2006 GAP Schedule complete

  Beginning in April, and encompassing seven months, the schedule visits five states for its 58 tournaments and 67 days of competition.

  Of particular note in 2006 is the celebration of the 100^th Silver Cross. The Silver Cross is awarded to the player with the lowest aggregate score in the qualifying rounds of the Amateur Championship and two rounds of the Patterson Cup. Also, new in 2006 is the creation of a pair of senior events, the Chapman Cup Gross and Warner Cup Net tournaments.

  The Silver Cross is the third oldest Golf Association of Philadelphia championship. It started in 1902 with Howard Perrin taking the first cross. Since, legendary figures such as William Hyndman, III, J. Wood Platt and R. Jay Sigel, amongst other names, have won their share of titles. Platt holds the record with seven Silver Cross awards. Hyndman and Sigel won six awards a piece.

  Hoping to alleviate any issues with an influx of Senior baby-boomers, the Golf Association of Philadelphia has added a Chapman Cup Gross and Warner Cup Net competitions to its Senior schedule. In addition, the organization tweaked its existing Senior competitions to create a championship series as well as a net event tour.

  The Chapman Gross is an 18-hole individual stroke play championship open to member club golfers who are 55 years of age and older with a GAP/USGA Handicap Index of 7.0 or less. The tournament is set for Aug. 23 at Woodcrest Country Club with a field limit of 156 players. This event is comparable to the Warner Cup and Senior Amateur Championship and along with the Senior Silver Cross to form a Championship Series.

  The Warner Cup Net is an 18-hole individual 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 30 at Downingtown Golf Club with a field limit of 176 players. This event is comparable to the Chapman Cup and Senior Net Championship and together the three form a net tour.

  Team Matches–As always, the extremely popular Team Matches open the campaign. A record 312 teams (12 members from each team) from 123 member clubs will take part in the three days of competition: April 9, 23 and 30. The Playoffs and Challenges are set for May 6. Tavistock Country Club looks to repeat as the champion for a third straight year and, if successful, would be the first to win three consecutive championships since Huntingdon Valley Country Club did so from 1983-85.

  Championships–The 106^th Amateur Championship, which runs four days, is set for June 13-15 & 17 at Torresdale-Frankford Country Club and Huntingdon Valley Country Club (qualifying only). The 36-hole final match is scheduled for June 17. Clint Deibert of Doylestown Country Club defeated Tug Maude of Merion Golf Club, 2&1, last summer. This will be the first Amateur Championship at Torresdale-Frankford Country Club since qualifying was held there in 2002. Torresdale-Frankford Country Club last held the match play portion of the tournament in 1987.

  This year marks the 102^nd renewal of the Open Championship, a one-day, 36-hole medal play event. Llanerch Country Club hosts the tournament on Wednesday, July 19. Last summer, Graham Dendler, an assistant professional at Merion Golf Club, survived a late-round scare at Aronimink Golf Club to take the title by a stroke over John Pillar, Sr., the professional at Woodloch Springs Country Club. Llanerch Country Club last hosted the Open in 1951. Henry Williams, Jr. of Berkleigh Country Club posted a 141 total for the title that year.

  The 23^rd Middle-Amateur opens the Championship season on May 23-24 at Commonwealth National Golf Club. This is the first time the Mid-Am will travel to Commonwealth National in Horsham, Pa. Chris Lange of Overbrook Golf Club completed a career grand slam in taking his first Mid-Am title last year.

  The 105^th Patterson Cup, the final major of the season, takes place on Aug. 10 at Philmont Country Club (North/South courses). This is the first time since 1979 that Philmont Country Club will host the 36-hole, stroke play championship of the Association in which each entrant play 18 holes at each course. Maude earned his first Patterson Cup trophy last year after outlasting Conrad Von Borsig of Concord Country Club in an 18-hole playoff.

  White Clay Creek Country Club enters the championship venue rotation in 2007 by holding the Philadelphia Team Championship, which started in 1915, on June 29. 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 at Stonewall, the Association will conduct seven USGA Qualifiers, including two for the U.S. Open set for June 15-18 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

  Senior–The Senior Championship, set for Sept. 5-6 at Sunnybrook Golf Club, is for golfers 55 years of age and older. Last year, the two-day, 36-hole medal play competition was taken by David Brookreson of Huntingdon Valley Country Club. Brookreson distanced a field of contenders by five shots at Torresdale-Frankford Country Club. Other highlights of the senior schedule excluding the aforementioned events include: the Warner Cup on May 10 at Yardley Country Club; the Senior Four-Ball Stroke Play on June 20 at Cavaliers Country Club; the Senior Four-Man Team on July 20 at Bellewood Golf Club; Chapman Memorial on Sept. 13 at Whitford Country Club and the Senior Net Championship on Sept. 28 at Chester Valley Golf 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 Gross (18 holes), Chapman Memorial Gross (18 holes) and the Senior Amateur Championship (36 holes).

  Junior–On June 26-28, the Junior Boys' Championship (ages 14-17) heads to Philadelphia Country Club. The top 16 players from qualifying advance into match play with the final set for the afternoon of June 28. The Christman Cup, the 36-hole stroke play championship for juniors, is set for July 14 at Lookaway 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 10 at Rolling Green Golf Club; the Pre-Junior Tournament on July 12 at Philadelphia Cricket Club (St. Martins Course); the Jock MacKenzie Memorial on July 24 at Sandy Run Country Club and the Junior-Junior Boys' Championship (ages 11-13) on July 31-Aug. 2 at Woodbury Country Club.

  In addition, the Deeg Sezna Four-Ball is back for its fourth year on Aug. 8 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 Williamson Cup, featuring teams of four juniors from 11 regional and state associations competing in a one-day, 36-hole stroke play competition, concludes the Junior schedule. This year’s event is set for Bellevue Country Club in Syracuse, N.Y.

  Handicap Championships–The Association revised the First and Second Handicaps three 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 8 at The Club at Morgan Hill and the Fall Net Championship is planned for Aug. 29 at Bucks County Country Club.

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

  The President’s Council, in its second 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 28 at Philadelphia Country Club.

  The Chairmen's Meeting is scheduled for April 11 at Whitford Country Club. The meeting will brief club chairmen on USGA handicap topics.

  The Pro-President, Golf & Green is set for May 18 at RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve/Spring Ford Country Club. Andy North, a two-time U.S. Open Champion, will be the featured speaker. In conjunction, the Association will conduct a silent auction fundraiser for ALS, Mr. North’s charity.

  The 2^nd Players Dinner on Oct. 11 at Huntingdon Valley Country Club recognizes 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. 25 at Waynesborough Country Club/White Manor Country Club.

  Honorary teams–In addition to 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 matches were cancelled due to weather. It was the first time since their inception in 1962 that the Matches have not been played. This April's match is set for the 26^th at Philadelphia Cricket Club (Militia Hill Course) in Flourtown, Pa.

  Eight-man teams representing four associations - Delaware, GAP, New Jersey and Maryland - contest the Senior Challenge Matches (stroke play competition). The 2006 contest is schedule for Sept. 21 at Somerset Hills Country Club in Bernardsville, N.J.

  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 Moselem Springs Golf Club on Oct. 10 where GAP will look for its first victory since 1994. The PGA leads the all-time series, 12-1-2. Last year the sides ended in a 9–9 tie.

  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. 14-15 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in Lake Manassas, Va. Philadelphia regained the trophy with a 9.5-8.5 decision at Metedeconk National Golf Club last year. The GAP leads the all-time series, 31-19-4.