in Wednesday’s opening round. Grady cooled off with an
81 Thursday.
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