Sanders, Lawson earn co-medallist honors
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Russell Hartung of Doylestown, Pa. (Doylestown CC), and Clark Gates-George from Bradenton, Fla., each carded 13-over-par 153s to finish tied for third earning the final two spots into the championship at the qualifier administered by the Golf Association of Philadelphia.
Sanders, out of Laurel Creek CC, who came into Wednesday’s qualifier after finishing second in the American Junior Golf Association’s Foot Joy Boys Invitational last week with a four-round final score of 8-under-par 280, attributed his accuracy off the tee as the key to his round.
"I only missed only one or two fairways all day," said the 16-year-old who finds himself ranked 17th in the AJGA Polo Golf Rankings.
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One of those putts came on No. 15 (par 3, 186 yards) when Sanders hit a 4-iron in the left rough hole high. He chipped up to just about 13-feet past the hole and made the comeback putt to save par.
"I felt like that was one of the only longer par putts I had all day," said Sanders.
Lawson, who swapped rounds with Sanders with a 73-77 to Sanders’ 77-73, shared Sanders’ fairway success with only three missed fairways in his two rounds.
"My caddie really kept my mind on the game and didn’t let me wander or do anything stupid," said Lawson of Mike Polinski, an assistant pro at Hershey’s Mill GC. "I think I just got tired after playing 36 [holes]. I’m not used to playing 36 in one day."
Lawson, who advances to the Junior Championship for the first time, said he is really excited to head to Missouri for the Championship.
"I can’t wait to go," said the 17-year-old out of West Chester East High School. "I’m not really nervous. I’m just going to go in there and see what I can do."
The Chester Valley qualifier was one of 64, 36-hole qualifiers for the U.S. Junior Amateur to be held throughout the country. The U.S. Junior Championship consists of 36 holes of qualifying over two days followed by a 64-player match play draw.
A field of 156 players will compete in the U.S. Junior Amateur.
Players needed to have a USGA Handicap Index of 6.4 or lower.
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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Qualifiers |
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Name |
Club |
Rd 1 |
Rd 2 |
Total |
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Andrew Lawson |
West Chester, PA |
73 |
77 |
150 |
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David Sanders |
Mt. Laurel, NJ |
77 |
73 |
150 |
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Clark Gates-George |
Bradenton, FL |
79 |
74 |
153 |
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Russell Hartung |
Doylestown, PA |
77 |
76 |
153 |
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Alternates |
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Ryan Simpson |
Mechanicville, NY |
80 |
74 |
154 |
|
*James Bea |
Churchville, PA |
81 |
75 |
156 |
|
Failed to qualify |
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*Zachary Herr |
New Hope, PA |
78 |
78 |
156 |
|
Garrett Conway |
Mount Laurel, NJ |
82 |
75 |
157 |
|
Joseph Gunerman |
Yardley, PA |
82 |
76 |
158 |
|
Jesse Bingaman |
Nazareth, PA |
81 |
78 |
159 |
|
Robert Pina |
Wayne, PA |
82 |
77 |
159 |
|
Alex McMahon |
Naples, FL |
80 |
80 |
160 |
|
Richard Gross |
Clarks Summit, PA |
81 |
79 |
160 |
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Matthew Smith |
Chester Springs, PA |
82 |
79 |
161 |
|
Edward McCrossen |
Ambler, PA |
85 |
77 |
162 |
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Francesco Possio |
Torino |
84 |
78 |
162 |
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James Tallent |
Haverford, PA |
83 |
79 |
162 |
|
Jimmy Johnston |
Wayne, PA |
81 |
81 |
162 |
|
Oscar Neubauer |
Bethlehem, PA |
80 |
82 |
162 |
|
Pierce Dever |
Yardley, PA |
84 |
78 |
162 |
|
Austin Wolf |
Lititz, PA |
84 |
79 |
163 |
|
David Long |
Coatesville, PA |
79 |
84 |
163 |
|
Eric Chipin |
Pennington, NJ |
83 |
81 |
164 |
|
Nicholas Sabatine IV |
Nazareth, PA |
81 |
83 |
164 |
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Zachary Dilcher |
Avondale, PA |
82 |
82 |
164 |
|
Connor Coldwater |
Clarks Summit, PA |
84 |
81 |
165 |
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Kevin Melnick II |
Blue Bell, PA |
84 |
81 |
165 |
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Michael Brofft |
Spring City, PA |
79 |
86 |
165 |
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Nelson Hargrove |
Haverford, PA |
82 |
83 |
165 |
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Bryan Otis |
Yarmouth, ME |
82 |
84 |
166 |
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Jacob Murphy |
Hamilton Twsp, NJ |
80 |
86 |
166 |
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Tyler Harman |
Dover, PA |
86 |
80 |
166 |
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Zach Emery |
Malvern, PA |
82 |
84 |
166 |
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Ryan Burke |
State College, PA |
82 |
85 |
167 |
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Ryan Carroll |
Malvern, PA |
84 |
83 |
167 |
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Tyler Yearley |
Newtown, PA |
82 |
85 |
167 |
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Alex Pompey |
Clarks Summit, PA |
82 |
86 |
168 |
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Andrew Zoeller |
Phoenixville, PA |
86 |
82 |
168 |
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Kevin Benstead |
Boxford, MA |
83 |
85 |
168 |
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Patrick Welsh |
Doylestown, PA |
80 |
88 |
168 |
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Nick Dalessandro |
Moosic, PA |
83 |
86 |
169 |
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Dan Bernard |
Malvern, PA |
86 |
84 |
170 |
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John Rosenberg |
Devon, PA |
88 |
82 |
170 |
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Peter Eiler |
Holland, PA |
87 |
83 |
170 |
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Justin Nguonly |
Vienna, VA |
88 |
83 |
171 |
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Bobby Arthur |
Marlton, NJ |
87 |
85 |
172 |
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Mathieu Spence-Godin |
Newtown Square, PA |
86 |
86 |
172 |
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Pat Ross |
Dunmore, PA |
89 |
83 |
172 |
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Phillip Villari |
Riverton, NJ |
83 |
89 |
172 |
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Ted Brennan |
Newtown Square, PA |
90 |
82 |
172 |
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William Hoese |
Cherry Hill, NJ |
91 |
81 |
172 |
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Matt Dudas |
Harleysville, PA |
87 |
86 |
173 |
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Matthew Malinowski |
Mount Laurel, NJ |
91 |
82 |
173 |
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Scott Levy |
Chambersburg, PA |
86 |
87 |
173 |
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Erik Fischer |
Newtown Square, PA |
89 |
85 |
174 |
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Zachary Davis |
Washington Crossing, PA |
90 |
84 |
174 |
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Bill Kuchinsky |
West Chester, PA |
89 |
86 |
175 |
|
Mike Ignatuk |
Thornton, PA |
85 |
90 |
175 |
|
Blayze Di Pasquale |
Richboro, PA |
89 |
88 |
177 |
|
John Palmer |
Malvern, PA |
88 |
89 |
177 |
|
Greg Verde |
Wayne, PA |
91 |
87 |
178 |
|
Lee Zoeller |
Phoenixville, PA |
89 |
90 |
179 |
|
Curtis Slike |
Carlisle, PA |
90 |
92 |
182 |
|
Michael Perry |
Scranton, PA |
89 |
93 |
182 |
|
Erik Shellenhamer |
Lebanon, PA |
91 |
92 |
183 |
|
Steven Broll |
Wayne, PA |
87 |
96 |
183 |
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Anthony Miller |
Reading, PA |
94 |
90 |
184 |
|
Peter Nelson |
Clarks Summit, PA |
94 |
106 |
200 |
|
George Trosley |
Ridley Park, PA |
87 |
WD |
WD |
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Jake Lebowitz |
Huntingdon Valley, PA |
84 |
WD |
WD |
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Jason Zhou |
Skillman, NJ |
85 |
WD |
WD |
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Martin Hayden |
Drexel Hill, PA |
98 |
WD |
WD |
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Matt McGovern |
Holland, PA |
89 |
WD |
WD |
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Nicholas Reach |
Moscow, PA |
90 |
WD |
WD |
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Robert Galbreath Jr |
Huntingdon Valley, PA |
80 |
WD |
WD |
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Tyler Straub |
Chambersburg, PA |
91 |
NS |
NS |
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WD-withdrawal; NS-no show |
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*-determined in playoff |
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