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Overbrook GC’s Kania survives, captures Patterson Cup, Silver Cross

  HAVERTOWN, Pa.–James Kania, Jr. erased all the heartaches of his Golf Association of Philadelphia past with an emotional and historic victory in the 107th Joseph H. Patterson Cup on Friday at Llanerch CC (par 71, 6,669 yards). Kania, who finished the 36 holes of the Championship at 2-under par, three shots clear of the field, joined mentor, coach and more poignantly, dad, James, Sr., as the first father-son combination to capture the Association’s stroke play championship, which dates back to 1900. The two also became the first father-son duo to each earn a Silver Cross Award, presented to the player with the lowest aggregate score in the qualifying rounds of the Amateur Championship and the Patterson Cup.

JAMES KANIA, JR.
  â€śThat’s probably the best part of it, just to share it with my dad,” said Kania, 20, of Haverford, Pa. “We’ve been working at this game for a long time. He’s always been there to help me. Since I was a little kid he has taught me everything. I’ve never had a lesson from anyone. He’s always been my everything for me in this game. I wanted to join him on the Amateur trophy in June but that didn’t work out. To come out here and do it in this event is definitely sweet.”

  As stated, the Kania family has been down this road before. James, Jr. fell to Conrad Von Borsig of Concord CC in the Amateur Championship final this past June in an attempt to become the first father-son duo on the J. Wood Platt Championship trophy.

  Kania, Sr., won his Patterson Cup in 1995. His three Silver Cross wins were 1992 and 1994-95.

Brian Gillespie of St. Davids GC reacts
after making a birdie on No. 18.
  â€śThat’s not as important to me as him getting on the trophy, he really deserves it,” said Kania, Sr. of the Patterson win. “He’s played good for a whole bunch of years. I’m really proud of him.”

  Brian Gillespie of St. Davids GC carded a sparkling 3-under-par 68 to finish second to Kania in the Patterson Cup. There was a five-way tie for third at 2-over par, including last year’s champion Glenn Smeraglio of Commonwealth National GC, last year’s Patterson runner-up Matt Mattare of Saucon Valley CC and reigning Player of the Year and club favorite Michael McDermott of Llanerch CC. Gillespie finished second in the Silver Cross as well, two strokes behind Kania.

  Gillespie, 34, of Wayne, Pa., reemerged on the Golf Association of Philadelphia scene this year after a quiet couple seasons.

  â€śMy goal was to get to even par for the golf tournament, post a score and see what happens,” said Gillespie. “We got pretty close to that.”

  Despite the three-shot margin of victory, the outcome was still in serious doubt up until Kania’s 16th hole.

  Kania, who started the second round at 5-under par and four shots clear of the field, opened slowly and carded five bogeys and one birdie in his first nine holes for a front-nine 40. In short, his putter was ice cold. In the meantime, a number of pursuers moved closer and closer. At various points of the back nine, six players were within a shot or two of the lead.

  â€śAfter that front nine, my mindset was I already threw [the victory] away,” said Kania. “[I said] you’ve learned how [not] to play with the lead. Now you have to just go and play nine holes. You’ve learned your lesson. In my mind I’d already lost and I was trying to go back and play my sort of golf.”

  Kania bogeyed No. 14 (par 4, 455 yards) after finding a greenside bunker to fall back to even par, and with Gillespie already in the clubhouse, led by only one. However, Kania somehow found the resolve and determination to keep fighting. He birdied No. 15 (par 4, 310 yards) after sending a driver 10 yards short of the hole and chipping up to a foot to move back into red figures and then did the same on No. 16 (par 5, 503 yards) after hitting his first two shots 15 yards short of the green.

  â€śThe keyword is patience and keep trusting your game that something good is going to happen,” said Kania of his mindset after No. 14. “Luckily on the next two holes something did.”

  Gillespie, too, proved resilient. After making the turn in even-par 36 for the day, he birdied four of his last seven holes to make one last surge. The final birdie came on No. 18 (par 4, 300 yards) when Gillespie made a quick 20 footer down the hill.

  This is the first year the Patterson Cup has moved to two days, 18 holes each day at one venue. In the past the Patterson Cup was a one-day event at two locations.

Name

Club

Rd. 1

Rd. 2

Score

James Kania, Jr.

Overbrook Golf Club

66

74

140

Brian Gillespie

St. Davids Golf Club

75

68

143

Michael McDermott

Llanerch Country Club

73

71

144

Glenn Smeraglio

Commonwealth National Golf Club

72

72

144

Christopher Gold

Little Mill Country Club

75

69

144

Mike Meisenzahl

Hidden Creek Golf Club

71

73

144

Matthew Mattare

Saucon Valley Country Club

70

74

144

Cole Willcox

Philadelphia Country Club

72

74

146

Nicholas Reach

Country Club of Scranton

74

72

146

Nathan Sutherland

Golden Oaks Golf Club

73

73

146

Rich Pruchnik

West Chester Golf & Country Club

71

75

146

J.P. Glynn

Llanerch Country Club

75

71

146

Jeffrey Griest

Waynesborough Country Club

74

73

147

Conrad Von Borsig

Concord Country Club

72

75

147

Gregg Angelillo

Moselem Springs Golf Club

75

72

147

Vinny Alessi

Penn Oaks Golf Club

73

74

147

Travis Gahman

Philadelphia Publinks GA

74

74

148

Andy Achenbach

RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve

76

72

148

Robert Galbreath, Jr.

Huntingdon Valley Country Club

75

73

148

Chris Anderson

Wilmington Country Club

75

73

148

Cory Siegfried

Llanerch Country Club

71

77

148

Daniel Charen

Yardley Country Club

74

75

149

John Brennan

Spring Ford Country Club

75

75

150

Robert Robertson

Philadelphia Cricket Club

76

74

150

Christopher Ault

Yardley Country Club

77

73

150

Mark Miller

Yardley Country Club

76

74

150

Michael Moser

Kennett Square Golf & Country Club

77

73

150

Geoffrey Cooper

Laurel Creek Country Club

77

74

151

Michael Hyland

Little Mill Country Club

76

75

151

Patrick Welsh

Huntingdon Valley Country Club

75

76

151

Todd Vonderheid

Huntsville Golf Club

76

76

152

Christopher Lange

Overbrook Golf Club

76

76

152

Ed Chylinski

Chester Valley Golf Club

75

77

152

Matthew Teesdale

Commonwealth National Golf Club

77

75

152

Brian McDermott

Llanerch Country Club

75

77

152

Thomas Gramigna

Tavistock Country Club

75

77

152

Matthew Finger

Running Deer Golf Club

77

76

153

Steven Budenz

Yardley Country Club

74

80

154

James Bea

Spring Mill Country Club

75

79

154

Thomas Bartolacci, Jr.

Saucon Valley Country Club

78

76

154

Michael Brown

Philadelphia Publinks GA

76

78

154

Keith Snyder

Sakima Country Club

78

77

155

Oscar Mestre

Overbrook Golf Club

78

77

155

David Smith

Doylestown Country Club

77

78

155

Ryan McCarty

Little Mill Country Club

76

79

155

Sean Coyle

Llanerch Country Club

74

81

155

Anthony Martire

Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa

75

81

156

Robert Savarese, Jr.

Philadelphia Cricket Club

78

78

156

G. Patrick Dougherty

Talamore Country Club

76

80

156

Andrew Blumberg

Fieldstone Golf Club

77

80

157

Bo Maguire

Brookside Country Club

76

82

158

Zac Robertson

Edgmont Country Club

76

82

158

Roc Irey

Lookaway Golf Club

76

83

159

Ryan Gelrod

Commonwealth National Golf Club

78

82

160

Ted Brennan

Philadelphia Country Club

75

85

160

Michael Carr

Philadelphia Publinks GA

78

83

161

Tom Spano

Llanerch Country Club

78

83

161

Bobby Arthur, Jr.

Tavistock Country Club

78

86

164

Bradley Roberts

Wedgwood Country Club

77

87

164

Anthony DeNicco

Brookside Country Club

78

89

167

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