Aug. 10, 2017

Peter Bradbeer's birdie here on No. 17 (par 3, 205 yards) proved
to be the decisive blow of the 115th Joseph H. Patterson Cup.

Merion’s Bradbeer earns #PatCup, first Major title

  WILMINGTON, DEL.–A plethora of Joseph H. Patterson Cup challengers huffed and puffed in hoping to shatter the championship house of Peter Bradbeer. However, the tournament’s first-round leader and Bucknell University Bison rising sophomore emphatically slammed the door on all foes. He carded a second-round 72 on Wilmington Country Club’s South Course (par 71, 7,160 yards) Thursday to finish at 2 under for the 36 holes and a stroke clear of the field.

| Scorecards | History | Notebook | Photos | Video | Silver Cross Standings | Silver Cross History | Day 1 recap |

  The victory was the 19-year-old’s first Major title.

  The 140 Patterson Cup total when added to his 146 two-round score from the BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship Qualifier also propelled Bradbeer to his first Silver Cross Award. The Silver Cross is awarded to the player with the lowest aggregate score in the qualifying rounds of the Amateur Championship and the Patterson Cup.

  â€ś[Winning this tournament] means the world to me. Absolutely. The Patterson [Cup] is one of the few tournaments I look forward to every summer,” said Bradbeer of Merion Golf Club and Rosemont, Pa. “It’s incredible. I called my dad [James] a couple minutes after we finished up. He was like just look at the names [on the trophy]. I took a peek and it’s incredible. Especially the Silver Cross. I’m still in shock.”

  Bradbeer is the sixth player from Merion to win the Patterson Cup, the Association’s premier stroke-play championship. He joins legendary clubmate Max Marston, who won four, as well as Merion’s most recent champion Michael McDermott (2007), amongst others.

  Bradbeer, in the final group, fended off multiple challenges on the big and brawny Wilmington track. He made his most decisive move on No. 17, a 205-yard par 3 guarded by a threatening pond. At the time, he and Ben Smith of Huntingdon Valley Country Club (in the group ahead of Bradbeer), were tied for the lead at 1 under.

  With a hole location on the small, left out cove of the wide green and placed just over the water, Bradbeer ripped a 5-iron directly over the flag. It stopped in the back fringe. His subsequent 23-foot birdie try tracked the whole way and dropped into the bottom of the cup. A thunderous roar and fist-pump ensued. He would record a stress-free par on No. 18 (par 4, 443 yards) to seal the victory.

  â€śThat was a rush of emotion right there,” said Bradbeer of No. 17. “I missed a short [birdie putt] on No. 16 (par 5, 610 yards) that I thought I was going to make after hitting a pretty awesome third shot from way back. To get that one to fall was a rush.”

  On the 17th, “I took a little more club which probably wasn’t my smartest move. I actually hit it a little fat. I was actually asking for it to go. It just rolled into the back fringe.”

  Bradbeer, a hole earlier, found a fairway bunker off the tee and had 251 yards left for his third shot. He hit his 3-wood approach to 12 feet before leaving his birdie putt a cup short.

  Even so, he exited the green still tied for the lead.

  Smith actually was alone at the top of the scoreboard at 2 under standing on the 16th tee. However, his third shot came up short of the green and his fourth shot, a chip, ran 10 feet by the flag. His par effort missed.

  â€śI really can’t be that upset with my finish,” said Smith, 30, of Philadelphia, Pa. “I haven’t been playing that well coming into this event. Getting second place is a good way to end the year for me.”

  It was Smith’s third straight Top 5 Patterson Cup finish. He placed fourth in 2016 at Huntingdon Valley and tied for fifth in 2015 at Chester Valley Golf Club.

  Smith and Bradbeer were tied at 3 under after No. 12. But Smith bogeyed No. 13 (par 3, 206 yards) when he missed the green right. Bradbeer followed in the next group and made a double after leaving his flop shot in the collar.

  Bradbeer started his round one shot clear of Chris Ault of Yardley Country Club and Chris Crawford of Spring Mill Country Club. He lost that advantage after a bogey on No. 2 (par 4, 416 yards) when he drew an uneven lie in the grass along the left fairway bunker for his second shot, but reclaimed the lead a hole later with a par. He then held a share of the top spot until No. 9 (par 4, 492 yards). Smith, who started with eight straight pars, birdied the ninth to move one-shot clear.

  When all players completed No. 12 (par 4, 409 yards), Smith and Bradbeer were tied.

  Both Brian Gillespie of St. Davids and Cole Berman of Philadelphia Cricket Club made charges from the early starters. Gillespie went birdie-eagle-birdie on holes Nos. 10-12 to burst up the leaderboard. He stood at 1-under with a hole to play but missed the 18th green to the right and failed to get up-and-down, missing a 20-foot par try. He carded a closing 2-under 69.

  Berman finished at level after posting a 1-under 70.

  Bradbeer, who credited his father for all his guidance throughout the years, was a little sad he was unable able to attend the event due to a work conflict. His brother J.B., though, was on the bag. Peter mentioned some swing tips from his father, but said the best advice he received from pops came in handy when the outcome was still in doubt and a gaggle of pursers in sight. “Never give up.”

Golf Association of Philadelphia
  Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 151 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. As Philadelphia’s Most Trusted Source of Golf Information, the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.

Name, club

R1-R2–Total

Peter Bradbeer, Merion Golf Club

68-72–140

Benjamin Smith, Huntingdon Valley Country Club

70-71–141

Brian Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club

73-69–142

Christopher Ault, Yardley Country Club

69-73–142

Cole Berman, Philadelphia Cricket Club

72-70–142

Gregor Orlando, Philadelphia Cricket Club

71-72–143

Christopher Crawford, Spring Mill Country Club

69-74–143

J.D. Hughes, LedgeRock Golf Club

74-70–144

Jeff Osberg, Huntingdon Valley Country Club

71-73–144

Matthew Mattare, Saucon Valley Country Club

75-69–144

Michael McDermott, Merion Golf Club

71-73–144

Jay Whitby, Wild Quail Golf & Country Club

73-71–144

John Barone, Glenmaura National Golf Club

72-73–145

Mark Benevento, Jr., Greate Bay Country Club

72-73–145

Robert Firth, Jr., Commonwealth National Golf Club

74-71–145

Danny Harcourt, Mercer Oaks Golf Course

71-74–145

Connor McNicholas, Lu Lu Country Club

76-69–145

Michael R. Brown, Jr., Lu Lu Country Club

73-72–145

Aaron Fricke, Lancaster Country Club

72-73–145

Ben Feld, Huntingdon Valley Country Club

76-70–146

P.J. Acierno, Lu Lu Country Club

74-73–147

Peters Barron, III, Stone Harbor Golf Club

72-75–147

Carey Bina, Radnor Valley Country Club

74-73–147

David Hicks, Wildwood Golf & Country Club

72-75–147

James Kania, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club

70-77–147

Conrad Von Borsig Philadelphia Cricket Club

73-74–147

William Jeremiah, Bidermann Golf Club

72-76–148

Max Siegfried, Aronimink Golf Club

73-75–148

Michael Cook, Applebrook Golf Club

74-74–148

Gary McCabe, Jr., RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve

76-72–148

Austin Barbin, GAP Junior eClub

72-77–149

Nicholas Biondi, Glenmaura National Golf Club

75-74–149

Steve Cerbara, Jericho National Golf Club

75-74–149

Paul Mauer, Stonewall

74-75–149

Scott McNeil, Bala Golf Club

74-75–149

Jarred Texter, Conestoga Country Club

72-77–149

Ryan Gelrod, Philadelphia Cricket Club

76-74–150

Sean Seese, Huntingdon Valley Country Club

77-73–150

Sam Soeth, White Manor Country Club

75-75–150

Jack Melville, Lu Lu Country Club

77-73–150

Adam Mistretta, Silver Creek Country Club

76-74–150

Michael Stamberger, Manasquan River Golf Club

76-74–150

Dan Bernard, Aronimink Golf Club

74-78–152

Michael Davis, Aronimink Golf Club

76-76–152

Thomas Dzwonczyk, Country Club of Scranton

73-79–152

Dawson Anders, Indian Valley Country Club

74-78–152

Doug Ergood, Tavistock Country Club

74-78–152

Kevin Kramarski, Riverton Country Club

76-77–153

Matthew Davis, Aronimink Golf Club

75-79–154

Brock Kovach, Berkshire Country Club

73-81–154

Erik Reisner, The ACE Club

75-79–154

Glenn Smeraglio, Lu Lu Country Club

74-81–155

Matt Smith, Wilmington Country Club

77-78–155

David Liotta, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club

74-81–155

Patrick McRae, West Chester Golf & Country Club

74-81–155

Zachary Barbin, GAP Junior eClub

77-79–156

Rodney James, Five Ponds Golf Club

77-79–156

R.J. Wren, Applecross Country Club

77-79–156

Daniel Altieri, Makefield Highlands Golf Club

75-82–157

Ben Litt, Riverton Country Club

76-81–157

Brendan Bacskai, Applebrook Golf Club

76-81–157

Carlos Fullerton, Brookside CC of Allentown

77-80–157

Thomas Gramigna, Tavistock Country Club

75-84–159

Geoffrey Cooper, North Hills Country Club

75-86–161

John Mikiewicz, Fox Hill Country Club

77-WD–WD

 

WD-withdrawal

[ Back ]