A field of 80 competed for the 33 available qualifying positions and eight alternate spots.
Russo, a 46-year-old police officer from Turnersville, N.J., carded a pair of even-par 35s on the front and back nines with two birdies (one on each side), two bogeys (one on each side) and 14 pars. His two under-par efforts came on No. 8 (par 4, 417 yards) and No. 10 (par 3, 137 yards).
"I played Burlington with a couple guys last week and the course played hard. I shot a 75," said Russo, a corporal in the Washington Township police department. "I wanted to avoid the big numbers and maybe make a couple of birdies and get in the field. I usually play a lot more aggressive than I did today."
It will be Russo’s first Golf Association of Philadelphia Middle-Amateur Championship.
A member of Wedgwood CC before moving to Running Deer GC this year, Russo never competed in GAP events before this spring. But that wasn’t a result of his game. He was a multiple-time club champion at Wedgwood CC and qualified for the U.S. Pub Links Championship last summer.
He credits a switch to the belly-putter for his early season success.
"My hands were in a different spot and I was upright [before] and … ," said Russo, who holds a +1.5 Handicap Index, of his last conventional putter. "The belly-putter has given so much more confidence."
He carded just 28 putts on Thursday.
The second and final Mid-Am Qualifier is set for next Thursday, May 13, at Doylestown CC.
A total of 132 players will play 18 holes on the first day. The field will then be cut to the low 70 players and ties for day two.
Rob Savarese, Jr. of Philadelphia Cricket Club is the defending champion.
|
Qualifiers |
|
Name, club |
Score |
|
1 |
Joseph Russo, Running Deer GC |
35-35=70 |
|
2 |
Douglas Schroer, St. Davids Golf Club |
34-38=72 |
|
T3 |
Matt Jasudowich, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
36-37=73 |
|
T3 |
Sean D Leonard, Tavistock Country Club |
38-35=73 |
|
T5 |
Ernie VanMeter, Wildwood Golf & Country Club |
36-38=74 |
|
T5 |
Thomas Hyland, Little Mill Country Club |
37-37=74 |
|
7 |
Ronald Cusick, Sr., Tavistock Country Club |
39-36=75 |
|
T8 |
Bill Murray, Merchantville Country Club |
38-38=76 |
|
T8 |
Charles McDowell, Wilmington Country Club |
38-38=76 |
|
T8 |
Grant T Liu, Commonwealth National GC |
38-38=76 |
|
T8 |
Gregg Angelillo, Moselem Springs Golf Club |
38-38=76 |
|
T8 |
Jack Helms, Rolling Green GC |
40-36=76 |
|
T8 |
Mark Wright, Running Deer Golf Club |
35-41=76 |
|
T8 |
Michael La Grasso, Burlington Country Club |
39-37=76 |
|
T8 |
Robert G Dziak, Spring Ford Country Club |
41-35=76 |
|
T8 |
Tim Sindorf, Burlington CC |
41-35=76 |
|
T17 |
Bryan E Forcino, Waynesborough CC |
39-38=77 |
|
T17 |
Gil Moniz Jr., Woodbury Country Club |
37-40=77 |
|
T17 |
Mark Kosko, Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa |
39-38=77 |
|
T17 |
Raymond B Slawecki, Spring Ford Country Club |
35-42=77 |
|
T21 |
Bryan McClaskey, Merchantville Country Club |
39-39=78 |
|
T21 |
D. Drew Siok, Tavistock Country Club |
40-38=78 |
|
T21 |
Edmund C Chylinski, Chester Valley Golf Club |
38-40=78 |
|
T21 |
Mark Inman, Cherry Valley Country Club |
39-39=78 |
|
T21 |
Randall L Rolfe, Huntingdon Valley Country Club |
41-37=78 |
|
T21 |
Walter Wolfe, Wildwood Golf & Country Club |
40-38=78 |
|
T27 |
Bill Boyle, Metedeconk National Golf Club |
37-42=79 |
|
T27 |
Dan J Pinciotti Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club |
36-43=79 |
|
T27 |
Edward Kelly, Jr., Lu Lu Country Club |
39-40=79 |
|
T30 |
Jeffrey Lazarus, Radnor Valley Country Club |
38-42=80 |
|
T30 |
Robert E Lodovici, Little Mill Country Club |
39-41=80 |
|
T30 |
Terrence J Sawyer, Yardley Country Club |
39-41=80 |
|
T30 |
William Voris, Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa |
39-41=80 |
|
|
|
Alternates (in order) |
|
T34 |
*Brian T Powell, Burlington Country Club |
42-39=81 |
|
T34 |
*Thomas DiCinti, Little Mill Country Club |
40-41=81 |
|
T34 |
*Glenn McClaskey, Philadelphia Pub Links Golf Assoc |
42-39=81 |
|
T34 |
*Geoffrey M Cooper, Ballamor Golf Club |
40-41=81 |
|
T34 |
*Bill Milner, Running Deer Golf Club |
41-40=81 |
|
T34 |
*Jon Mabry, Moorestown Field Club |
41-40=81 |
|
T34 |
*Alexander A Maguire, Jr., Philadelphia Cricket Club |
39-42=81 |
|
T34 |
*Kenji Ota, Philadelphia Cricket Club |
39-42=81 |
| |
|
Failed to qualify |
|
T34 |
Jon Helhowski, Philmont Country Club |
38-43=81 |
|
T43 |
John J Cobb, Tavistock Country Club |
42-40=82 |
|
T43 |
L. Scott Elwell, Running Deer Golf Club |
41-41=82 |
|
T43 |
Lance T Oberparleiter, Wedgwood Country Club |
38-44=82 |
|
T43 |
Mark Quigley, Lu Lu Country Club |
39-43=82 |
|
T43 |
Michael J Nilon, Philadelphia Country Club |
41-41=82 |
|
T43 |
Pete Widdoes, Deerfield Golf & Tennis Club |
42-40=82 |
|
T49 |
Jeffrey S Zalis, Little Mill Country Club |
43-40=83 |
|
T49 |
John Campanelli, Woodbury Country Club |
40-43=83 |
|
T49 |
Paul Stewart, Pine Hill Golf Club |
40-43=83 |
|
T49 |
Robert F Powelson, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club |
40-43=83 |
|
T49 |
Robert J Struthers, Greate Bay Golf Club |
44-39=83 |
|
T54 |
Joe Olin, Little Mill Country Club |
44-40=84 |
|
T54 |
Patrick M Cahill III, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
40-44=84 |
|
T54 |
William J Vostinak, Lehigh Country Club |
47-37=84 |
|
T57 |
Bennett Meyer, Philmont Country Club |
40-45=85 |
|
T57 |
Kenneth Croney, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club |
43-42=85 |
|
T57 |
Larry Paster, Philmont Country Club |
43-42=85 |
|
T57 |
Michael A Stanley, St. Davids Golf Club |
41-44=85 |
|
T57 |
Thomas Mensel, Olde York Country Club |
42-43=85 |
|
T62 |
Anthony P Manto, Burlington Country Club |
40-46=86 |
|
T62 |
Lee S Grout, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
43-43=86 |
|
T64 |
Bill Kovach, Philadelphia Pub Links Golf Assoc |
41-46=87 |
|
T64 |
David Hoegel, Little Mill Country Club |
46-41=87 |
|
T64 |
Pat J Renshaw, Medford Village Country Club |
40-47=87 |
|
T64 |
Steve Pence, Little Mill Country Club |
44-43=87 |
|
T68 |
Gregory S Henkel, Melrose Country Club |
43-45=88 |
|
T68 |
Jeffrey C Allen, Wild Quail Golf & Country Club |
47-41=88 |
|
T70 |
Brian Binet, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club |
40-49=89 |
|
T70 |
Daniel P Dengler, Burlington Country Club |
40-49=89 |
|
T70 |
Doug J Domeshek, Heidelberg CC |
44-45=89 |
|
T70 |
Gordon W Jamieson, Merion Golf Club |
47-42=89 |
|
74 |
Jason Barkley, Berkleigh Country Club |
46-45=91 |
|
75 |
Art Brosius,II, DuPont Country Club |
45-47=92 |
|
76 |
Stephen P Crescenzo, Running Deer Golf Club |
43-50=93 |
|
77 |
JP Arrante, Deerfield Golf & Tennis Club |
44-53=97 |
|
T78 |
Craig Starn, Greate Bay Golf Club |
WD |
|
T78 |
James E Heilman, Northampton Country Club |
WD |
|
T78 |
Lee Cook, Laurel Creek Country Club |
WD |
|
T78 |
Michael Bohardt, Olde York CC |
WD |
|
T78 |
Thomas L Cohen, Running Deer Golf Club |
NC |
|
T78 |
Andrew Dietz, Laurel Creek CC |
NC |
|
T78 |
John L Naugle, Jr., McCall Golf & Country Club |
DQ |
| |
|
WD-withdrawal; NC-no card; DQ-disqualification |
|
*-determined in playoff |
