Intriguing match-ups set for Week 2 of GAP Team Matches

  In Section 1, Merion Golf Club 1 faces three-time defending champion Tavistock Country Club 1; Section 2 sees Huntingdon Valley Country Club 1 and Little Mill Country Club 1 meet and Section 3 pits Commonwealth National Golf Club 1 and Philadelphia Country Club 1 against each other.

  Tavistock Country Club received points in eight of nine home matches (six singles, three better-ball) despite using Woodcrest Country Club as a base. Tavistock Country Club closed last year for renovation and will not open until May.

  In singles at home, Robert Arthur carded team-high 4.5 points. He and partner Ron Cusick, Sr., also earned another 4.5 points in their better-ball match. Tom Gramigna notched a visiting-team best 4.5 points at Llanerch Country Club.

  “You lose your home course advantage where you automatically knew where to lay up or hit a ball on a particular green,” said Arthur, a veteran of the GAP Team Matches about not competing at Tavistock. “You really had to think [all your shots] out. It was basically an away match.

  “If we were lucky enough to make the championship again, the idea was that maybe we would be able to play at Tavistock, however, losing that week due to the Nor’Easter and the cooler weather, we don’t know if that would happen now or not.”

  Gordon Jamieson helped Merion start well by sweeping his match. He finished with 4.75 points. A top senior player Carl Everett scored 4.5 points in his singles match at Wilmington and along with partner Michael McDermott netted 3.5 points more.

  Huntingdon Valley County Club enters its match with Little Mill Country Club off a 59-13.25 defeat of Moselem Springs Golf Club 1. Huntingdon Valley Country Club used a mix of veteran leadership, former Senior Player of the Year David Brookreson earned a team-high six points, and talented youth, reigning Junior Player of the Year Robert Galbreath, Jr. netted a second-best 5.5 points, in the win.

  “Our lineup is pretty fluid. [In fact], we lose David Brookreson [playing in the Coleman Invitational at Seminole Golf Club] this week and he’s obviously at the top of our lineup,” said James Sullivan, Jr., captain of Huntingdon Valley. “Our young guys, all five of them under 30 [years of age], played well and we need them to do that again.”

  Galbreath (15 years old), Patrick Welsh (16), Sean Seese (23), Eric Fonner (27) and Kevin Bondi (29) earned a combined 20.75 points in singles competition.

  In this, the 107th competitive season of the GAP Team Matches, Huntingdon Valley Country Club has earned a record 31 championships.

  Commonwealth National Golf Club 1 and Philadelphia Country Club 1 face each other after impressive victories. Commonwealth National Golf Club upended Fox Hill Country Club 1, 58.5-12.5, and Philadelphia Country Club stopped Cavaliers Country Club 1, 40.25-28.

  Brett Diakon earned 5.5 points and Michael Anderson recorded 5.25 points for Commonwealth as 11 of 12 team members earned at least a point in singles competition. Commonwealth was especially dominant at home rolling to a 35.5-1.5 decision at its Horsham base.

  Philadelphia Country Club also used a strong home performance to stop a talented Cavaliers bunch. PCC’s home squad defeated Cavaliers visiting team by 20 points.

  The Playoff and Challenges are set for May 12.

NOTES–Hartefeld National 3 was the week’s top point earner, defeating Huntingdon Valley Country Club 5, 76.5-12.5 … a record total of 315 teams from a record 126 clubs are competing in this year’s GAP Team Matches. Chesapeake Bay Golf Club 1 withdrew from the competition … Of the 64 clubs that field three teams or more, 12 of those clubs’ teams went undefeated in Week 1.