Little leads Philadelphia Open by a shot after opening round at Doylestown

    You could make the argument that there is no bigger tournament in this region than the Philadelphia Open.

   The Golf Association of Philadelphia runs the event, but GAP’s top amateurs are joined in the field by an equally strong contingent from the Philadelphia Section PGA to make it the best collection of talent you can find in the Philadelphia area.

   Normally staged in July, the Philadelphia Open was moved to early October by, what else, the coronavirus pandemic. It was the shifting protocols in the tri-state region forced a hasty postponement of the Philadelphia Open, originally scheduled to be played at Galloway National Golf Club at the Jersey Shore.

   Ultimately, it was decided to move the rescheduled Philadelphia Open to Doylestown Country Club. None of which changes the fact that most, if not all, of the best golfers in this area were gathered Monday to compete in the Philadelphia Open, which, this year will be the last of GAP’s four major championships for 2020.

   You don’t have to sell Mike Little, promoted to head pro at Lookaway Golf Club after serving as an assistant for several years, on the importance of the Philadelphia Open. The 36-year-old Little, in the midst of a strong stretch of recent play on the Philadelphia Section PGA circuit, grabbed the lead following the opening round of the Philly Open with a sparkling 4-under-par 68 over the 6,557-yard, par-72 Doylestown layout.

   “This is always an event I asterik on my schedule,” Little told the GAP website. “I always want to play in this event and I finally did and it feels really good. I’ve had some opportunities to work on my game, but being the new head pro at Lookaway, there are a lot more responsibilities. I think that’s actually freed me up to not think as much (about my game), knowing I have a big responsibility to go back to the club. I feel that’s really helped my game this year versus hurting it.”

   Little earned himself a third trip to the PGA Professional Championship when he finished in a tie for fifth place in last month’s Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship at Bent Creek Country Club and the Country Club of York. He offset a lone bogey on his scorecard Monday at Doylestown by making five birdies.

   Little closed with a rush with birdies on three of his last six holes. His late surge might have been sparked by his birdie at the 196-yard, par-3 13^th hole, where he converted a 50-foot birdie bomb.

   A flop shot at the 501-yard, par-5 14^th hole left Little just three feet for birdie and he got that putt to fall. He reached a greenside bunker with his second shot into the 519-yard, par-5 closing hole and he blasted it in close and made his birdie try.

   A couple of the contenders in last week’s GAP Middle-Amateur Championship at LedgeRock Golf Club, The Ridge at Back Brook’s Brandon Dalinka and Whitemarsh Valley Country Club’s Will Davenport, the 2019 winner of the GAP Middle-Amateur, were Little’s closest pursuers, each carding a 3-under 69 to sit a shot behind Little in a tie for second place.

   LuLu Country Club’s Michael R. Brown Jr., who claimed the Pennsylvania Amateur title at Lookaway in August, was alone in fourth place after posting a 2-under 70.

   Alex Knoll, an instructor at Glen Brook Golf Club and the repeat winner of the Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship last month, at Bent Creek and the Country Club of York, headed a group of six players tied for fifth place at 1-under 71.

   Amateurs Andrew Mason of Huntingdon Valley Country Club and Connor McNicholas of LuLu Country Club also were among the group at 1-under. Mason, who finished in a tie for third place in last week’s GAP Middle-Amateur Championship at LedgeRock, won back-to-back Philadelphia Open titles in 2011 and 2012.

   Three more top Philadelphia Section pros, Zac Oakley, an instructor at Bidermann Golf Club, and Mark Sheftic, the head of instruction at Merion Golf Club, and Chris Krueger of Kings Creek Country Club rounded out the quintet tied for fifth place.

   Defending champion Jeff Osberg of Pine Valley Golf Club headed a group of seven players tied for 11^th place as he matched par with a 72. Osberg is coming  off a victory in last week’s Middle-Amateur Championship, which enabled him to complete GAP’s career grand slam.