Rogowicz outlasts Clauson to earn a spot in Brewer Cup semifinals at LedgeRock

   Yardley Country Club’s Paul Rogowicz is the first one to admit just how much he enjoys competing with his fellow seniors that tee it up on the Golf Association of Philadelphia circuit.

   The 56-year-old Rogowicz reached the semifinals of the 13^th Brewer Cup, one of GAP’s senior major championships, Tuesday at LedgeRock Golf Club in Mohnton, Berks County with a pair of match wins, including a hard-fought 2 and 1 decision over qualifying medalist Chris Clauson, who plays out of LuLu Country Club.

   “I’ve played with Chris many times throughout the years and I knew I had to play my best to win,” Rogowicz told the GAP website. “He’s an amazing competitor. I made a couple of mistakes that kind of let him back in the match, but I was able to finish it out with good golf.

   “I love all the guys out here. I love the GAP and I’m going to keep the same mindset going into (Wednesday).”

   Pretty sure Rogowicz is the proud father of reigning Pennsylvania Women’s Amateur champion Jackie Rogowicz, who was a scholastic star at Pennsbury during a golden era of girls golf in District One and was a fixture in the Penn State lineup for four years before graduating in 2019.

   Rogowicz began a long day by ousting defending champion Joe Russo of Running Deer Golf Club, 3 and 2, in Tuesday morning’s round of 16. The opening-round matches had a shotgun start with some concern that weather would be a factor as it was late in the day during Monday’s qualifying round.

   Clauson rallied from 3-down to Rogowicz with wins at the 12^th and 13^th holes. Clinging to that 1-up advantage, Rogowicz laid up on the drivable par-4 16^th hole while Clauson pulled his drive to the left. When Rogowicz dropped his birdie putt he had a 2-up lead and he clinched the victory by getting it up and down from the right rough on the 17^th hole for a par.

   Rogowicz’s opponent in Wednesday morning’s semifinals will be the Country Club of Scranton’s Michael Vassil, who claimed a 3 and 1 victory over Joe Roeder of Little Mill Country Club in a quarterfinal match. Earlier in the day, Vassil handed Rogowicz’s Yardley clubmate, Greg Buliga, a 4 and 2 setback in an opening-round match.

   It’s been an impressive GAP debut for Carlisle Country Club’s Jeff Frazier, who stormed into the semifinals on the strength of a 6 and 5 victory over Ronan Culligan of Saucon Valley Country Club in the opening round and a 4 and 3 win over Edward Kelly of Old York Road Country Club in Tuesday afternoon’s quarterfinals. Frazier was 2-under for the 15 holes his match with Kelly lasted.

   I mentioned in my Monday post that I’ve caddied for Frazier twice in the Fall Scramble at Stonewall and the left-hander can really play. At 55, it might have been Frazier’s first year of eligibility for the U.S. Senior Amateur, but the coronavirus pandemic has forced the USGA to cancel the event, denying him the opportunity to try to qualify.

   But he’ll be a win away from a spot in the Brewer Cup final when he takes on Michael Quinn, a Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association entry, in Wednesday morning’s semifinals.

   Quinn took out Adam Armagost of Medford Village Country Club with a 1-up victory in the opening round. Armagost and Frazier had shared second place in qualifying behind the medalist Clauson. Quinn then pulled out a 1-up decision over Wilmington Country Club’s Randy Mitchell to earn a spot opposite Frazier in the semifinals.

   The Super-Senior division saw just one round of matches, the quarterfinals, but they certainly didn’t lack for drama.

   White Manor Country Club’s Don Donatoni, the seven-time reigning GAP Super-Senior Player of the Year and the qualifying medalist Monday at LedgeRock, made a double bogey on the 18^th hole that enabled Tom DiCinti, a Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association entry, to send the match to extra holes.

   Donatoni finally prevailed on the 21^st hole with a birdie on LedgeRock’s par-4 third hole.

   Donatoni will take on defending Brewer Cup Super-Senior winner Tom Bartolacci of LuLu in Wednesday morning’s semifinals as Bartolacci handed Saucon Valley’s Joe Cordaro a 2 and 1 setback.

   Rolling Green Golf Club’s Bob Billings made a 10-footer for birdie on the 18^th hole to send his quarterfinal match with Thomas Humphrey of Wilmington Country Club to extra holes. Billings then won the 19^th hole with a par.

   That gave Billings a berth in the semifinals against Chuck Dowds, who prevailed, 1-up, in a quarterfinal match with frequent Applebrook Golf Club playing partner Gary Daniels.

   Dowds won the first three holes and still had a 4-up lead on the 13^th tee. But Daniels came storming back and halved the 17^th hole by dropping a 25-foot putt that sent the match to the 18^th hole before Dowds pulled out the victory.