| * Event Photos
Gelrod tops Am. Qualifier at Coatesville CC
COATESVILLE, Pa. – Ryan Gelrod of Commonwealth National GC carded an even-par 71 to earn medalist honors at Thursday’s Amateur Championship Qualifier at Coatesville CC (par 71, 6123 yards).
Gelrod topped a field of 122 players competing for a spot in the 109th Amateur Championship, which will be held on June 15-17 & 20 at Stonewall. This was the final Amateur Championship qualifying event.
“I was kind of scratchy ball striking, but my short game was real sharp,” he said. “I thought I did well. I chipped and putted great. I’m usually a pretty good ball striker, and usually, that’s where I make hay, but today I was able to save what could’ve gotten ugly with a pretty solid round.”
Gelrod, 37, began his round with a bogie on No. 1 (par 5, 469 yards).
“It’s a birdie hole, but I got off to a rough start,” he said. “I got it on the regulation and then three-putted.”
Gelrod, of Blue Bell, Pa., also bogeyed on No. 10 (par 5, 519 yards) after hitting driver off the tee and landing in trees to the left.
“I tried to hit a high wave cutting. It didn’t cut enough,” he said. “I had to punch it down there. I had a wild wind on my fourth shot, which I thought I hit really well, but it just rolled out 10-feet. I didn’t make the putt.”
But Gelrod rebounded and made critical par-saves throughout the day, particularly on No. 2 (par 3, 156 yards). He hit 7-iron off the tee and landed about 10 yards short left of the green. He then chipped it to 12-feet and made the following putt to save par.
“Making that helped me stay in the round and keep the momentum going,” Gelrod said.
Gelrod also fired birdies on Nos. 9 (par 4, 354 yards) and 18 (par 4, 332 yards). Now that he’s qualified, Gelrod doesn’t necessarily have any expectations for the Amateur Championship.
“I’m just going to go out there and try to play as well as I can,” he said. “I played pretty well at Stonewall before. It’s a great venue. The competition’s tough, but I’m going to go out there and try my best, see if I can sneak into match play and see what happens from there.”
James Bea of Spring Mill CC shot 1-over par to finish second. The Churchville, Pa. resident has been working on his mechanics at home, and it seems to have paid off.
“I’ve been hitting the ball great,” Bea said. “I’ve been trying to stay ho-hum about it. I made sure that I carried that mentality into the qualifier. You don’t want to shoot yourself in the foot early. I was just trying to keep the ball in play. I controlled the ball early and used that momentum to the end.”
Bea’s tight approach worked out as the 19 year-old fired birdies on Nos. 4 (par 3, 155 yards), 9 (par 4, 354 yards) and 15 (par 5, 530 yards). He felt that the birdie on No. 15 propelled him to a strong finish.
“I hit driver off the tee. It was a blind shot,” Bea said. “I drove up to the top of the hill. I hit a bad lay-up shot. I had one spot to hit it, and I ended up hitting it there and it trickled down for a tap. It got me going and motivated. That really got me back to the mentality of ‘just play the game.’ It got me out of a little bit of a panic.”
Thursday’s qualifier helped to build Bea’s confidence heading into the Amateur Championship.
“I feel like I’m a good enough player to play with anybody,” he said. “I feel like I’m a little bit of a dark horse. I made my name here. I’m ready to break through and be recognized as one of the better players in the area.”
As the day ended, the cut line fell to 79.
Thursday’s qualifier at Coatesville CC was the final Amateur Championship qualifying event. Matthew Gaffney of Little Mill CC and Chris Ault of Yardley CC, shared medalist honors at Monday’s qualifier at Links GC.
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 134 Member Clubs and 56,000 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
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Scores
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Ryan
Gelrod
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Commonwealth
National Golf Club
|
71
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James
Bea
|
Spring
Mill Country Club
|
72
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Mark
Czerniakowski
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Blue
Bell Country Club
|
74
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Matt
Dietrich
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Whitford Country Club
|
74
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Matthew
Teesdale
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Commonwealth
National Golf Club
|
74
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Edward
McCrossen, Jr.
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Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
|
75
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Kevin
Genuardi
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Cedarbrook Country Club
|
75
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Kevin
Melnick, Jr.
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Plymouth
Country Club
|
75
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Roc
Irey
|
Lookaway Golf Club
|
75
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Brian
Corbett
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Huntsville
Golf Club
|
76
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Doug
Marcincin
|
Northampton
Country Club
|
76
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Ken
Sim
|
Commonwealth
National Golf Club
|
76
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Mark
Kosko
|
Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa
|
76
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Matthew
Burkhart
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Meadia Heights Golf Club
|
76
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Robert
Dziak
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Spring
Ford Country Club
|
76
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Robert
Wurtz, Jr.
|
Philadelphia
Cricket Club
|
76
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Rodney
James
|
Five
Ponds Golf Club
|
76
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Scott
Storck
|
Philadelphia
Cricket Club
|
76
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Brad
Sokol
|
Green
Valley Country Club
|
77
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David
Atkinson
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Llanerch Country Club
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77
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David
Smith
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Doylestown
Country Club
|
77
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Matt
Dolinsky
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Honeybrook Golf Club
|
77
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Vinny Alessi
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Penn
Oaks Golf Club
|
77
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David
Shields
|
Philadelphia
Publinks GA
|
78
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Greg
Forster
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Radnor
Valley Country Club
|
78
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Johnny
Murphy
|
Wildwood
Golf & Country Club
|
78
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Stephen
McIntyre
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Honeybrook Golf Club
|
78
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Steven
Kim
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Blue
Bell Country Club
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78
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Bryan
Winsko
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Philadelphia
Cricket Club
|
79
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Connor
McNicholas
|
Commonwealth
National Golf Club
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79
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James
Braunsberg
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Blue
Bell Country Club
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79
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John
Robinson
|
Commonwealth
National Golf Club
|
79
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Mark
Quigley
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Lu
Lu Country Club
|
79
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Patrick
Devlin
|
Five
Ponds Golf Club
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79
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Robert
Robertson
|
Sunnybrook
Golf Club
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79
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Scott
Klee
|
Indian
Valley Country Club
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79
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Steve
Minnick
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Bala
Golf Club
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79
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William
Gallagher, III
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Honeybrook Golf Club
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79
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Failed
to qualify
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Andrew
Mason
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Five
Ponds Golf Club
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80
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Andrew
Zoeller
|
Waynesborough Country Club
|
80
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David
O'Malley
|
Manufacturers
Golf & Country Club
|
80
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John
La Dow
|
Bellewood Golf Club
|
80
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Jon
Thomas
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White
Clay Creek Country Club
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80
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Lance
Oberparleiter
|
Wedgwood
Country Club
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80
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Paul
Kovalcheck
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Lu
Lu Country Club
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80
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Sam
Lerner
|
Woodcrest
Country Club
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80
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Anthony
DeNicco
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Brookside
Country Club
|
81
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Eric
Casperson
|
Indian
Valley Country Club
|
81
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Michael
Bieler
|
Brookside
Country Club
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81
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Michael
Ryan
|
Coatesville
Country Club
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81
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Peter
Moran
|
Edgmont Country Club
|
81
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Arthur
Kania, Jr.
|
Overbrook
Golf Club
|
81
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Sam
Pancoast
|
Radley Run Country Club
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81
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Tom
Carter
|
Greate Bay Country Club
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81
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Brett
Falkoff
|
The
ACE Club
|
82
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Chris
Kallmeyer
|
Philadelphia
Cricket Club
|
82
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Cory
Siegfried
|
Philadelphia
Country Club
|
82
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Greg
Jarmas
|
Philadelphia
Publinks GA
|
82
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Jason
Barkley
|
Huntsville
Golf Club
|
82
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John
Mullins
|
Spring
Ford Country Club
|
82
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Kevin
Bair
|
Wyncote
Golf Club
|
82
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Michael
Quinn
|
Edgmont Country Club
|
82
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Phil
Dougherty
|
McCall
Golf & Country Club
|
82
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Robert
Gill
|
Fox
Hill Country Club
|
82
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Robert
Pina
|
Chester
Valley Golf Club
|
82
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Zachary
Dilcher
|
Hartefeld National
|
82
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Chris
Parmer
|
Olde
York Country Club
|
83
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Jack
Rosenberg
|
Waynesborough Country Club
|
83
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Jason
Kowalski
|
Downingtown
Golf Club
|
83
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Mark
Coassolo
|
Brookside
C.C. of Allentown
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83
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Michael
DiGiandomenico
|
French
Creek Golf Club
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83
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Michael
Evangelista
|
Concord
Country Club
|
83
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Mike
Owsik
|
McCall
Golf & Country Club
|
83
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Mitch
Stead
|
Honeybrook Golf Club
|
83
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Seth
Hartman
|
Heidelberg
Country Club
|
83
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Tim
McNerney
|
Philadelphia
Publinks GA
|
83
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Tyler
Canfield
|
Downingtown
Golf Club
|
83
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Ben
Feld
|
Blue
Bell Country Club
|
84
|
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Jim
Witt
|
Commonwealth
National Golf Club
|
84
|
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Joe
Dellicarpini
|
Philadelphia
Cricket Club
|
84
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Patrick
Welsh
|
Huntingdon
Valley Country Club
|
84
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Paul
Liebezeit
|
Aronimink Golf Club
|
84
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Adam
Puskar
|
Brookside
C.C. of Allentown
|
85
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Andrew
Jaskel
|
Philadelphia
Publinks GA
|
85
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Ben
Bershad
|
Hopewell
Valley Golf Club
|
85
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Drew
Panebianco
|
Talamore Country Club
|
85
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Jay
Desjardins
|
Waynesborough Country Club
|
85
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John
Donnelly
|
Concord
Country Club
|
85
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Matt
Forgie
|
Penn
Oaks Golf Club
|
85
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Matt
Jasudowich
|
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
|
85
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Patrick
Rutter
|
Moselem Springs Golf Club
|
85
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Scott
Vasbinder
|
Mercer
Oaks Golf Course
|
85
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Thomas
Mallouk
|
Lookaway Golf Club
|
85
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Zachary
Herr
|
Jericho
National Golf Club
|
85
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Beau
Guarino
|
Burlington
Country Club
|
86
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John
Clevenger
|
Philadelphia
Publinks GA
|
86
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Jordan
Wycoff
|
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
|
86
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Alexander
Penza
|
Llanerch Country Club
|
87
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Jason
Staso
|
Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
87
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Joe
DeVito Jr.
|
Laurel
Creek Country Club
|
87
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Robert
Loftus
|
Overbrook
Golf Club
|
87
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Zach
Rothaus
|
Philmont Country Club
|
87
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Edmond
Fenton
|
Jericho
National Golf Club
|
88
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Kyle
DiGiacobbe
|
Talamore Country Club
|
88
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Mark
O'Neill
|
Sandy
Run Country Club
|
88
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Ted
Brennan
|
Philadelphia
Country Club
|
88
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Dave
Mcfetridge
|
Ravens
Claw Golf Club
|
89
|
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Michael
Boden
|
Aronimink Golf Club
|
89
|
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Jonathan
Heydt
|
Moselem Springs Golf Club
|
90
|
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Dave
Long
|
Honeybrook Golf Club
|
92
|
|
Jim
Lanzalotto
|
Llanerch Country Club
|
95
|
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Michael
Ignatuk
|
Penn
Oaks Golf Club
|
97
|
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Duane
Pinnock
|
Philadelphia
Publinks GA
|
100
|
|
Matthew
Shevlin
|
Philadelphia
Publinks GA
|
DQ
|
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Raymond
Andrusiewicz
|
Mercer
Oaks Golf Course
|
NC
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Byron
Whitman
|
Golden
Oaks Golf Club
|
WD
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Francis
Hamm
|
Country
Club of Scranton
|
WD
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Kenneth
Ralston
|
Huntsville
Golf Club
|
WD
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Michael
Gradisek
|
Stonewall
|
WD
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Ryan
Worthy
|
Merion
Golf Club
|
WD
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Scott
Morris
|
Doylestown
Country Club
|
WD
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William
Smyrl
|
Blue
Bell Country Club
|
NS
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NC
- no card; DQ - disqualification; WD - withdrawal; NS - no show
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