Amateur Mason tops French Creek GC Open Qualifier with a 5-under 66
ELVERSON, Pa.-Who But … Andrew Mason.
Mason, a senior at Temple University, scorched French Creek GC (par 71, 6,610 yards) for a 5-under-par 66 on Monday for medalist honors amidst oppressively hot morning conditions that turned semi-comfortable and breezy in the afternoon in the first of two Open Championship Qualifiers. In all 25 players from the field of 114 players advanced into the Open Championship proper, set for July 21 at Philmont Country Club (North). The second and final Open Qualifier is scheduled for tomorrow at Hidden Creek GC.
 |
| JOHN SPINA |
The cut line fell at 74. There was a five player for one spot playoff. Professional Chris Krueger of Kings Creek CC advanced.
Mason, who joined Huntingdon Valley CC recently and won its club championship yesterday, a difficult feat in itself, blistered a challenging French Creek course for five birdies and an eagle in the afternoon. He also had two bogeys.
“Most summers I haven’t been playing,” said Mason, 21, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. The key to his recent success? “I’ve been hitting my driver well so I just tried to hit that as much as I could today.”
Mason, who started his round on the back nine, birdied No. 11 (par 5, 539 yards) after rocketing his second shot, a 6-iron from 193 yards, to 25 feet and two putting. A 2-iron and wedge from 110 yards to five feet on No. 14 (par 4, 379 yards) resulted in a second birdie before Mason recorded his shot of the day on No. 15 (par 4, 292 yards). He rifled a 3-wood tee ball to 15 feet and made the left to right, downhill eagle chance. Another birdie on No. 16 (par 5, 520 yards), he reached the green from 210 yards away and two putted from 35 feet, and a bogey on No. 17 (par 3, 228 yards) after he missed the green, put Mason at 4 under at the turn.
“I told myself to keep hitting it and keep finding it,” said Mason.
Mission accomplished.
Mason had a small hiccup No. 2 (par 4, 456 yards) when he three putted from 30 feet for bogey but responded in style with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 (par 4, 356 yards) and 8 (par 3, 181 yards). On No. 7, he hit that friendly and forgiving driver to just a few yards short of the green. He chipped up to 12 feet and drained the putt. On the ensuing eighth, he knocked “a light” 7-iron to 15 feet right of the hole and made that.
Mason has never played in the Open Championship, missing qualifying by a shot in 2007.
Mason trumped a fantastic round carded by John Spina, the Director of Instruction at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, who finished at 4-under 67.
Spina, in the second group to start on the front side in the morning, heated up as rapidly as the weather.
Standing at level-par on the sixth tee, Spina carded birdies on each of his final four front-nine holes.
He birdied No. 6 (par 5, 558 yards) after blasting out of the front left greenside bunker to 15 feet; No. 7 (par 4, 356 yards) when he knocked a 98-yard sand wedge to 20 feet; No. 8 (par 3, 181 yards) after stopping a 7-iron 10 feet from hole and No. 9 (par 4, 384 yards) when he dropped a 90-yard sand wedge to four feet. Spina then sealed his Open invitation on No. 11 (par 5, 539 yards). He ripped a 3-rescue wood from 213 yards to 12 feet and made the ensuing downhill 12-foot eagle.
“I got on a nice run coming in,” said Spina of his late front-nine birdie barrage. “On No. 11, I had a downhill putt, a little right to left that I just had to get it started and it trickled down. After that I started to play a little conservative and steady.”
Spina carded a pair of bogeys on two of his final four holes after a missed fairway on No. 15 (par 4, 292 yards) and a three-putt from 20-feet below the hole on No. 18 (par 4, 418 yards), but by that point his ticket was already stamped.
“I just tried to stay steady coming on in and not play myself out of it,” said Spina, 40, of Schwenksville, Pa.
Spina’s top Open Championship finish came in 2001 at Cedarbrook CC. He finished second behind Terry Hertzog after bogeying the 35th hole.
Michael Kania of Overbrook GC, who was the runner-up in Saturday’s Amateur Championship final, kept a hot hand. He finished at 3-under 68 to tie for third.
|
Qualifiers
|
|
Name
|
Club
|
F9
|
B9
|
Total
|
|
(a)
Andrew Mason
|
Huntingdon
Valley Country Club
|
34
|
32
|
66
|
|
John
Spina
|
Philadelphia
Cricket Club
|
31
|
36
|
67
|
|
(a)
Cory Siegfried
|
Philadelphia
Country Club
|
32
|
36
|
68
|
|
(a)
Michael Kania
|
Overbrook
Golf Club
|
33
|
35
|
68
|
|
Alexander
Knoll
|
Bethlehem
Golf Club
|
34
|
36
|
70
|
|
(a)
James Braunsberg
|
Blue
Bell Country Club
|
33
|
37
|
70
|
|
(a)
Andy Achenbach
|
RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
36
|
34
|
70
|
|
Michael
Paukovits
|
Stonewall
|
34
|
36
|
70
|
|
(a)
Joseph Gunerman
|
Jericho
National Golf Club
|
36
|
35
|
71
|
|
Tony Perla
|
Bellewood Golf Club
|
37
|
34
|
71
|
|
(a)
Jack Wallace
|
Burlington
Country Club
|
35
|
36
|
71
|
|
(a)
Matt Smith
|
Lancaster
Country Club
|
33
|
38
|
71
|
|
(a)
Oliver White
|
Manufacturers
Golf & Country Club
|
38
|
33
|
71
|
|
(a)
John Fasy
|
Wilmington
Country Club
|
35
|
37
|
72
|
|
(a)
Greg Matthias
|
Hartefeld National
|
34
|
38
|
72
|
|
(a)
Brian Creghan
|
Philadelphia
Publinks GA
|
36
|
36
|
72
|
|
Neil
Maurer
|
The
Peninsula
|
35
|
37
|
72
|
|
(a)
Greg Verde
|
Spring
Ford Country Club
|
36
|
36
|
72
|
|
(a)
Robert Robertson
|
Philadelphia
Cricket Club
|
36
|
36
|
72
|
|
(a)
Tucker Koch
|
RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
33
|
40
|
73
|
|
(a)
Joseph Fabrizio, Jr.
|
Aronimink Golf Club
|
37
|
36
|
73
|
|
(a) Dan
Bernard
|
RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
38
|
35
|
73
|
|
Nevin Sutcliffe
|
Back
Creek Golf Club
|
35
|
38
|
73
|
|
(a)
Michael Ashcraft
|
Brookside
C.C. of Allentown
|
34
|
39
|
73
|
|
*Chris
Krueger
|
Kings
Creek Country Club
|
34
|
40
|
74
|
| |
|
Alternates
(in order)
|
|
*(a) Roc
Irey
|
Lookaway Golf Club
|
37
|
37
|
74
|
|
*Jeffrey
Haas
|
French
Creek Golf Club
|
35
|
39
|
74
|
|
(a)
*Mike DiGiandomenico
|
French
Creek Golf Club
|
37
|
37
|
74
|
|
*Rick
Flesher
|
Sunnybrook
Golf Club
|
39
|
35
|
74
|
| |
|
Failed
to qualify
|
|
*William
Mullen
|
Jeffersonville
Golf Club
|
36
|
38
|
74
|
|
(a)
John Brennan
|
Spring
Ford Country Club
|
35
|
40
|
75
|
|
(a) Ben
Feld
|
Blue
Bell Country Club
|
36
|
39
|
75
|
|
(a)
Grant Skyllas
|
Moselem Springs Golf Club
|
35
|
40
|
75
|
|
(a) Tom
Carter
|
Greate Bay Country Club
|
37
|
38
|
75
|
|
Bobby Howie
|
White
Manor Country Club
|
35
|
40
|
75
|
|
(a)
Nelson Hargrove
|
Merion
Golf Club
|
37
|
38
|
75
|
|
(a)
Zachary Falone
|
Rolling
Green Golf Club
|
34
|
41
|
75
|
|
(a)
Cole Willcox
|
Philadelphia
Country Club
|
39
|
36
|
75
|
|
(a)
Ryan Gelrod
|
Commonwealth
National Golf Club
|
35
|
40
|
75
|
|
Joseph Kogelman
|
St. Davids Golf Club
|
37
|
38
|
75
|
|
Hugo Mazzalupi
|
FCWT
|
39
|
36
|
75
|
|
(a)
David West
|
Whitford Country Club
|
33
|
42
|
75
|
|
Eric
Kennedy
|
Overbrook
Golf Club
|
38
|
37
|
75
|
|
(a)
Douglas Zelner
|
Coatesville
Country Club
|
38
|
38
|
76
|
|
(a) Quin Trigg
|
Hartefeld National
|
38
|
38
|
76
|
|
Bill
Walker
|
Bala Golf Club
|
38
|
39
|
77
|
|
(a)
Matt Foust
|
Bensalem
Township Country Club
|
37
|
40
|
77
|
|
(a)
Greg Jarmas
|
Philadelphia
Publinks GA
|
40
|
37
|
77
|
|
(a)
Michael Johnson
|
Talamore Country Club
|
35
|
42
|
77
|
|
(a)
Kevin Melnick, Jr.
|
Plymouth
Country Club
|
40
|
37
|
77
|
|
(a)
Brad Sokol
|
Green
Valley Country Club
|
37
|
40
|
77
|
|
(a)
Paul Kovalcheck
|
Lu Lu Country Club
|
38
|
39
|
77
|
|
Jason Panter
|
The
Bucks Club
|
41
|
36
|
77
|
|
Steve Kiefner
|
Northampton
Country Club
|
36
|
41
|
77
|
|
(a)
Colin Smith
|
Radley Run Country Club
|
38
|
40
|
78
|
|
(a)
Warren Taylor
|
Yardley
Country Club
|
39
|
39
|
78
|
|
Robert Agresti
|
Aronimink Golf Club
|
38
|
40
|
78
|
|
(a)
Steven Minnick, Jr.
|
Bala Golf Club
|
38
|
40
|
78
|
|
Wesley
Hollis
|
Meadowbrook
Golf Club
|
39
|
39
|
78
|
|
Hugh
Reilly
|
Twining
Valley Golf Club
|
36
|
42
|
78
|
|
(a)
Alexander Penza
|
Llanerch Country Club
|
39
|
40
|
79
|
|
(a)
John Donnelly
|
Concord
Country Club
|
41
|
38
|
79
|
|
(a)
Mark Coassolo
|
Brookside
C.C. of Allentown
|
39
|
40
|
79
|
|
(a) Sam
Pancoast
|
Radley Run Country Club
|
40
|
39
|
79
|
|
(a)
Mark Wachter
|
DuPont
Country Club
|
38
|
41
|
79
|
|
Kevin Melrath
|
Sunnybrook
Golf Club
|
37
|
42
|
79
|
|
(a)
Peter Moran
|
Edgmont Country Club
|
39
|
40
|
79
|
|
Michael
Ladden
|
Whitford Country Club
|
40
|
39
|
79
|
|
(a)
Jimmy Wolfe
|
Bellewood Golf Club
|
41
|
39
|
80
|
|
(a)
Michael Boden
|
Aronimink Golf Club
|
39
|
41
|
80
|
|
(a) Blayze DiPasquale
|
Commonwealth
National Golf Club
|
41
|
39
|
80
|
|
(a)
Alan Lazzarino
|
Delaware
National Country Club
|
38
|
42
|
80
|
|
James Haus, Jr.
|
Bent
Creek Country Club
|
38
|
42
|
80
|
|
Mark
Anderson
|
Philadelphia
Cricket Club
|
44
|
37
|
81
|
|
(a)
Luke Zelten
|
Torresdale-Frankford Country Club
|
41
|
40
|
81
|
|
(a)
Michael Quinn
|
Edgmont Country Club
|
39
|
42
|
81
|
|
Mark Walder
|
Jericho
National Golf Club
|
39
|
42
|
81
|
|
(a)
Richard Marabella
|
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
|
42
|
40
|
82
|
|
Frank Bianco
|
Frankie
B. Golf Schools @ Groffs Farm
|
41
|
41
|
82
|
|
(a)
Robert Loftus
|
Overbrook
Golf Club
|
43
|
39
|
82
|
|
(a)
John Robinson
|
Commonwealth
National Golf Club
|
43
|
39
|
82
|
|
Chandler
Withington
|
Merion
Golf Club
|
40
|
42
|
82
|
|
(a)
Anthony List, Jr.
|
Llanerch Country Club
|
43
|
40
|
83
|
|
John
Burke, III
|
Hartefeld National
|
44
|
39
|
83
|
|
Eddie Perrino
|
Mountain
Laurel Golf Club
|
40
|
43
|
83
|
|
(a)
Philip Potter
|
Radley Run Country Club
|
44
|
39
|
83
|
|
(a)
Ryan O'Donnell
|
Rolling
Green Golf Club
|
39
|
44
|
83
|
|
(a)
Tyler McDonald
|
Kennett
Square Golf & Country Club
|
44
|
39
|
83
|
|
(a) Tim
Westfall
|
RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
39
|
44
|
83
|
|
Bill
Smith
|
Eagle
Rock Golf & Resort
|
40
|
43
|
83
|
|
(a)
Kenneth Matt
|
Philadelphia
Publinks GA
|
35
|
48
|
83
|
|
(a)
Cameron Liebert
|
White
Manor Country Club
|
38
|
46
|
84
|
|
(a)
Brett Coddington
|
Brookside
Country Club
|
42
|
43
|
85
|
|
(a)
Justin Cifra
|
Sunnybrook
Golf Club
|
43
|
42
|
85
|
|
(a)
Michael Costonis
|
Philadelphia
Cricket Club
|
42
|
43
|
85
|
|
(a) Zac Robertson
|
Edgmont Country Club
|
40
|
46
|
86
|
|
(a)
Craig Lozak, Jr.
|
The
Bucks Club
|
48
|
38
|
86
|
|
(a)
Rodney James
|
Five
Ponds Golf Club
|
43
|
43
|
86
|
|
(a)
Mark Rauch
|
Plymouth
Country Club
|
42
|
46
|
88
|
|
(a)
George Connell, Jr.
|
Gulph Mills Golf Club
|
39
|
49
|
88
|
|
Brian
Myrick
|
Bent
Creek Country Club
|
40
|
49
|
89
|
|
(a)
Dewey Burke
|
Gulph Mills Golf Club
|
45
|
45
|
90
|
|
(a)
Zach Bereznak
|
Stonewall
|
49
|
46
|
95
|
|
(a)
Mike Hartsough
|
Edgmont Country Club
|
WD
|
WD
|
WD
|
|
(a)
Jack Ulan
|
Cedarbrook Country Club
|
WD
|
WD
|
WD
|
|
(a)
Lance Oberparleiter
|
Little
Mill Country Club
|
WD
|
WD
|
WD
|
|
(a)
Robert Pina
|
Chester
Valley Golf Club
|
WD
|
WD
|
WD
|
|
(a)
Alan Wagenschnur
|
Back
Creek Golf Club
|
WD
|
WD
|
WD
|
|
(a)
Matt Brady
|
Penn
Oaks Golf Club
|
WD
|
WD
|
WD
|
|
(a)
Alexander Maguire, Jr.
|
Brookside
Country Club
|
WD
|
WD
|
WD
|
|
(a)
Justin Martinson
|
Hartefeld National
|
WD
|
WD
|
WD
|
|
(a)
Matthew Pesci
|
Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
NS
|
NS
|
NS
|
|
(a)
Pierce Dever
|
Yardley
Country Club
|
NS
|
NS
|
NS
|
|
(a)
Ryan Blair
|
Wedgwood
Country Club
|
NS
|
NS
|
NS
|
| |
|
*-determined in playoff
|
|
NS-no
show; WD-withdrawal
|
|
