GTM Week 3 Preview:
Away teams carry top four teams to Section leads;
Yardley, Cricket to square off for playoff spot

  There’s no place like home. Or is there?

  In the second week of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Team Matches, each of the top squads in Division AA would not be in such a position if it were not for their performance on foreign soil.

  Section leaders Huntingdon Valley Country Club, three-time defending champion Tavistock Country Club, Commonwealth National Golf Club and Yardley Country Club, last year’s playoff teams, each had double-digit victories from their away units.

  Huntington Valley Country Club virtually sealed a playoff birth with their 48.25-21 victory over Little Mill Country Club with five-point contributions from Patrick Welsh at home and Dan Pinciotti, Jr. away. Huntington Valley Country Club leads Section 2 with 107.25 points, a full 41 points over its nearest competitor.

  "From top to bottom everybody’s played pretty well for us," said James Sullivan, Jr., captain of Huntingdon Valley. "We have had 15 or 16 players that have played and contributed in these first couple weeks. I’m going to have to look at who I would be most likely to play in the playoffs and play them this week."

  Tavistock Country Club and Commonwealth National Golf Club each lost at home but won away. Tavistock Country Club defeated Merion Golf Club 34.75-32.25 and Commonwealth National Golf Club was victorious over Philadelphia Country Club 34.25-30.5. William McGuinness led the Tavistock Country Club squad with five points, while Mike Moffat of Commonwealth National Golf Club finished with 4.75 points.

  "We tried to send some of the guys with familiarity of [Philadelphia Country Club] away and keep the rest of the guys at home," said Moffat. "That strategy ended up working in our favor. It was a close and exciting finish that could have gone either way."

  "We’ve been getting some strong play out of those guys," said Ed Erickson, Yardley’s team captain, of Arnold and Charen. "Steve [Arnold] and Dan [Charen] have proven themselves quite admirably in [GAP] events. Even with their youth, they provide us with a good level of experience. We count on them to pull through in the spots that they’re in."

  However, unlike the Huntingdon Valley squad, Yardley’s team does not have the benefit of a 41-point lead heading to the final week of the storied GAP Team Matches.

  Waiting in the wings only five points back is the team from Philadelphia Cricket Club, who, coincidentally, was in the same position last year heading into the final week.

  Philadelphia Cricket Club’s, 36.5-31.5, victory over Philmont Country Club makes this Sunday’s head-to-head match-up with Yardley Country Club the determining factor for this year’s playoff picture.

  "We were in the same situation last year when we fell short to Commonwealth [National Golf Club]," said Chris Kallmeyer, captain of Philadelphia Cricket Club. "We are really excited to have another chance to get it right this year."

  Added Kallmeyer, "We’ve come in second [place] two years in a row, so we are really looking to breakthrough the bridesmaid jinx and get over that."

  Erickson is confident in his team’s ability and anticipates a good match against Philadelphia Cricket Club.

  "We thought it was going to boil down to this," said Erickson. "Right now we are just strategizing on who is best to stay home and send away like we do every week, but in this particular week it’s more critical to get the match-ups correct."

  "We think we’re a good match-up against Yardley," said Kallmeyer. "We like our chances and think it’s going to be a close match and we are looking forward to it."

  To put it simply for the two squads; win and you’re in.

  The Playoff and Challenges are set for May 12.

  Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 135 Member Clubs and 60,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The purpose of the Association is simple: To promote, protect and preserve the game of golf in the region.