GAP announces 2009 schedule

  The season begins in April and runs through October. It features events for all age groups (Junior, Amateur and Senior) and playing levels (Championship and Handicap).

GAP Team Matches–A record 128 clubs will field 316 teams overall to start the 2009 Tournament Season. Teams will engage in three days of competition: April 19, 26 and May 3. The Playoff and Challenges will be held May 9.

  Last year, Tavistock Country Club’s top team won its fourth title in five years. It defeated reigning champion Commonwealth National Golf Club as well as Huntsville Golf Club and Yardley Country Club. Tavistock returned to its home course last year after renovations in 2007 forced the squad to use Woodcrest Country Club for its home contests.

Championships–The 109^th Amateur Championship, which runs four days, will be held June 15-17 & 20 at Stonewall. Michael McDermott, a five-time William Hyndman Player of the Year, defeated Cole Willcox of Philadelphia Country Club, 6&4. The win gave McDermott his first J. Wood Platt Amateur Championship trophy.

  The 105^th Open Championship, a one-day, 36-hole medal play event, will be held at Bent Creek Country Club on July 22. Greg Pieczynski won last year’s event by shooting a 5-under par. There was only one round of play due to intense lightning and rain. It was the first open shortened to 18 holes since 1997.

  The 25^th Middle-Amateur opens the Major Championship season on May 20-21 at Tavistock Country Club. McDermott became the event’s first three-time winner when he edged Michael Domenick of Phoenixville Country Club, by two strokes.  

  The 106^th Joseph H. Patterson Memorial Cup, the final Major of the season, takes place on Aug. 13-14 at Llanerch Country Club. Glenn Smeraglio, then of Yardley Country Club, won his second Patterson Cup last year by shooting 5-under par in two rounds of stroke play. Matthew Mattare of Saucon Valley Country Club finished second.

  The 94^th Philadelphia Team Championship will be held June 25 at the LedgeRock Golf Club. Tavistock Country Club won last year’s event, which pits four teams of eight players in a foursome match and singles competition.

USGA Events–The Association will conduct eight USGA Qualifiers, including two for the U.S. Open Championship set for June 12-15 at Bethpage State Park’s “Black Course” Course in Farmington, N.Y. 

Senior–The 39^th Senior Amateur Championship, set for Sept. 8-9 at Jericho National Golf Club, is for golfers 55 years of age and older. Thomas Bartolacci Jr. of Saucon Valley Country Club won last year’s two-day, 36-hole medal play competition. He made par on the final hole to win the title by a stroke over five others.

  The Senior Four-Man Team will be held July 21 at Meadowlands Country Club. Don Ashley, Richard Smith, Mark Shuman and John Emmel, Jr. won their second straight title last year.

  Other highlights of the senior schedule include: the Francis B. Warner Cup (Gross) on May 7 at Hopewell Valley Golf Club; the Warner Cup (Net) on May 26 at Silver Creek Country Club; the Senior Four-Ball Stroke Play on June 2 at Brandywine Country Club; the Brewer Cup on July 13-15 at Old York Road Country Club; the Frank H. Chapman Memorial (Gross) on July 30 at Philadelphia Country Club and the Chapman Memorial (Net) on Sept. 22 at Radley Run Country Club.

  The Senior Silver Cross and Super-Senior Silver Cross, which represent the Senior and Super-Senior Stroke Play championships of the Golf Association of Philadelphia, will be awarded in each division to the player returning the lowest total score in the Warner Cup Gross (18 holes), Chapman Memorial Gross (18 holes) and the Senior Amateur Championship (36 holes).

Junior–The 95^th Junior Boys' Championship (ages 14-17) will be held at Riverton Country Club on June 23-25. The Top 16 players from qualifying advance into match play with the final set for the afternoon of June 25.

  Last year, Robert Galbreath Jr. of Huntingdon Valley Country Club became the only player in the 94-year history of the Junior Program to win four Junior Boys' Championship titles. He defeated Russell Hartung of Doylestown Country Club, 4&2. Galbreath was also named Junior Player of the Year.

  The Christman Cup, a 36-hole stroke play championship for juniors, will be held July 14 at Torresdale-Frankford Country Club. Nicholas Reach of Scranton Country Club will look to repeat as champion.  

  The qualifying round of the Junior, the one round of the Jock MacKenzie Memorial and the two rounds of the Christman Cup account for the Harry Hammond Award winner — the junior version of the Silver Cross. Other events on the junior schedule include: the Francis X. Hussey Memorial on July 27 at Rolling Green Golf Club; the Pre-Junior Tournament on July 8 at Philadelphia Cricket Club (St. Martin's Course); the Jock MacKenzie Memorial on July 20 at Sandy Run Country Club and the Junior-Junior Boys' Championship (ages 11-13) on July 28-30 at Merchantville Country Club.

  The seventh Deeg Sezna Four-Ball will be held Aug. 4 at Hartefeld National. This event pairs a junior and an amateur together in a better-ball format. Partners must have a minimum age differential of 10 years and one partner must be 21 years of age or younger.

  The event is named in honor of Davis G. Sezna Jr. Better known as “Deeg,” Sezna, an avid golfer, was tragically killed in the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He was 22 years-old. Cole Willcox and Bill Christine shared last year’s title with Michael Heidler and Rick Custer.

  The Williamson Cup will be held Aug. 10-11 at Oak Hill Country Club. It features teams of four juniors from 10 regional and state associations competing in a two-day, 36-hole stroke play competition.

Handicap Championships–The Spring Net Championship will be held for June 1 at Raven’s Claw Golf Club and the Fall Net Championship is set for Aug. 24 at White Manor Country Club. An overall low net champion is crowned and four flight champions are recognized as well. In addition, the low Senior in each flight will earn recognition.

  Mark Pfeffer of Hidden Creek Golf Club won last year’s Fall Net Championship. Robert Berenholz of White Manor CC won the Spring Net Championship.

Meetings–There are five meetings on the Association calendar: the Presidents’ Council, the Chairmen's Meeting, the Pro-President, Golf & Green, the Player’s Dinner and the Annual Meeting.

  The Presidents’ Council, in its fifth year, offers a chance for club presidents and general managers to attend a seminar on key issues and topics. This year’s program is set for March 24 at Waynesborough Country Club.

  The Chairmen's Meeting is scheduled for April 16 at North Hills Country Club. The meeting will brief club chairmen on USGA handicap topics.

  The Pro-President, Golf & Green is set for May 13 at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club/Philadelphia Cricket Club (Militia Hill).

  The fifth annual Player’s Dinner will be held Oct. 15 at Whitford Country Club. The event recognizes the top players from each championship division – amateur, junior and senior – on their year-long accomplishments.

  The Annual Meeting concludes the GAP schedule on Oct. 21 at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club/Lu Lu Country Club.

Honorary teams–The Association will send representatives to the Williamson Cup, Compher Cup, the Senior Challenge Matches, the Challenge Matches and the Mason-Dixon Matches.

  The Compher Cup will be held April 21 at Hollywood Golf Club. The event pits the GAP against the New Jersey State Golf Association with 12-man teams from each organization competing in an individual and four-ball match. GAP leads the annual series, 31-11-4. Last year, the Golf Association of Philadelphia defeated the New Jersey State Golf Association, 12.5–5.5, to retain the Compher Cup.

  Eight-man teams representing four associations - Delaware, GAP, New Jersey and Maryland – will participate in the Senior Challenge Matches (stroke play competition). The 2009 contest will be held Oct. 7 at Bulle Rock in Havre De Grace, Md.

  The Challenge Matches pit 12-man teams from the Golf Association of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Section of the PGA against each other in an individual and four-ball match. GAP looks for its first victory since 1994. The PGA leads the all-time series, 14-1-3.

  The Mason-Dixon Matches, a competition of 12-man teams from the Golf Association of Philadelphia and the Middle Atlantic Golf Association, will be held Oct. 10-11 at The Ridge at Back Brook in Ringoes, N.J. The Middle Atlantic Golf Association took last year’s title. The GAP leads the all-time series, 33-20-4.

  This also marks the second year for three GAP events: The Brewer Cup, Father-Son Middle Tournament and Senior 27-Hole Challenge. 

  As previously mentioned, the Brewer Cup will be held July 13-15 at Old York Road CC. Named after O. Gordon Brewer Jr., a two-time U.S. Senior Amateur Champion, it is a three-day event consisting of a one-day, 18-hole stroke-play qualifier followed by match play for the Top 16 players in the Senior Flight and the Top 8 players in the Super-Senior Division. The event is open to Senior players with a Handicap Index of 7.0 or less and Super Seniors with an Index of 12.0 or less.

  Brewer is a veteran of 42 USGA Championships and holds U.S. Senior Amateur Championship titles from 1994 and 1996. He was also the recipient of Bob Jones Award, the USGA's highest honor, given in recognition of sportsmanship in golf. Aside from his national accolades, he also took home Golf Association of Philadelphia Amateur titles in 1967 and 1976 as well as the 1997 GAP Senior Amateur Championship crown, which earned him Player of the Year honors in that year.

  David Brookreson of Huntington Valley Country Club took the title in the Senior Division last year while Brewer himself won the Super-Senior Division.

  The Father-Son Middle Tournament will be held May 28 at Golden Oaks Golf Club. The event is for those father and son teams with sons ranging in ages from 18 to 29. It was conceived because of the high demand for participation in both the Father-Son Younger, which celebrated its 50^th anniversary in 2007, and the Older tournament, an event in its 98^th year. Brian and Zach Rothaus of Philmont Country Club finished 3-under par to win last year’s event.

  The Senior 27-Hole Challenge will be held Sept. 15 at Cherry Valley Country Club. It is a gross event consisting of three nine-hole stipulated rounds in three different formats: four-ball stoke play, aggregate and selective drive - alternate shot.

  Both a Championship and Super-Senior Division will be offered. The tournament is open to seniors with a USGA Handicap Index of 7.0 or lower. Super-Seniors must have a USGA Handicap Index of 12.0 or less.

  Don Donatoni of White Manor Country Club and Carl Everett of Merion Golf Club won last year’s event.

  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 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.