Moffat, McCool take
KUTZTOWN, Pa.– Michael Moffat of Commonwealth National GC carded a 1-under-par 71 to take the 49th running of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Tournament of Champions Monday at Berkleigh CC (par 72, 6,835 yards). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 38-year-old from Warrington, Pa. started strong and carded his first birdie on No. 4 (par 4, 435 yards) after a 300-yard drive and sharp pitching wedge from 135 yards out left him a three-footer for birdie.
Moffat fittingly began his par 5-birdie streak on the fifth hole (par 5, 530 yards) when he wisely hit a 4-iron to lay up and leave himself a manageable sand wedge from 90 yards out.
"I hit a pretty good drive and didn’t think I should go for it so I laid it up," Moffat said.
The strategy paid off for Moffat as his third shot landed just two feet shy of the hole.
"I hit it very solid all day and really only made one bad stroke in the bunker on No. 6 (par 3, 221 yards), he said. "It was just a bad shot. I hit it over the green and I couldn’t get up and down."
Fortunately for Moffat, he quickly recovered and to finish the remaining 12 holes 1-under par, including reaching two of the remaining three par 5s in two strokes.
The Tournament of Champions is open to all current club champions and past event champions.
Senior Champions
Senior Amateur Champion Robin McCool of Saucon Valley CC defeated the reigning Senior Amateur Division Champion Dan Burton of Bent Creek CC and Ed Chylinski of Chester Valley GC in a two-hole playoff for the Senior Amateur Division championship (par 72, 6,380 yards).
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"The absolute key in a playoff is to hit your ball off the tee in play," McCool said.
Putting the heat on his competition, McCool made an easy two put for par while Burton sunk a clutch, uphill 14-footer to extend the sudden death playoff one more hole. Chylinski carded a bogey and was eliminated.
On the second playoff hole (No. 7, par 4, 357 yards) McCool’s drive in the right rough left him 81 yards to the hole while Burton was in the left rough about 96 yards out.
Burton then hit a pitching wedge to the center back collar, 20 feet past the hole.
Feeling extremely comfortable with his lie, McCool knocked his approach shot to within 18-inches of the hole.
"That’s the shot that I practice," McCool stated. "I must hit a hundred shots from that exact same distance when I’m practicing my short game."
Down but not out, Burton skirted his 20-foot birdie putt just left of the hole, while McCool tapped in for birdie to with the playoff.
"He’s a tough competitor," said McCool of Burton.
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Amateur |
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|
1 |
Michael Moffat |
Commonwealth National Golf Club |
71 |
|
T2 |
Dave Smith |
Doylestown Country Club |
73 |
|
T2 |
David Liotta |
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
73 |
|
T4 |
James Macallister |
Manufacturers Golf & Country Club |
74 |
|
T4 |
Raymond Thompson |
Overbrook Golf Club |
74 |
|
T6 |
Robert Gill |
Fox Hill Country Club |
75 |
|
T6 |
Scott Klee |
Indian Valley Country Club |
75 |
|
T6 |
Michael Rose |
Philmont Country Club |
75 |
|
T6 |
Richard Blash, Jr. |
Riverton Country Club |
75 |
|
T10 |
Craig Kliewer |
Meadia Heights Golf Club |
76 |
|
T10 |
Chris Gallagher |
Penn Oaks Golf Club |
76 |
|
T12 |
Michael J. Vassil |
Country Club of Scranton |
77 |
|
T12 |
Brett Falkoff |
Green Valley Country Club |
77 |
|
T12 |
Thomas Hyland |
Little Mill Country Club |
77 |
|
T12 |
P. Chet Walsh |
Philadelphia Country Club |
77 |
|
T12 |
Brian Rothaus |
Philmont Country Club |
77 |
|
T17 |
Douglas G. Zelner |
Coatesville Country Club |
78 |
|
T17 |
Alan Skoritowski |
Glen Oak Country Club |
78 |
|
T17 |
Sam Lewis |
Huntsville Golf Club |
78 |
|
T17 |
Jim Kelleher |
Links Golf Club |
78 |
|
T17 |
Cameron Campbell |
McCall Golf & Country Club |
78 |
|
T17 |
Leonard Pearson |
Philmont Country Club |
78 |
|
T17 |
Tom Piersanti |
Saucon Valley CC |
78 |
|
T17 |
Drew Panebianco |
Talamore at Oak Terrace Country Club |
78 |
|
T25 |
Gary E. Daniels |
Applebrook Golf Club |
79 |
|
T25 |
Andy Muzyka |
Hersheys Mill Golf Club |
79 |
|
T25 |
Kevin DeHaven |
Hopewell Valley Golf Club |
79 |
|
T25 |
David Sanders |
Laurel Creek Country Club |
79 |
|
T29 |
Geoff Moulton, Jr. |
Sunnybrook Golf Club |
80 |
|
T29 |
Andrew Harmer |
The Springhaven Club |
80 |
|
T29 |
Joe Morrissey |
Torresdale-Frankford Country Club |
80 |
|
T29 |
Rob Kusek |
Trenton Country Club |
80 |
|
T29 |
Frank Polizzi |
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
80 |
|
29 |
Bruce Jackson |
Ravens Claw Golf Club |
81 |
|
T34 |
John Carullo |
Penn Oaks Golf Club |
82 |
|
T34 |
Robert Frankil |
Spring Ford Country Club |
82 |
|
T34 |
Edward Erickson |
Yardley Country Club |
82 |
|
37 |
Christopher Clark |
Old York Road Country Club |
84 |
|
38 |
Alex Cameron |
Merchantville Country Club |
89 |
|
T40 |
Peter Mimmo |
North Hills Country Club |
WD |
|
T40 |
Sean Clifford |
Philadelphia Publinks GA |
WD |
|
T40 |
Thomas Gramigna |
Tavistock Country Club |
WD |
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Senior |
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T1 |
*Robin S. McCool |
Saucon Valley Country Club |
71 |
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T1 |
*Daniel Burton |
Bent Creek Country Club |
71 |
|
T1 |
*Edmund Chylinski |
Chester Valley Golf Club |
71 |
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T4 |
William Lawler |
Fox Hill Country Club |
72 |
|
T4 |
Don Donatoni |
White Manor Country Club |
72 |
|
T6 |
Thomas Mallouk |
Lookaway Golf Club |
75 |
|
T6 |
Eugene Maginnis, Jr. |
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
75 |
|
T8 |
Keith Li |
Heidelberg Country Club |
76 |
|
T8 |
George May |
Manufacturers Golf & Country Club |
76 |
|
T8 |
Gordon Schafer |
Woodcrest Country Club |
76 |
|
T11 |
David Penske |
Aronimink Golf Club |
77 |
|
T11 |
Doug Cowan |
Deerwood Country Club |
77 |
|
T11 |
Thomas DiCinti |
Little Mill Country Club |
77 |
|
T14 |
Pete Betz |
French Creek Golf Club |
78 |
|
T14 |
James Haynie |
Lu Lu Country Club |
78 |
|
T14 |
John Capers, III |
Merion Golf Club |
78 |
|
T14 |
Richard Smith |
Philadelphia Country Club |
78 |
|
T18 |
Leonard DiDomenilo |
Brookside Country Club |
79 |
|
T18 |
Richard Bunn, Sr. |
McCall Golf & Country Club |
79 |
|
T18 |
Louis Pace |
Medford Village Country Club |
79 |
|
T18 |
Dennis Fellona |
Merchantville Country Club |
79 |
|
T18 |
James Sherratt |
Old York Road Country Club |
79 |
|
T18 |
Ken Gaskill |
Philadelphia Publinks GA |
79 |
|
T24 |
Matthew Bellis |
Commonwealth National Golf Club |
80 |
|
T24 |
David Davis |
Huntsville Golf Club |
80 |
|
T24 |
Robert DeWitt |
Links Golf Club |
80 |
|
T24 |
Rick Forbes |
North Hills Country Club |
80 |
|
T24 |
Chris Gallagher |
West Chester Golf & Country Club |
80 |
|
30 |
Neil McDermott |
Llanerch Country Club |
82 |
|
T31 |
Tim Moore |
Brandywine Country Club |
83 |
|
T31 |
Vernon Kelly, Jr. |
Philadelphia Cricket Club |
83 |
|
33 |
Philip Dodd |
Hersheys Mill Golf Club |
84 |
|
34 |
Michael Stanco |
Glen Oak Country Club |
85 |
|
T35 |
A. Fred Rudy, Jr. |
Lancaster Country Club |
86 |
|
T35 |
Richard Bourassa |
McCall Golf & Country Club |
86 |
|
T35 |
Dominic Marziani |
Torresdale-Frankford Country Club |
86 |
|
38 |
Edward Purdy |
Wildwood Golf & Country Club |
87 |
|
39 |
Charles Laspada |
The Springhaven Club |
88 |
|
40 |
Lawrence Capuzzi ,Sr. |
Rolling Green Golf Club |
89 |
|
39 |
Jim Campbell |
Ravens Claw Golf Club |
90 |
|
41 |
John Cech |
Riverton Country Club |
92 |
|
T42 |
Charles Rogalla |
Country Club of Scranton |
WD |
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T42 |
Clifford Kenneck |
Radley Run Country Club |
DQ |
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*Decided in a playoff |
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WD-withdrawal; DQ-disqualified |
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