Huntingdon Valley CC’s Sullivan qualifies for Open;
Deibert heads field

  Last year’s Amateur Champion, Deibert distanced the field by four strokes.

James Sullivan,Jr.

  Joining Deibert at the Open will be James Sullivan,Jr., another former Amateur Champion.

  Sullivan, 31, would finish his two-round day with an even-par 140. A score the 1999 Amateur Champion and former golf professional was glad to card.

  "It’s great to be back playing amateur golf again," said the recently reinstated amateur out of Huntingdon Valley CC.

  A father of three children, Sullivan dropped out of the professional ranks in 2002 and was reinstated as an amateur in September of 2005.

  "I had some successes but not enough to think I was going to make a living out of playing golf," said Sullivan on his professional time.

  He added, "Today was important for the Philadelphia Open and the Silver Cross standings. At this point, with a new job and a fourth kid on the way, I’ve got to select my days when I can play."

  His even-par total would come after he finished with a sub-par 68 at Huntingdon Valley CC and a 2-over-par 72 at Torresdale-Frankford CC.

  "The biggest thing today was the final nine [holes]," he said. "The wheels were falling off."

  Sullivan would double bogey No. 11 (par 3, 202 yards) and No. 13 (par 5, 544 yards) but quickly redeemed himself by registering a pair of eagles on No. 15 (par 4, 299 yards) and No. 16 (par 5, 550 yards).

  On No. 15, he holed it from the greenside bunker. Soon, thereafter, he hit a rescue club from 265 yards out to within three feet of the pin for eagle on No. 16.

  Sullivan turned professional after wining the Amateur in 1999. As a professional, he split his time between the Canadian Tour, a couple of mini-tours (Golden Bear, Pocono) and some TearDrop tour events. He also made four Nationwide Tour and four PGA Tour Monday Qualifiers.

  Today, Sullivan works in the insurance business for a small consulting firm.

  The Philadelphia Open is for a field of 60 players: 45 professionals and 15 amateurs, consisting of 36 holes in one day.

  It has been played annually since 1903, with the exception of 1943 and 1945, due to World War II, and is the third oldest tournament in the Golf Association of Philadelphia, behind only the Amateur Championship and Patterson Cup.