Ryan Kelly, having recently wrapped up his college baseball
career at Saint Joseph’s, and his dad, Kevin Kelly, got it going on the back
nine at Honeybrook Golf Club, their first nine of the day, and that gave them
the tiebreaker edge in a scorecard playoff that earned them the trophy in the
Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Father & Son (Middle) Championship
Thursday.
The Kellys, playing out of Philadelphia Cricket Club, were
one of five teams to post a 2-under-par 68 over the 6,014-yard, par-70
Honeybrook layout in northwestern Chester County in the select drive/alternate
shot format. Their scorching 4-under 31 on the back nine proved to be decisive
in the match of cards that decided the winner.
One of the groups that the Kellys shared the top spot with
was their playing partners, D.J. Pinciotti III, a former Holy Ghost Prep
standout, and his dad, Daniel Pinciotti, one of three Huntingdon Valley Country
Club pairs to finish among the top 10.
The Father & Son (Middle) is open to sons ages 19 to 29
and was added to the Father & Son (Older) and Father & Son (Younger)
championships that have always been such popular draws on the GAP schedule.
The 23-year-old Ryan Kelly, who will start a new job at
Philadelphia Insurance Companies in July, sank a 10-foot putt for par at the
12th hole and that seemed to get Team Kelly going.
A little power golf helped produce four straight birdies in
the next four holes. Kevin Kelly’s 7-iron at the 13th hole finished
10 feet from the hole and Ryan Kelly converted the birdie try. The 52-year-old
Kevin Kelly, who works in the printing industry, nearly drove the short, par-4
14th, the ball finishing hole high to the left of the green. Ryan
Kelly chipped it to tap-in range for a birdie.
Ryan Kelly bombed his drive on the par-5 15th
hole and dad followed it up by reaching the green in two by sending in a rescue
from 225 yards away. Two putts gave Team Kelly a third straight birdie. Ryan
Kelly then drove the green at the 280-yard, par-4 16th hole, setting
up Team Kelly for another two-putt birdie.
A couple of bogeys on the front side left the Kellys at
2-under 68, a total that proved to be popular.
In addition to Team Kelly and the Pinciottis, the duos of
Philmont Country Club’s Glenn Meyer and Cory Meyer, Aronimink Golf Club’s Dan
Bernard, a former Bucknell standout, and Charles Bernard, and Wyoming Valley
Country Club’s John Olszewski and A.J. Olszewski each signed for a 2-under 68
as well.
Jim Fullerton and Carlos Fullerton of Brookside Country Club
in Allentown finished alone in sixth place with a 1-under 69.
Another Huntingdon Valley team, Brian Isztwan, the former
Penn Charter standout who is coming off a solid freshman season at Harvard, and
his dad, Andrew Isztwan, shared seventh place with the Commonwealth National
Golf Club tandem of Brandon Cassidy and Barry Cassidy at even-par 70.
Spring-Ford Country Club’s Ryan Tall, the former Conestoga
standout who claimed GAP’s Junior Boys’ crown last summer at Blue Bell Country
Club, and his dad, John Tall of the RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve, shared
ninth place with the Huntingdon Valley duo of Seth Cooley and Benjamin Cooley,
each team posting a 1-over 71. Ryan Tall is coming off a solid freshman season
at Lafayette.
Low net honors went to the pair of Andrew Repetto of Cobbs
Creek Golf Club and Phillip Repetto, a Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association
entry, as they carded a 9-under 61 with their handicaps figured in. Christopher
Knox and Michael Knox of Downingtown Country Club were a shot behind the
Repettos in second place at 8-under 62.
The procession of late-afternoon storms that plagued the
region this week continued, halting play for just under an hour. Mercifully,
this storm lacked the punch of some of its predecessors earlier in the week and
the entire field was able to complete the round.
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