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 16th, 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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