Top 10, or so, of 2009

  There were so many moments deserving of some extra recognition.

  Squeezing a calendar year into a precious few keepsakes, however, wasn't the easiest thing, but we gave it a try.

1. James Kania, Jr.
  It was a magical and historic campaign for the University of Kentucky junior. The 20-year-old from Overbrook Golf Club earned victories in the Patterson Cup and Silver Cross in mid-August to join dad James, Sr. as the first father-son duo to each secure victories in two of the Association’s most prestigious tournaments. In June, Kania, Jr., fell to close friend Conrad Von Borsig of Concord CC in the Amateur final, where he was again attempting to join James, Sr., as the first father-son tandem engraved on the J. Wood Platt Amateur Championship trophy. That success – plus an appearance in the Sectional stage of U.S. Open qualifying – not only netted Kania some precious tournament hardware but also a well-deserved and first William Hyndman, III Player of the Year Award. A feat his father accomplished in 1992 and 1995.

2. Jay Howson, Jr.
  The most dominant player on the Golf Association of Philadelphia circuit this year was easily Jay Howson, Jr., of St. Davids GC. Howson turned the Super-Senior Division into his own personal victory tour, scoring wins in the Brewer Cup, Chapman Memorial (Gross) and Senior Amateur Championship, the latter also giving Howson the Super-Senior Silver Cross Award. He totaled 631 Super-Senior Player of the Year points en route to the post-season honor, 236 more than his closest foe, Charles McClaskey of Wyncote GC. In a sit down interview to encapsulate the year Howson said, “I realized after winning those two tournaments (the Brewer Cup and Chapman Cup) back-to-back that the 2009 season had the potential to be not only a great season but also my best year ever.” How correct he was. This was Howson’s fourth post-season accolade. He grabbed Senior Player of the Year honors in 1999, 2001 and 2002.

3. North Hills Country Club hosts J. Wood Platt fundraiser
  North Hills Country Club created and held its inaugural J. Wood Platt Invitational in September. The event was a booming success as it raised over $11,000 for the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust. On the scoreboard, North Hills’ Frank Brigidi and teammate Randy Krause carded an 8-under-par 134 to earn first place in the Gross Division. Fellow North Hills’ members Matt and Dave Shevlin topped the Net Division with an 11-under-par 131. But the true winners were the caddie-scholars. The fundraiser further helped the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust carry out its mission: to provide financial aid to deserving caddies in their pursuit of higher education. As it's namesake, J. Wood Platt said in 1958 - also a one-time member at North Hills CC - "Give them all a chance."

4. Edward McCrossen, Jr.
  Playing great golf may boost one’s self-esteem, but when you’re playing great golf yet losing tournaments by a stroke, it can be frustrating. No one knows this feeling better than Edward McCrossen, Jr. of Whitemarsh Valley CC. It was one that haunted the Ambler, Pa., resident for the first half of the 2009 campaign. McCrossen exploded to a fast start by qualifying for match play in the 109th Amateur Championship at Stonewall, and although he fell to Chris Ault of Yardley CC, 6&5, in the Round of 32, the experience gave McCrossen momentum heading into the Junior Boys’ Championship. And he used every bit of it to earn medalist honors and the No. 1 seed with a 3-under-par 68 at Riverton CC. After edging Greg Jarmas of Philadelphia Publinks GA in the first round, McCrossen engaged in an extra-hole tussle with James Tallent of Merion GC. However, he failed to match Tallent’s par on the 23rd hole and lost the match. But McCrossen stayed spirited entering the Christman Cup at Torresdale-Frankford CC, where he carded an 8-over-par 148 to finish regulation tied with home-club hopeful Vince Boyle. But once again, McCrossen came up a stroke short of triumph after registering a bogey to Boyle’s par on the second playoff hole. After merely sipping victory twice, McCrossen finally gulped it down at the 25th Jock MacKenzie Memorial. He carded a playoff-free, 3-under-par 69 at Sandy Run CC for his first win of the year, the Harry Hammond Award and ultimately, the 2009 Junior Player of the Year. McCrossen’s 2009 campaign proved that the Golf Gods do eventually reward consistency.

5. Rain, and lots of it
  John Fogerty, singer of the popular rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, once profoundly asked if we’ve ever seen the rain. In 2009, the Association profoundly answers “Yes, and too much of it.” The skies opened up at the Association’s first tournament, a Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier held at Spring Ford CC. It proved to be a sign of soakings to come. Rain postponed that qualifier, as well as the Warner Cup (Gross) at Hopewell Valley GC and the Four-Man Team at Whitford CC. It caused delays in seven tournaments, including three of the Association’s four majors. And although it wasn’t severe enough to deter play, participants in the Amateur Championship Qualifier at Coatesville CC, Warner Cup (Net) at Silver Creek CC, Open Championship Qualifier at Penn Oaks GC and Senior Four-Man Team at Meadowlands CC dealt with a delicate drizzle. Rain may have seemed ever-present, but it could never cloud such a bright 2009 season.

6. O. Gordon Brewer, Jr. receives Bob Jones Award
  In early February, O. Gordon Brewer, Jr. of Pine Valley Golf Club, a longtime great steward of the game, was recognized for those efforts with the USGA’s Bob Jones Award.
  The Bob Jones Award is the USGA's highest honor, given in recognition of sportsmanship in golf. The Award, selected from nominations across the golf community and chosen by a diverse and distinguished committee, seeks to recognize a person who emulates Jones' spirit, his personal qualities and his attitude toward the game and its players.
  Brewer accepted the Bob Jones Award in Newport Beach, Calif., with a poignant speech that focused on the merits of golf. Click here to for a look back.
  Since 1955, the list of previous winners reads like a who's who in the annals of golf. The likes of Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazan and Nancy Lopez have been honored.

7. Volunteer effort
  The Association commenced a Volunteer drive at the beginning of 2009 with the goal being to have at least one volunteer from each Member Club. Although, the Association fell short of that goal, it did add 20 new faces and now has volunteers at 67 of the Association’s 133 member clubs. If you are interested in volunteering for the Golf Association of Philadelphia, please contact Kirby Martin, the Director of Competitions, at 610-687-2340, ext. 12.

8. Walker Cup
  The Walker Cup visited Merion Golf Club with captain George “Buddy” Marucci, Jr., a longtime club member, in charge. A lot of amazing golf later, Marucci and his U.S. Team defended its Walker Cup trophy with a 16 ½-9 ½ victory over its counterparts from Great Britain & Ireland. The U.S. win, its third consecutive, bolstered the Americans record in the Walker Cup to 34-7-1. And did I forget to mention Merion GC was spectacular.

9. Nicolas Reach
  It may have been one and done for Nicholas Reach and the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, but it was a good one. The 17-year-old Reach, a native of Moscow, Pa., who plays out of the Country Club of Scranton and Glenmaura National GC, won four matches in the U.S. Junior in late July before falling to James Hwang, 3&2, in the semifinals over the New Course at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J.
  It was Reach’s first and will be his only appearance in the Junior Amateur; he will turn 18 in May of 2010.
  The junior at Scranton Prep left Trump National with a bagful of memories. “I competed against the best players in the world,” he said. “I know that I can compete with them.”

T10. Dan Hicks of NBC Sports and Jim Nantz of CBS Sports make guest appearances
  Two prominent broadcasters in the golf world made local appearances this year. NBC’s Dan Hicks addressed member club officials at the Pro-Pres., Golf & Green in May at Whitemarsh Valley CC. He spoke about his career in broadcasting and working alongside Johnny Miller, shared his thoughts on Merion GC, Tiger Woods and memorable moments in professional golf, and fielded questions from the audience. Nantz, who has anchored CBS’s golf coverage since 1994, visited Merion GC in April to promote the Walker Cup. A non-resident Merion member, Nantz holds the club in high regard and felt it was the ideal venue for the biennial matches that pit the best amateurs from the United States against those from Great Britain and Ireland. Both Hicks and Nantz commended the Association and further added to the excitement of a new golf season.

T10. Seeing red at the Open
  Most golf aficionados agree that drama enhances the sport’s appeal. So when a tournament becomes as contentious and suspenseful as the Open Championship at Bent Creek CC, it makes for a storybook moment in the Association’s 2009 season. In the morning, 24 of the event’s 72 players turned in red figure rounds. RiverCrest GC & Preserve’s Tucker Koch, 17, led all amateurs with a stellar 6-under-par 65. Greg Pieczynski, a teaching professional at the Academy of Golf Center, bested Koch by two shots to seize command of the overall leaderboard after the morning session. In the end, though, it was Rich Steinmetz, Spring Ford CC’s head professional, who prevailed to earn a spot in the winner’s circle. He did so in remarkable fashion, setting an Open Championship scoring record with a 10-under-par 132. Even a near hour-long rain delay couldn’t dampen his play as Steinmetz, of Gilbertsville, Pa., carded 14 birdies on the day, seven of which came in a 10-hole span. Overall, 18 players finished the two rounds under par, and 29 posted a sub-par round.

Honorable Mention (alphabetical)
Amateur Championship: Unsung heroes
  For the second time in its 109-year history, the Amateur Championship came to Stonewall. Over 100 of the region’s top players competed to earn a spot in match play. A few came in under the radar, but left the Elverson, Pa. venue basking in the glow of the Association spotlight. Granted, Conrad Von Borsig had been there before, but the Concord CC member had never advanced past the quarterfinals. This year, he rolled off narrow victories over prominent players such as four-time Junior Player of the Year Robert Galbreath, Jr. of Huntingdon Valley CC, Tavistock CC’s Thomas Gramigna and William McGuinness, and five-time William Hyndman, III Player of the Year Michael McDermott of Merion GC before defeating James Kania, Jr. of Overbrook GC, 6&5, for the 2009 title. Aside from Von Borsig, Doug Marcincin of Northampton CC, Justin Martinson of Hartefeld National and Anthony Martire of Seaview Marriott Resort & Spa also made magnificent Amateur runs. Marcincin, who earned a match play spot in a playoff, knocked off No. 1 seed and 2000 Amateur Champion Michael Hyland of Little Mill CC, 2&1. Martinson needed to qualify for the Championship itself, and he did so in fine fashion by carding an even-par 70 at Links GC. Martinson, an Amateur Championship rookie, went on to defeat 2008 Silver Cross winner Glenn Smeraglio of Commonwealth National GC, 3&2, in the first round. He then fell to Amateur runner-up Kania, 2&1, in the Round of 16. Martire reached the semifinals after posting resounding wins over 2007 Junior Player of the Year Robert Robertson of Philadelphia Cricket Club, Matthew Teesdale of Commonwealth National GC and P. Chet Walsh of Philadelphia CC. Although he fell to Kania, 3&2, in a rainy, hard-fought match, Martire certainly made a memorable mark in his third Amateur appearance.

Cole Berman takes Junior-Junior
  On paper, the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship appears to be a more prominent tournament than the Association’s Junior-Junior Boys’ Championship. That wasn’t the case in Cole Berman’s mind. The Philadelphia Cricket Club member passed up an opportunity to travel to Pinehurst, N.C. so that he could vie for an Association title in his last year of eligibility in the junior-junior ranks. Berman returned to competing in the tournament after a two-year hiatus. In 2006, he fell in the first round of the second flight to Joseph Procacci of Riverton CC, 2&1. Berman far surpassed that mark this year. He qualified as the No. 2 seed in the championship flight by carding an even-par 36 at Merchantville CC. He posted victories against Quinn Dolan of Rolling Green GC and Eric Stafford of Philadelphia Publinks GA to reach the championship proper. In the finals, he played confidently and defeated Brock Kovach of Berkshire CC, 6&5. Berman capped off his junior-junior career with an inspired and admirable victory.

Vince Boyle wins on home course
  Torresdale-Frankford CC challenged Christman Cup competitors this year. After 18 holes, Zachary Herr of Jericho National GC, the 2009 Junior Boys’ champion, held a two-shot advantage over the 50-player field. Home-club hopeful Vince Boyle, who carded a morning round 4-over-par 76, was one of a handful in contention for the title. He used an afternoon 2-over-par 72 to crawl closer to the top, but didn’t think he had a chance at the championship. Boyle waited nearly two hours in the clubhouse with a tournament total 8-over-par 148. To his surprise, potential Christman Cup champions like Herr, Davis Schaller of Seaview Marriot Resort & Spa, and Christopher Crawford of Lu Lu CC, struggled in the afternoon, allowing Boyle to temporarily take the lead. Edward McCrossen, Jr. of Whitemarsh Valley CC entered his 36th hole hoping to thwart Boyle’s title chances, but he carded a bogey to force a sudden-death playoff. Boyle collected himself and seized victory on the second-playoff hole, thanks to a steady two-putt for par. The victory further proved that in golf, you may be down, but you’re never out.

David Brookreson is back
  After a couple of quiet seasons, David Brookreson reemerged with a scintillating victory at the Senior Amateur Championship at Jericho National GC. Brookreson, who recorded a stellar final-round, 2-under-par 70, lapped the field, finishing at 3 under for the two days, five shots clear of second-place finisher Thomas Bartolacci, Jr. of Saucon Valley CC, the defending champion.

Gary D. Daniels takes Senior Player of the Year honor
  Gary D. Daniels of Saucon Valley CC experienced a breakout season. He claimed his first Senior tournament title in August when he won the Chapman Memorial (Gross) with a 1-under-par 70 at Philadelphia CC. Daniels then qualified for match play at the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship and finished fourth in the Association’s Senior Amateur Championship at Jericho National GC. His strong and consistent play allowed Daniels to become the 2009 Senior Player of the Year.

Back-to-back for Jericho's Zach Herr
  Zachary Herr of Jericho National GC began his Junior Boys’ career the same way he ended his Junior-Junior Boys’ campaign: winning a championship title. It didn’t come easy, however. First, Herr was one of five players who carded the cutline score of 3-over-par 74 in the Junior-Junior Boys’ Championship Qualifier at Riverton CC. Fortunately for the Newtown, Pa. resident, he battled his way into the 16-player field through a playoff. Herr then knocked off No. 2 seed Andrew Keeling of Yardley CC with a decisive 6&4 victory. He sealed a 2&1 quarterfinal win over Kyle Raudenbush of Pine Valley GC with a birdie on the difficult par 5, 477-yard 17th hole. Herr then engaged in a tussle with No. 3 seed Mike Amole of Huntingdon Valley CC. After taking a two-hole lead into No. 16 (par 3, 163 yards), Herr failed to match Amole’s bogey, but remained 1-up entering the par 4, 353-yard 18th hole. Herr played it safe with a par and softly celebrated as Amole’s 20-footer for birdie sailed past the cup. In the finals, Herr again participated in tee-to-green combat, this time against a resilient James Tallent of Merion GC. And again, he stood 1-up after 16 holes, but Tallent drained a remarkable eagle putt on No. 17, and both players halved No. 18 to force extra holes. Herr and Tallent each reached the No. 1 (par 4, 362 yards) green in two strokes, but Tallent three-putted from 45-feet away while Herr carded a par to win the title.

Father-Son Middle provides drama
  The Association’s second Father & Son (Middle) at Golden Oaks GC proved to be one of the tightest and toughest tournaments of 2009. Fifty teams took to the Fleetwood, Pa. track, and as the overcast day progressed, three shared the clubhouse lead with even-par 72s on the scorecard. A sudden-death playoff seemed imminent, but the team of David and Zach Smith of Doylestown CC had other ideas in mind. Playing in the last group, the Smith squad made the turn at 2-under-par. However, they registered a double bogey on No. 12 (par 4, 400 yards) to fall back to even-par. But the duo punched in a birdie two holes later and maintained their red-figure score for a one-shot victory, albeit a rewarding one for the GAP regulars.

Middle-Amateur Championship needs extra time
  The Middle-Amateur Championship came down to a playoff. Michael Brown of Philadelphia Publinks GA and Sean Leonard of Tavistock CC each finished with matching even-par 144s. After the first round, Brown, of Cheltenham, Pa., stood one stroke back of then-leader and defending Middle-Amateur Champion Michael McDermott of Merion GC. Meanwhile, Leonard, playing on his home course, found himself three shots from the top. As Tom Borsello of Cavaliers CC, Brian Gillespie of St. Davids GC and Chip Lutz of Ledgerock GC waited in the clubhouse with 2-over-par 146s on the scorecard, Leonard surged on his final nine holes, including a spectacular 20-footer for birdie on the challenging No. 18 (par 4, 435 yards). Brown, who had taken control of the championship through 27 holes, bogeyed three of his final six holes in regulation. So, Brown and Leonard went to battle in a four-hole aggregate playoff. Both players carded routine pars on the first two holes, but Brown pulled away on the par 5, 17th (490 yards) with a careful two-putt for par. Leonard three-putted for bogey on the final playoff hole, allowing Brown to seal victory with a tap-in par. Both players’ inspired performances enrich the playoff’s place in the Association’s history books.