Thompson, Marucci highlight 2007 momentsA look back at the Top 10 highlights (and a little more) from 2007.10. In January, the Golf Association of Philadelphia Executive Committee approved the implementation of the Tournament Handicap System. The system, used for all NET competitions, individual and team with more than 50 competitors, was modeled closely after the Knuth Tournament Point System. Dean Knuth, the system’s creator, served as the United States Golf Association's Senior Director of Handicapping, GHIN and Green Section Administration from 1981-97. He was the prime developer of the USGA's Course Rating and Slope Rating System that is used throughout the United States and in most foreign countries today. He was and is recognized as the top expert in the world on handicapping and course rating. 9. Chip Lutz of LedgeRock GC closed the door this time. Lutz birdied the final hole at Stonewall (North Course) to take the Middle-Amateur Championship title in May a year after some late putting issues cost him the 2006 crown and left a bad taste in his mouth. In 2007, Lutz redeemed himself in style, draining a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to clinch the win.
7. Michael McDermott of Merion GC, who had been quiet in recent years, returned to the top of the Golf Association of Philadelphia Amateur Mountain with a thrilling performance in the Joseph H. Patterson Cup at Berkleigh CC/Moselem Springs GC. McDermott rebounded from a sub-par Open performance at his home club with nine final-round birdies to earn his first Patterson Cup title. Included in that run were four birdies on his final eight holes at Berkleigh CC. McDermott’s late-season surge also netted him his second Silver Cross and his fourth William Hyndman, III Player of the Year Award. 6. Philip Bartholomew was extremely fortunate to just make the 107th Amateur Championship field. A few weeks prior to the tournament, in a pre-qualifier at Ballamor GC, a fellow competitor three-putted the final hole to allow all the players sitting at 80, including Bartholomew, into the championship proper. A few weeks later Bartholomew and his grip-and-rip-it style became the first player who calls Yardley CC home to hoist the J. Wood Platt Amateur Championship Trophy. Bartholomew defeated Bill McGuinness of Tavistock CC, 2&1, for the crown. "I was just trying to make the cut and trying to get into match play," said Bartholomew following his victory. "And now I’m here. It’s unreal. I don’t believe it. There are a lot great players in this field and to come out on top feels amazing." 5. Mark Miller of Yardley CC dropped clutch putt after clutch putt to become the first Amateur since Chris Lange of Overbrook GC in 2004 to capture the Open Championship. Even more special was that Miller did so on Merion GC’s historic East Course. This was the first Open on the East Course since 1990. In this year’s Championship, Miller displayed an immense toughness, overcoming a penalty stroke and potential disastrous situation when he stepped on his golf ball in the right fescue of the 14th hole. Miller got up-and-down for bogey from 75 yards and then finally two putted No. 18 from 40 feet to seal the win. 4. Commonwealth National Golf Club turned in a strong team effort to capture its first-ever GAP Team Matches title. Commonwealth National GC, led by captain John Robinson, defeated Philadelphia Cricket Club, Huntingdon Valley CC and Llanerch CC for the championship by 8.5 points. Congratulations. 3. Robert Galbreath, Jr. of Huntingdon Valley CC became only the second player in the 93-year history of the Junior Program to win three Junior Boys’ Championship titles. Galbreath, Jr. joined Meredith M. Jack of Merion Cricket Club, who accomplished the feat in the first three years of the event (1914-16). Galbreath, Jr., 16, defeated Robert Robertson of Sunnybrook GC, 1-up, at Cavaliers CC. He has one year of eligibility remaining in an attempt to set a new mark. 2. Buddy Marucci of Merion GC and Villanova, Pa., captained the United States to an unexpected victory over Great Britain and Ireland in the 41st Walker Cup Match played at Royal County Down GC. It was the first U.S. victory on foreign soil in 16 years and the first time Team America’s registered back-to-back wins in the Walker Cup since 1991 and 1993. Marucci has already been appointed the captain when the Walker Cup visits his home course in 2009. 1. Ray Thompson of Overbrook GC became the first individual to sweep all Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Senior Major tournaments in the same year. Thompson overcame a late double bogey to earn a dramatic victory in the season clinching Senior Amateur Championship; won the Warner Cup (Gross) in a grueling six-hole playoff and captured a thrilling Chapman Cup (Gross) at his home club. His Senior Amateur win also propelled Thompson to the Senior Silver Cross Award by a remarkable 12 shots. The 55-year-old Thompson more than doubled the points of his closest competitor in taking the Senior Player of the Year (740-360) Award. Honorable Mention–The Golf Association of Philadelphia recognized Joseph Tyrrell of Spring Ford CC as the Volunteer of the Year; Bobby Arthur of Tavistock CC as the Junior Sportsmanship Award and Stanton Friedman of Bala GC as the Distinguished Service Award winner … Doylestown CC’s Russell Hartung took both the Christman Cup and Harry Hammond Award for his first two Golf Association of Philadelphia victories. The 15-year-old from Doylestown, Pa., led wire-to-wire for the Christman Cup title, finishing at 3-over-par 147 (72-75), and combined that with a 71 in the Junior Boys’ Championship and 76 in the Jock MacKenzie Memorial to take the Harry Hammond Award by four strokes. The victories came after a difficult situation at the Junior Boys’ which resulted in Hartung defaulting his first-round match … The Honorary Teams for the Compher Cup and Mason-Dixon Matches helped Philadelphia retain the two titles in this year’s competitions. In May, the Golf Association of Philadelphia defeated the New Jersey State Golf Association, 12-6, at Mountain Ridge CC in West Caldwell, N.J. In October, team GAP hosted the Middle Atlantic Golf Association at Hidden Creek GC, and on the strength of a fantastic Singles Matches effort, won 10-8 ... Lutz makes another appearance in this section with a hole-in-one on the second playoff hole of the Amateur Championship Qualifier to advance to match play. |