*Event Photos
*Scorecards
Five Ponds GC's McIntyre tops Mid-Am Qualifier at Honeybrook GC
HONEY BROOK, Pa. – Stephen McIntyre of Five Ponds GC carded a 1-under-par 68 to earn medalist honors in Wednesday’s Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier at a cold and damp Honeybrook GC (par 69, 6,022 yards).
McIntyre led a field of 95 players attempting to earn one of 30 qualifying spots and ties available for the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 28th Middle-Amateur Championship set for May 25-26 at Laurel Creek CC.
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| Stephen McIntyre |
“I chipped well and was able to make some key putts,” the Glenmore, Pa. resident said. “I didn’t drive the ball that great, but I was able to grind it out on a bunch of putts that were for par saves.”
McIntyre, 50, showcased finesse wedge-play on No. 8 (par 3, 205 yards). His 6-iron landed short and left of the green. McIntyre then grabbed his 58-degree wedge.
“It was actually hole-high, but you had to come over that mound,” McIntyre said. “I lofted it up there. It hit soft next to the fringe and trickled down straight into the hole. I was like, ‘OK, that’s a plus.’”
Back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 (par 4, 280 yards) and 17 (par 3, 182 yards) cemented McIntyre’s status as medalist. He struck his 58-degree wedge 90 yards to eight-feet on the first. Course familiarity lent an assist on No. 17. McIntyre is a former Honeybrook member and two-time club champion.
“I didn’t want to go long there because I know long is trouble,” he said. “So I hit 6-iron, and on the front of that green is a little downhill slope. If you hit that, the ball will run, and that’s exactly what I did. I had a little right-to-left putt. I played it right edge and it went in.”
McIntyre has played in GAP tournaments since 1988. (“I’m a lifetime qualifier,” he said.) His best finish in the Middle-Amateur Championship came in 2009 at Tavistock CC, when he placed in the Top 35. McIntyre hopes to ride a wave of momentum into Laurel Creek.
“I’m not driving the ball exceptionally well, and today, the course was set up shorter than it normally is,” he said. “The tees were up, so that really helped. I had really been struggling with that. My putting is getting better. That helped today.”
At the end of the day, the cut line stopped at 76.
Wednesday’s qualifier was the second of two Middle-Amateur Championship qualifiers used to determine who will play in the Championship later this month. Thirty-nine players qualified at an event held yesterday at Yardley CC.
The GAP Middle-Amateur started in 1984, three years after the USGA created the U.S. Mid-Am as a formal championship for post-college amateurs. The Association followed suit with the USGA in creating a Mid-Am, but initially differed in its administration of the tournament in a couple of respects.
The most obvious difference was the age requirement. Prior to 2001, the GAP Mid-Am was for players 30 years of age and older.
The Association’s Executive Committee reviewed and revised that age requirement in 2001 to match the USGA's guidelines of 25 years of age or older for eligible players. Also at that point, the Committee changed the format of the event to a two-day stroke play tournament (instead of a one-day medal play event) with a cut to the low 70 players and ties after the first round. The field begins with 132 players. Players must have a GAP/USGA Handicap Index of 7.0 or lower.
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Qualifiers
|
|
Name,
club
|
Scores
|
|
Stephen
McIntyre, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
68
|
|
Jamie
Slonis, Tavistock Country
Club
|
69
|
|
Tom
Carter, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
71
|
|
Matthew
Walsh, Overbrook Golf Club
|
71
|
|
Brian
Foxx, Cherry Valley Country Club
|
71
|
|
Rich
Thon, The Springhaven Club
|
72
|
|
Steve
Lubin, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
72
|
|
Tom
DiCinti, Links Golf Club
|
72
|
|
Blake
Cleary, Wilmington Country Club
|
72
|
|
Brian
Kenny, Greate Bay Country Club
|
73
|
|
Lance
Oberparleiter, Little Mill Country Club
|
73
|
|
Robert
Good, Merion Golf Club
|
73
|
|
Frank
Savarese, Philadelphia Publinks
GA
|
73
|
|
Daniel
Feeney, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
74
|
|
Matt
Jasudowich, Whitemarsh
Valley Country Club
|
74
|
|
Bo
Maguire, Brookside Country Club
|
74
|
|
Scott
Orr, Brookside Country Club
|
74
|
|
Alan
Lazzarino, Loch Nairn
Golf Club
|
75
|
|
George
Griffaton, Brookside Country Club
|
75
|
|
Christopher
Lucci, Brookside Country Club
|
75
|
|
John
Murphy, II, Wildwood Golf & Country Club
|
75
|
|
Tim
Freeh, Back Creek Golf Club
|
75
|
|
Gil
Moniz, Jr., Running Deer Golf Club
|
76
|
|
Brian
Fisher, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
76
|
|
Marlin
Detweiler, Lancaster Country Club
|
76
|
|
Michael
Evangelista, Concord Country Club
|
76
|
|
Kevin
Hinkle, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
|
76
|
|
Robert
Loftus, Overbrook Golf Club
|
76
|
|
Mike
Amtsberg, Brookside Country Club
|
76
|
|
Michael
Rogers, Overbrook Golf Club
|
76
|
|
Luis
Diaz, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
76
|
|
Jon
Thomas, Back Creek Golf Club
|
76
|
|
Joe
Frey, Edgmont Country Club
|
76
|
| |
|
Failed
to qualify
|
|
Tom
Piersanti, Saucon Valley
Country Club
|
77
|
|
Santo
Lafoca, Huntsville Golf Club
|
77
|
|
Matt
Brady, Penn Oaks Golf Club
|
77
|
|
Sean
Sexton, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
77
|
|
Byron
Whitman, Golden Oaks Golf Club
|
77
|
|
Luke
Zelten, Torresdale-Frankford
Country Club
|
77
|
|
Adam
Mastone, Talamore Country
Club
|
77
|
|
John
Cobb, Tavistock Country Club
|
77
|
|
Carlo
Fitti, Llanerch Country
Club
|
78
|
|
Dewey
Burke, Gulph Mills Golf Club
|
78
|
|
Michael
DiGiandomenico, French Creek Golf Club
|
78
|
|
Tim
Westfall, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
78
|
|
Anthony
List, Jr., Llanerch Country Club
|
79
|
|
Brian
Powell, Burlington Country Club
|
79
|
|
Jordan
Claffey, Makefield
Highlands Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Todd
Cappelli, Philadelphia Publinks
GA
|
79
|
|
Kevin
Dougher, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
79
|
|
Kevin
Bair, Loch Nairn Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Kevin
Melnick, Plymouth Country Club
|
79
|
|
Mark
Coassolo, Brookside C.C. of Allentown
|
79
|
|
Pete
Zollers, Spring Ford Country Club
|
79
|
|
William
Keane, Jr., Philadelphia Country Club
|
79
|
|
Joe
Olin, Little Mill Country Club
|
79
|
|
Michael
Book, Honeybrook Golf Club
|
80
|
|
Kevin
Seese, Talamore Country
Club
|
80
|
|
Philip
Petroll, Penn Oaks Golf Club
|
80
|
|
Paul
Kupcha, Fieldstone Golf Club
|
80
|
|
Michael
Beran, RiverCrest Golf
Club & Preserve
|
80
|
|
Jack
Clough, Wilmington Country Club
|
81
|
|
Brett
Coddington, Brookside Country Club
|
81
|
|
Michael
Rosci, Llanerch Country Club
|
82
|
|
John
Donnelly, Concord Country Club
|
82
|
|
Patrick
O'Brien, North Hills Country Club
|
82
|
|
Vincent
Sardi, Cherry Valley Country Club
|
82
|
|
Patrick
Phillips, Spring Ford Country Club
|
83
|
|
Jim
Simmons, Stonewall
|
83
|
|
Zac Robertson, Edgmont Country Club
|
83
|
|
David
O'Malley, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
83
|
|
J.T.
Taylor, Blue Bell Country Club
|
84
|
|
Mike
Breen, Honeybrook Golf Club
|
85
|
|
Dan
Smith, Loch Nairn Golf Club
|
85
|
|
Matt
Forgie, Penn Oaks Golf Club
|
85
|
|
James
Della Guardia, Spring Ford Country Club
|
86
|
|
Dan
Kilpatrick, Running Deer Golf Club
|
86
|
|
Ryan
Luke, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
86
|
|
Richard
Bass, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
86
|
|
Michael
Schoedler, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
87
|
|
Bob
Chupein, Penn Oaks Golf Club
|
88
|
|
Kevin
Christine, Philadelphia Country Club
|
89
|
|
Lawrence
Kelly, Whitford Country Club
|
89
|
|
Fred
Luck, Spring Ford Country Club
|
90
|
|
Brian
Sexton, Seaview Resort & Spa
|
90
|
|
Theodore
Nunez, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
94
|
|
Drew
O'Neill, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Matt
Dolinsky, Honeybrook Golf
Club
|
NS
|
|
Brad
Sokol, Green Valley Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Timothy
Burns, Saucon Valley Country Club
|
NS
|
|
Buddy
Reed, Back Creek Golf Club
|
WD
|
|
J.
Kirk Luntey, Merion Golf Club
|
WD
|
| |
|
NS
- no show; WD - withdrawal
|
|
