The Golf Association of Philadelphia

Penn Oaks GC’s Gallagher surprises at Patterson Cup

ROYERSFORD, Pa.-Chris Gallagher of Penn Oaks GC called himself the king of qualifiers. On Thursday, the 21-year-old resident of West Chester officially changed that title to Major champion.

Gallagher recorded an impressive two-round score of 6-under-par in the Patterson Cup – the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s stroke play championship and final Major of the year – to lap the field of 132 players and earn an unexpected, but well deserved, victory.

Gallagher, who has been the medalist at two Amateur qualifiers the last two years – one for the Pennsylvania Golf Association and one for the GAP – carded a 2-under-par 69 at Bellewood GC (par 71, 6,685 yards) in the morning and a 4-under-par 68 at Spring Ford CC (par 72, 6,768 yards) in the afternoon.

"I was fighting all day not to think about [winning]," said Gallagher, a junior at Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Pa. "When I drained the birdie putt on No. 16 [at Spring Ford] (par 3, 204 yards), I knew it could happen."

In his second round, Gallagher birdied No. 1 (par 4, 472 yards), No. 5 (par 5, 529 yards), No. 6 (par 4, 322 yards) and No. 7 (par 3, 203 yards) to push his score to 6-under-par. The highlight of that bunch came on No. 6 when he knocked a Lob Wedge to five feet. He also rapped a 5-iron from 185 yards on the first hole, from the second fairway, to 10 feet.

A bogey on No. 8 (par 4, 345 yards) slowed his momentum and another on No. 11 (par 4, 360 yards) pushed some doubts into his thinking process.

A string on pars followed before No. 16. On the 16^th, a par 3 measuring 204 yards, Gallagher knocked a 6-iron to 20 feet pin high right. A rescue club off the tee on No. 17 (par 4, 412 yards) and 6-iron to three feet sealed the win.

"This is validation for the last six or seven years of hard work," said Gallagher. "I proved I can do it."

In the morning, Gallagher netted five birdies and three bogeys in turning in a 2-under-par 69.

This was Gallagher’s first Patterson Cup. He and his family recently relocated back to Southeastern Pennsylvania after a short stay in Southern California.

Rich Pruchnik of West Chester G&CC and Glenn Smeraglio of Yardley CC tied for second-place at 1-under-par 142.

Pruchnik, 37, of West Chester, Pa., carded a 70 at Spring Ford CC in his first round and 72 at Bellewood GC.

Smeraglio, 43, of Newtown, Pa., posted a 72 at Bellewood GC in the morning and 70 in the second round at Spring Ford CC.

"I’ve been going through some swing changes and trying to get the ball in the air longer. It’s starting to play dividends," said Smeraglio, who has struggled over the past year. "I feel like I should be back up there."

Smeraglio took the Patterson Cup in 1998.

*Spring Ford CC score listed first
*Bellewood GC score listed second

Name, club	Score
Chris Gallagher, Penn Oaks GC	68-69=137
Glenn Smeraglio, Yardley CC	70-72=142
Rich Pruchnik, West Chester G & CC	70-72=142
Robert Savarese, Jr., Philadelphia Cricket Club	76-68=144
David Liotta, Whitemarsh Valley CC	76-69=145
Michael McDermott, Llanerch CC	70-75=145
Jamie Slonis, Tavistock CC	77-69=146
Michael Tash, Tavistock CC	72-74=146
Brian Gillespie, St. Davids GC	74-73=147
John Sawin, Philadelphia CC	72-75=147
Maximillian Muller, Manufacturers G & CC	77-70=147
Joe April, Woodbury CC	75-73=148
Billy Stewart, Llanerch CC	74-75=149
Chris Esbenshade, Stone Harbor GC	74-75=149
James White, Philadelphia Cricket Club	76-73=149
John Robinson, Commonwealth National GC	73-76=149
Michael Moffat, Commonwealth National GC	73-76=149
William J.C. Sicks, Philadelphia Cricket Club	75-74=149
Craig Tallent, Merion GC	76-74=150
John Mullins, Spring Ford CC	77-73=150
Richard Umani, Philadelphia Publinks	76-74=150
Francis McFadden, Overbrook GC	77-74=151
Jesse Soslow, Radnor Valley CC	80-71=151
John Michael Pelet, Wyncote GC	77-74=151
Robin McCool, Saucon Valley CC	76-75=151
Gary Daniels, Aronimink GC	76-76=152
P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia CC	74-78=152
Anthony Apostolico, Deerfield G & TC	80-73=153
Christopher Cochran, Riverton CC	75-78=153
Jonathan Kent, Talamore at Oak Terrace CC	74-79=153
Patrick Dougherty, Talamore at Oak Terrace CC	76-77=153
Richard Thon, The Springhaven Club	77-76=153
Steve Owens, Wildwood GC	77-76=153
Thomas Soares, Berkleigh CC	74-79=153
Byron Whitman, Moselem Springs GC	78-76=154
Dave O'Brien, Cedarbrook CC	77-77=154
Geoff Forcino, Waynesborough CC	78-76=154
Kenneth Matt, Lu Lu CC	78-76=154
Oscar Mestre, Jr., Overbrook GC	76-78=154
Rob Dziak, Spring Ford CC	77-77=154
Thomas DiCinti, Little Mill CC	79-75=154
Charles Dowds, III, Applebrook GC	78-77=155
James Robertson, Llanerch CC	79-76=155
John Brennan, Spring Ford CC	76-79=155
Stephen Seiden, Concord CC	82-73=155
Thomas Hyland, Little Mill CC	73-82=155
Drew Anders, Laurel Creek CC	74-82=156
Mark Kosko, Seaview CC	78-78=156
Michael Domenick, Phoenixville CC	77-79=156
Norman Charlesworth, Running Deer GC	78-78=156
Paul Kouch,Jr, Torresdale-Frankford CC	85-71=156
Brian Early, Overbrook GC	80-77=157
Chris Terebesi, Chester Valley GC	77-80=157
Conor Mintzer, Waynesborough CC	79-78=157
Daniel Pinciotti, Jr., Torresdale-Frankford CC	77-80=157
James C. Robertson, Jr., Llanerch CC	86-71=157
Lynn Thomas Kilduff, Huntsville GC	78-79=157
Otto Juhl, Deerfield G & TC	77-80=157
Santo Lafoca, Huntsville GC	76-81=157
Thomas Finn, Christiana CC	81-76=157
Chris Thude, Talamore at Oak Terrace CC	76-82=158
John Alterman, Commonwealth National GC	79-79=158
Marc Mandel, White Manor CC	81-77=158
Sean Seese, Huntingdon Valley CC	83-75=158
Steven Walczak, Wilmington CC	81-77=158
Tom Piersanti, Radley Run CC	76-82=158
Bob Cunningham, Downingtown CC	78-81=159
Jason Early, Overbrook GC	77-82=159
John Donnelly, Concord CC	83-76=159
Keith Olinick, Spring Ford CC	82-77=159
Michael Kouch, Torresdale-Frankford CC	78-81=159
Michael Vannelli, Medford Village CC	80-79=159
Robert Ockenfuss, Jr., Indian Valley CC	79-80=159
Scott Ehrlich, Meadowlands CC	81-78=159
Tug Maude, Merion GC	81-78=159
Eli Pery, Talamore at Oak Terrace CC	79-81=160
Manus Friel, Philadelphia Publinks	82-78=160
Nick Ryder, Aronimink GC	81-79=160
Perry Landis, Berkleigh CC	81-79=160
Peter Moran, Edgmont CC	76-84=160
Ryan McCarty, Little Mill CC	81-79=160
George Connell, Jr., Gulph Mills GC	83-78=161
James Kieserman, Blue Bell CC	80-81=161
Matthew Shevlin, Philadelphia Publinks	81-80=161
Arthur Kania, Jr., Overbrook GC	81-81=162
Christopher Fackler, Northampton CC	85-77=162
Donald Ashley, Philadelphia CC	85-77=162
Ed Blechschmidt, Whitemarsh Valley CC	82-80=162
Jim Simmons, Stonewall	84-78=162
Joseph Glynn, Llanerch CC	79-83=162
Kenneth Croney, Jr., Kennett Square G & CC	82-80=162
Shawn Lavin, Sandy Run CC	79-83=162
Bill Devlin, Talamore at Oak Terrace CC	79-84=163
David Levine, Greenacres CC	80-83=163
Sean Coyle, Llanerch CC	88-75=163
Sean McMonagle, Lu Lu CC	86-78=164
David O'Malley, Commonwealth National GC	79-86=165
Eugene Flanagan, The Springhaven Club	88-77=165
Rick Custer, Spring Ford CC	83-82=165
Tyler Glassman, Meadowlands CC	81-84=165
Andrew Dietz, Laurel Creek CC	80-86=166
Billy McCrossan, The Springhaven Club	84-82=166
Matthew Coady, Aronimink GC	86-80=166
Nathan Shevchik, Philadelphia Publinks	83-83=166
Peter Duryea, Sandy Run CC	89-77=166
Rick Flagler, Talamore at Oak Terrace CC	83-83=166
Jason Bernstein, White Manor CC	89-78=167
Lance Oberparleiter, Philadelphia Publinks	85-82=167
Kevin O'Brien, Cedarbrook CC	87-81=168
Christopher Allan, Jr., Downingtown CC	86-83=169
Kenji Ota, Philadelphia Cricket Club	86-83=169
Paul Stewart, Melrose CC	85-84=169
Jon Thomas, Inniscrone GC	83-88=171
Tim Klagholz, Applebrook GC	88-83=171
Tom Spano, Philadelphia Publinks	84-87=171
Michael Sullivan, Philadelphia Publinks	85-87=172
Steve Jones, Applebrook GC	90-82=172
Charles Scott Blundo, Fieldstone GC	90-86=176
Britton Murdoch, Philadelphia CC	90-88=178
Nathan Herring, Philmont CC	90-93=183
R. Blake Slawecki, Spring Ford CC	DQ
Robert Gill, Fox Hill CC	DQ
Ronald Jamarowicz, Christiana CC	DQ
Bob Hable, Deerfield G & TC	WD
Drew Garis, North Hills CC	WD
Gregory O'Connor, Huntingdon Valley CC	WD
James Coll, Hartefeld National GC	WD
James Macallister, Manufacturers G & CC	WD
Keith Matt, Lu Lu CC	WD
Rick Wright, Running Deer GC	WD
Sean Leonard, Little Mill CC	WD
Todd Anderson, Wilmington CC	WD

WD-withdrawal
DQ-disqualification

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Penn Oaks GC’s Gallagher surprises at Patterson Cup