2005 GAP Schedule released

  Beginning in April, and encompassing seven months, the schedule visits four states for its 56 tournaments and 65 days of competition.

  Of particular note in 2005 is the creation of two new championships, the Marston Cup and Senior Net Championship, and the hosting of both an USGA Amateur Championship Super Site qualifier and the renowned Williamson Cup junior competition.

  The Marston Cup is an 18-hole individual gross stroke play championship for players 45 to 54 years of age with a GAP/USGA Handicap Index of 10.0 or lower. Manufacturers Golf & Country Club will host the initial Marston Cup on Aug. 31 and the field will be limited to the lowest 144 GAP/USGA Handicap Indexed players. The event is named in honor of amateur golfing legend Max Marston. In 1923, Marston recorded perhaps the greatest individual season in Association history. Locally, he posted victories in the Amateur Championship, Patterson Cup and Silver Cross. He also finished as the low amateur in the Open Championship, victor of the Crump Cup at Pine Valley Golf Club and club champion at Merion Cricket Club. That May, Marston represented the United States with two wins on the victorious Walker Cup team and, then, that September, defeated Jess W. Sweetser in 38 holes for the U.S. Amateur Championship title.

  The Senior Net Championship is an 18-hole individual net and gross stroke play championship open to member club golfers who are 55 years of age and older with a GAP/USGA Handicap Index of 10.1 or higher. The tournament is set for May 23 at Wildwood Golf & Country Club with a field limit of 156 players. This event replaces the Net Division of the Senior Amateur Championship.

  The U.S. Amateur Super Site Qualifier comes with the championship proper set to visit Merion Golf Club from Aug. 22-28. The Super Site Qualifier consists of 36 holes of play over two days at Llanerch Country Club and Rolling Green Golf Club (Contestants play 18 holes at each course). More than 300 players are anticipated. Hosting a qualifier of such size will produce a greater number of qualifying spots for the championship proper.

  Also, for the first time since 1995, the Golf Association of Philadelphia will host the Williamson Cup. The Williamson Cup features teams of four juniors from 11 regional and state associations competing in a one-day, 36-hole stroke play competition. This year’s event is set for Bent Creek Country Club.

  Team Matches–As always, the extremely popular Team Matches open the campaign. A record 304 teams, matching last year’s total (12 members from each team) from 120 member clubs will take part in the three days of competition: April 17 and 24 and May 1. The Playoffs and Challenges are set for May 7. Tavistock Country Club looks to repeat as the champion.

  Amateur Championships–The 105^th Amateur Championship, which runs four days, is set for June 14-16 & 18 at Cedarbrook Country Club and Green Valley Country Club (qualifying only). The 36-hole final match is scheduled for June 18. Scott Ehrlich of Meadowlands Country Club defeated reigning champion Michael Tash of Tavistock Country Club, 5&4, last summer. This will be the first Amateur Championship at Cedarbrook Country Club since 1988.

  This year marks the 101^st renewal of the Open Championship, a one-day, 36-hole medal play event. Aronimink Golf Club, site of the 2003 Senior PGA Championship, hosts the tournament on Wednesday, July 20. Last summer, amateur Chris Lange of Overbrook Golf Club blitzed a strong field at Philadelphia Country Club to become the first amateur to win the event since 1997. Aronimink Golf Club last hosted the Open in 1998.

  The 22^nd Middle-Amateur opens the Championship season on May 25-26 at Spring Mill Country Club. This is the first time the Mid-Am will travel to Spring Mill. Michael McDermott of Llanerch Country Club birdied the final hole at Gulph Mills Golf Club last year to edge Lange by a shot. McDermott will be in search of his record third Mid-Am title.

  The 103^rd Patterson Cup, the final major of the season, takes place on Aug. 11 at Concord Country Club/Radley Run Country Club. This is the first time these two venues will co-host the 36-hole, stroke play championship of the Association – each entrant plays 18 holes at each course. Michael Tash of Tavistock Country Club grabbed his third Patterson Cup trophy when he finished even par at Tavistock Country Club/Laurel Creek Country Club.

  The qualifying rounds of the Amateur Championship and the two rounds of the Patterson Cup also determine the Silver Cross winner. This prestigious award, started in 1902, is given to the player with lowest aggregate score in those four rounds. Tash, on the strength of that strong finish in Patterson Cup, finished atop the standings for his second Silver Cross.

  French Creek Golf Club enters the championship venue rotation in 2005 by holding the Philadelphia Team Championship, which started in 1915, on June 30. Four clubs of eight players each will compete in a foursome match and singles competition for Association bragging rights.

  USGA events–Including the U.S. Amateur Super Site qualifier, the Association will conduct seven USGA Qualifiers, including two for the U.S. Open set for June 16-19 at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club on the No. 2 course in Pinehurst, N.C.

  Senior–The Senior Championship, set for Sept. 6-7 at Torresdale-Frankford Country Club, caps the year for golfers 55 years of age and older. Last year, the two-day, 36-hole medal play competition was taken by senior rookie Craig Scott of Huntingdon Valley Country Club. Scott outlasted clubmate and close friend David Brookreson by a shot at Lu Lu Country Club. Other highlights of the senior schedule include: the Warner Cup on May 5 at Spring Ford Country Club; the Senior Four-Ball Stroke Play on May 9 at Stone Harbor Golf Club; the aforementioned Senior Net Championship on May 23 at Wildwood G&CC and the Chapman Memorial on Aug. 17 at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club.

  The Senior Silver Cross, which represents the Senior Stroke Play Championship of the Golf Association of Philadelphia, will be awarded to the player returning the lowest total score in the Warner Cup (18 holes), Chapman Memorial (18 holes) and the Senior Amateur Championship (36 holes).

  Junior–On June 27-29, the Junior Boys' Championship (ages 14-17) heads to Torresdale-Frankford Country Club as well. The top 16 players from qualifying advance into match play with the final set for the afternoon of June 29. The Christman Cup, the 36-hole stroke play championship for juniors, is set for July 15 at Gulph Mills Golf Club.

  The qualifying round of the junior and the two rounds of the Christman Cup also account for the Harry Hammond Award winner, the junior version of the Silver Cross. Other events on the junior schedule include: the Francis X. Hussey Memorial on July 11 at Rolling Green Golf Club; the Pre-Junior Tournament on July 13 at Philadelphia Cricket Club (St. Martin’s Course); the Jock MacKenzie Memorial on July 18 at Sandy Run Country Club and the Junior-Junior Boys' Championship (ages 11-13) on July 25-27 at West Chester Golf & Country Club.

  In addition, the Deeg Sezna Four-Ball is back for its third year on Aug. 16 at Hartefeld National. A special event on the GAP calendar, the Deeg pairs a junior and an amateur together in a better-ball format. Partners must have a minimum age differential of 10 years and one partner must be 21 years of age or younger. The event is named in honor of Davis G. Sezna, Jr. Better known as Deeg, Davis Jr., an avid golfer himself, was tragically killed in the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He was 22 years old.

  The aforementioned Williamson Cup concludes the Junior schedule.

  Handicap Championships–The Association revised the First and Second Handicaps two seasons ago. Renamed the Spring Net Championship (First) and the Fall Net Championship (Second), the two events are comparable to the other GAP Championships. An overall low net champion is crowned and four flight champions are recognized as well. In addition, the low Senior in each flight will earn recognition. The Spring Net Championship is scheduled for June 9 at Hershey’s Mill Golf Club and the Fall Net Championship is planned for Aug. 29 at Bellewood Golf Club.

  Meetings–There are five meetings on the Association calendar: the President’s Council, the Chairmen's Meeting, the Pro-President, Golf & Green, the Player’s Dinner and the Annual Meeting.

  The President’s Council, new for this year, offers a chance for club Presidents and General Managers to attend a seminar on key issues and topics. This year’s program is set for March 15 at Philadelphia Country Club.

  The Chairmen's Meeting is scheduled for April 13 at Philmont Country Club. The meeting will brief club chairmen on USGA handicap topics.

  The Pro-President, Golf & Green is set for May 16 at Saucon Valley Country Club. Tom Meeks, the USGA’s Senior Director of Rules and Competitions, will be the featured speaker. Mr. Meeks, an USGA staff member since 1975, is set to retire upon the conclusion of the U.S. Amateur at Merion.

  Also new this year is a Player’s Dinner on Oct. 11 at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club to recognize the top players from each Championship Division – Amateur, Junior and Senior – on their year-long accomplishments.

  The Annual Meeting concludes the GAP schedule on Oct. 26 at Chester Valley Golf Club/Whitford Country Club.

  Honorary teams–In addition to hosting the Williamson Cup, the Association will once again send representatives to the Compher Cup, the Senior Challenge Matches, the Philadelphia Golfer Matches and the Mason-Dixon Matches.

  The Compher Cup pits the GAP against the New Jersey State Golf Association with 12-man teams from each organization squaring off in an individual and four-ball match. GAP leads the annual series, 28-11-4. Last year the Golf Association of Philadelphia fell to the NJSGA, 9 ½-8 ½, at Bent Creek Country Club in Lititz, Pa. New Jersey regained the Compher Cup for the first time since 1995. This April's match is set for the 27^th at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, N.J.

  Eight-man teams representing four associations - Delaware, GAP, New Jersey and Maryland - contest the Senior Challenge Matches (stroke play competition). The 2005 contest is schedule for Oct. 5 at Mountain Branch Golf Club in Joppa, Md.

  The Philadelphia Golfer Matches pit 12-man teams from the Golf Association of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Section of the PGA against each other in an individual and four-ball match. This year the Matches travel to Tavistock Country Club on Oct. 14 where GAP will look for its first victory since 1994. The PGA leads the all-time series, 12-1-1.

  The Mason-Dixon Matches, a competition of 12-man teams from the Golf Association of Philadelphia and the Middle Atlantic Golf Association, is scheduled for Oct. 8-9 at the Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson, N.J. Philadelphia dropped a tight, 10-8, decision last season at the Chevy Chase Club in Chevy Chase, Md. GAP leads the all-time series, 30-19-4.