Whitman right at home in Chapman Memorial victory at Moselem Springs

   It’s been a while since Berkshire Country Club’s Byron Whitman was dominating the club championship at Moselem Springs Golf Club in Fleetwood.

   But Whitman didn’t forget how to play the testy 6,383-yard, par-70 layout, which he proved with a 1-under-par 69 Wednesday that gave him a two-shot victory in the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Frank H. Chapman Memorial (Gross).

   And the 60-year-old Whitman, a Reading resident, had to be good to hold off the likes of runnerup Oscar Mestre of Overbrook Golf Club, the defending champion, and LedgeRock Golf Club’s Chip Lutz, GAP’s nine-time reigning Senior Player of the Year who headed a group of three players tied for third with a 2-over 72.

   “Sometimes when you’re struggling with your game, it’s good to get to a place that you’re familiar with, a place you’ve had some success,” Whitman told the GAP website. “I felt like I was fighting it, trying to make some swing changes.

   “Being here seemed to bring back some good memories. I started out half-decent and it just went smoothly from there on.”

   Whitman was a Moselem Springs member from 1992 to 2002, winning the club championship six times. Local knowledge is always a good thing.

   Starting on the back nine, Whitman got it to 1-under at the 12^th hole when he hit a gap wedge from 100 yards out to three feet and converted the putt for a birdie. He added a birdie on the par-4 second hole, sending an 8-iron from 148 yards out to 12 feet and made the putt.

   Mestre got his GAP senior campaign off to a fast start with an emotional victory in the Warner Cup (Gross) last month at Burlington Country Club. A solid 1-over 71 left him alone in second place, two shots behind Whitman.

   Lutz has been among the top senior amateur players in the world for more than a decade, including a U.S. Senior Amateur victory in 2015 at Hidden Creek Golf Club at the Jersey Shore.

Joining Lutz in the trio tied for third at 2-over were Rand Mendez of Fieldstone Golf Club and Jim Yenser of Raven’s Claw Golf Club.

   Another LedgeRock entry, Scott Mayne, headed a group of four players tied for sixth at 3-over 73. Joining Mayne at that figure were Jeffrey Allen of Wild Quail Golf & Country Club, David Blicher of Olde Homestead Golf Club and Thomas Soares of Lehigh Country Club.

   Six more players landed on 4-over 74 and in a tie for 10^th, led by Glenn Smeraglio of LuLu Country Club.

   Joining Smeraglio at that figure were Barry Cahill of Radley Run Country Club, Greg Guyer of Philadelphia Cricket Club, Jim Lowthert of French Creek Golf Club, John Psillas, playing on his home course at Moselem Springs, and Michael Quinn of the Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association.

   The Super-Senior title went to a familiar name as White Manor Country Club’s Don Donatoni, GAP’s six-time reigning Super-Senior Player of the Year, carded a 2-over 72 and was declared the winner when three other players who matched his score didn’t hang around for a possible playoff.

   The 71-year-old Malvern resident – he missed shooting his age by a shot – looks like he’s headed for a seventh straight Super-Senior Player of the Year honor as he added the win in the Chapman to his victory last month in the Warner Cup.

   Rich Colaguori, playing on his home course at Moselem Springs, LuLu’s Wayne Bartolacci and Dennis Lankford of The Country Club of York each matched Donatoni’s 72 and shared second place.

   Robin McCool of Saucon Valley Country Club, always a contender in GAP’s Super-Senior events, headed a group of four players tied for fifth at 4-over 74 over a Moselem Springs layout that measured 5,824 yards for the Super-Senior set.

   Joining McCool at 4-over were Daniel Burton of Lancaster Country Club, LuLu’s Thomas Bartolacci Jr. and Tom Borsello of Hartefeld National Golf Club.