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Patterson Cup caps intense week of competitionThe Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 105th edition of the Joseph H. Patterson Cup, an especially difficult 36-hole championship in its own right, will be an even tougher task as it brings an end to one of the most trying weeks on the organization’s tournament circuit.Set for Aug. 9 at a tight Berkleigh CC and a challenging Moselem Springs GC in the foothills of Pennsylvania’s central mountains, this year’s quest for the Cup is set to begin three days after the arduous 36-hole Open Championship at a historic Merion GC in Ardmore, Pa.
“I try to prepare myself the best I can and go out and see how well I can play,” Arnold said. “Obviously the Patterson Cup is a little different because I am the defending champ, but I’m just trying to make it another tournament and not build it up in my head.” Arnold, who also earned the centennial Silver Cross Award last season with his Patterson Cup victory, will face off against 131 of the area’s top amateur golfers in an event that will also help determine this year’s winner of the annual Silver Cross competition. The two rounds of the Patterson Cup combined with the qualifying rounds of the Philadelphia Amateur Championship are used to determine the Silver Cross winner. As mentioned prior, the Patterson Cup begins on the heels of the 103rd Open Championship (Aug. 6). The Open’s field will also include some of the same players participating in the Patterson, totaling 72-holes of competitive golf in four days. “It is going to be a long few days with the Open and the Patterson Cup going back-to-back,” Arnold said. “It’s a lot of golf and a fair amount of travel but hopefully I can play well in the Open and ride the momentum from that to the Patterson Cup.” Kyle Davis of Fieldstone GC, the 2006 Amateur Champion and 2006 William Hyndman, III Player of the Year, is one of the region’s top players gearing up for that first week in August. “It should be a great test of golf and I look to improve on last year’s performance,” said Davis of his second-place finish in the 2006 Patterson Cup and his low amateur honor at the 2006 Open. Berkleigh CC and Moselem Springs GC present the field with a fair combination of elevation changes, challenging greens, tight and open fairways, all less than two miles apart. “To have any success in this game you must take one tournament, one round, one hole, one shot and one target at a time,” said Davis of facing Moselem Springs GC and Berkleigh CC shortly after Merion GC. “If I can do that successfully, I will be happy no matter what.” This year’s Patterson Cup marks the first time either Berkleigh CC or Moselem Springs GC have hosted the event. The Patterson Cup, played annually since 1900, is named for Joseph H. Patterson, a member of Philadelphia Cricket Club in the 19th century. 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.
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A Walk Through Time
GAP is the oldest state or regional golf association in the country. It started courtesy of a friendly competition – the Team Matches – and has grown into the preeminent golf association in the country. Along the way, golf history has been made.
