| *Harry Hammond Award Standings *History *Junior POY Standings *Scorecards *Event photos
Philadelphia CC’s Brennan takes Jock MacKenzie MemorialORELAND, Pa.–Ted Brennan of Philadelphia CC capped his Junior golf career and a fantastic 2010 Golf Association of Philadelphia summer campaign with a long-awaited victory. Brennan, 17, of Radnor, Pa., survived a three-way playoff with Paul Carbone, Jr., of Old York Road CC and Eric Slawter of St. Davids GC for the 26th Jock MacKenzie Memorial Boys’ Division (14 to 17 years of age) title on Monday at a stifling Sandy Run CC (par 72, 6,495 yards) to take his first GAP championship since 2006, when he was a Junior-Junior.All three players posted even-par 72s in regulation. Brennan parred the first extra hole and his two competitors registered bogeys.
That’s an understatement. Brennan’s Jock victory also propelled him to the Harry Hammond Award and a likely Junior Player of the Year Award. The Harry Hammond Award is given to the player with the lowest aggregate score in the qualifying round of the Junior Boys' Championship, the Christman Cup and the Jock MacKenzie Memorial. “It’s kind of an overwhelming thing to win it all in one day,” said Brennan of his successes. “My focus today was the Harry Hammond. I knew if I played well today I would have a chance to win it. You can say the Player of the Year is a nice added bonus.” In the playoff, Brennan, Carbone and Slawter teed off in that order. Slawter found left side tree trouble off the tee and had to chip out, but Brennan and Carbone, Jr. each had fairly benign approaches to the green (No. 1, par 4, 352 yards). Carbone had 127 yards to the hole, but caught his gap wedge a bit thin and watched it fly long. Brennan, up last, and seeing his fellow competitors with issues, knocked his 54-degree wedge from 100 yards to 15 feet into the center of the green. Carbone had a tough lie for his the chip but left himself 20 feet and watched his par try from the front of the putting surface move right for a bogey. Brennan, up next, trickled his birdie effort down to tap-in range and an easy par. Slawter faced a big right-to-left breaker from 10-feet and didn’t start it high enough. He carded a bogey as well. “I was excited for the playoff,” said Slawter, 17, of Wayne, Pa. “It’s a shame I couldn’t pull it out but it was a good experience.” Added Brennan, “It looked like [the birdie] putt was going to go in. I really just wanted to extend the playoff as long as possible. I was like I don’t want to three putt this.” Brennan posted his 72 score first, making a birdie and a bogey on the front side to turn in even-par 36. He bogeyed No. 13 (par 4, 390 yards) after a poor drive and stood on the 15th tee knowing he needed something special. “I said OK, let’s birdie out,” said Brennan. He proceeded to do exactly that on No. 15 (par 5, 487 yards) when his 5-wood from 225 yards stopped five yards short of the green and he chipped up to inches for a 4. On No. 16 (par 4, 378 yards), he hit his wedge from 110 yards to 20 feet below the hole and made the putt. Two holes, two birdies. He came a couple rolls short of a third-straight red figure on No. 17 (par 4, 389 yards) before almost giving it all away when his drive on No. 18 (par 4, 322 yards) found the right trees. In fact, his ball was only a foot or so from being out-of-bounds. When all was said and done, however, he missed an eight-foot par to fall back to even par. Carbone followed soon thereafter. The 17-year-old Huntingdon Valley, Pa., resident had eight pars and a birdie on the front nine before riding a rollercoaster inward side. He birdied No. 11 (par 5, 564 yards) when he chipped up tight from 20 yards short. He then proceeded to bogey the next three holes in three different ways. He three-putted No. 12 (par 3, 167 yards) when he lipped out from 40 feet and again from the remaining 10 feet; came up short of the green on No. 13 (par 4, 390 yards) and failed to get up-and-down; and then pulled a drive on No. 14 (par 4, 420 yards) into the left trees. Carbone stuck with, though, and on No. 15 (par 5, 487 yards) chipped his third shot from just short of the green to inches for a birdie. He parred out to shoot level par. “It feels good, especially with all the talk about where you want to go to school. It gives coaches a clearer view and helps you in that regard,” said Carbone, a senior at Archbishop Wood High School. Slawter was the final one of the trio to finish. He turned in 1 over, and dropped to 2 over after No. 14 (par 4, 420 yards) when he hit his drive into the right rough and his 6-iron came up short of the green. Like his competitors, though, Slawter grinded on and birdied No. 16 (par 4, 378 yards) with a lob wedge from 90 yards that stopped eight feet from the hole and No. 17 (par 4, 389 yards) when his 9-iron from 145 yards landed 12 feet from the cup. He parred No. 18 for a 72. “I was just trying to par out and keep the round in the low 70s,” said Slawter, an Upper Merion High School senior. “I wasn’t really worried about winning.” In the Junior Girls’ Division (14 to 17 years of age), Jackie Rogowicz of Yardley CC carded a 1-over-par 73 to walk away with the victory. Rogowicz,12, of Yardley, Pa., carded two birdies and three bogeys. In the Junior-Junior Divisions, a pair of Huntingdon Valley CC members walked away with titles. Jack Quirk took the Boys’ crown and Maggie Schoeller earned the Girls’ title. Quirk carded a 2-over-par 38 and Schoeller posted a 56.
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A Walk Through Time
GAP is the oldest state or regional golf association in the country. It started courtesy of a friendly competition – the Team Matches – and has grown into the preeminent golf association in the country. Along the way, golf history has been made.
