GAP is the oldest state or regional golf association in the country. It started courtesy of a friendly competition – the Team Matches – and has grown into the preeminent golf association in the country. Along the way, golf history has been made.
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Llanerch’s Osberg cruises to Patterson victory; takes Silver Cross
PHOENIXVILLE, Pa.–Jeff Osberg of Llanerch CC emerged from a compact Patterson Cup leaderboard with four straight second-round opening birdies to turn the Association’s final Major into a runaway on Friday at RiverCrest GC & Preserve (par 71, 6,677 yards). Osberg, who along with half the field, completed yesterday’s postponed first round in the morning, finished at 6-under-par 136, four shots clear of the field. He carded consecutive 3-under-par 68s.
Jeff Osberg (left) receives the Patterson Cup trophy from Terry Sawyer, Chairman of the Golf
Administration Committee.
Golf Association of Philadelphia newcomer Michael Johnson of Talamore CC, 18, of Ambler, Pa., turned in a fabulous two rounds to place second at 2 under. It was his first Patterson Cup. Travis Gahman of Philadelphia Publinks GA and Robert Galbreath, Jr. of Huntingdon Valley CC, playing together in the group ahead of Osberg, tied for third at 1-under par.
Osberg’s Patterson Cup victory also propelled the 26 year-old from West Chester, Pa., to the top of the Silver Cross Award standings, emblematic of the player with the lowest aggregate score in the qualifying rounds of the Amateur Championship and the Patterson Cup. He edged Mike Meisenzahl of Hidden Creek GC by a shot. Osberg finished at 288.
“It’s pretty special,” said a humbled Osberg of winning two trophies. “Obviously it’s something they can’t take away from me. It will be there forever. You see all these good players who have won these tournaments and it’s finally good to be one of them.”
The victories were his first in the Golf Association of Philadelphia.
Osberg’s the first individual from Llanerch CC to win the Patterson Cup since James Robertson in 1977 and the first to top the Silver Cross standings since Michael McDermott in 2003.
Michael Johnson of Talamore CC escapes the right greenside bunker on No. 8 (par 4, 419 yards).
Heading into the second round of the 36-hole tournament, Osberg and Bill Jeremiah of Bidermann GC were tied atop the scoreboard at 3 under. Gahman and Galbreath stood a shot back.
A mere four holes later, Osberg had already distanced himself by a substantial margin.
He recorded four consecutive birdies to open up a four-shot lead at the time.
Osberg knocked a sand wedge from 85 yards to six feet on No. 1 (par 4, 343 yards); rifled a piercing 4-iron from 227 yards on the lengthy No. 2 (par 5, 529 yards) to 25 feet and two putted; drained a smooth 35 footer on No. 3 (par 3, 175 yards) after pulling his 7-iron a touch left; and on No. 4 (par 5, 525 yards) hit a 6-iron from 205 yards to 25 feet and two putted again.
He did bogey Nos. 7 (par 4, 426 yards) and 8 (par 4, 419 yards) courtesy of a three putt and bad swing, respectively, to give the field some hope, but drove it long on No. 9 (par 4, 320 yards), only four paces over, before chipping up to a foot for a fifth opening-nine birdie. He made the turn at 6 under, still four shots to the good.
“Obviously it’s a pretty good start. I didn’t expect to start 4 under through four [holes]. My goal was to birdie the two par 5s and par the other two holes,” said Osberg of the red-hot beginning. “I knew I was ahead but at the same time if you miss any hole here it’s a double bogey waiting to happen.”
Osberg carded a birdie, a bogey and four pars in the next six holes to hold steady, before salting the victory away on No. 16 (par 5, 592 yards) in atypical Osberg style. The long-hitter found trouble off the tee and was left with 195 yards for his third shot. For Osberg, usually all and any par 5s are reachable in two. Staring at a 50 footer from the hollow next to the green, Osberg, looking to just get it close, putted it up the hill, across the green and into the hole.
A conservative 18th (par 4, 438 yards) resulted in a meaningless bogey. No matter, he had clinched a victory in the Association’s second oldest championship.
Johnson, a recent Hatboro-Horsham High School graduate who is heading to La Salle University in a couple weeks, finished with a 2-under 69. A quiet Johnson, who only started taking golf seriously the last three years after previously focusing on baseball, carded three birdies and a bogey on his final nine to slide up the leaderboard.
“This will give me great confidence,” said Johnson. “All the top Golf Association of Philadelphia players are here.”
Defending champion James Kania, Jr. of Overbrook GC placed in a tie for 45th with a 151 total.
NOTES–G. Patrick Dougherty of Philadelphia Cricket Club aced No. 3 (par 3, 175 yards) with a 6-iron in the second round. His ball landed short of the hole and hopped forward before finding the bottom of the cup. It was his fourth career hole-in-one ...
The cut line after the completion of Round 1 fell at 76. A total of 65 players advanced.
Name,
club
Rd. 1
Rd. 2
Score
Jeff
Osberg, Llanerch Country Club
68
68
136
Michael
Johnson, Talamore Country Club
71
69
140
Travis
Gahman, Philadelphia Publinks GA
69
72
141
Robert
Galbreath, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club
69
72
141
Cory
Siegfried, Philadelphia Country Club
73
70
143
Glenn
Smeraglio, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
71
72
143
Tucker
Koch, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
72
72
144
Mike
Meisenzahl, Hidden Creek Golf Club
71
73
144
Andy
Achenbach, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
74
71
145
John
La Dow, Spring Ford Country Club
72
73
145
Scott
Klee, Bellewood Golf Club
72
73
145
Michael
Kania, Overbrook Golf Club
73
72
145
Robin
McCool, Saucon Valley Country Club
73
72
145
Matthew
Mattare, Saucon Valley Country Club
71
74
145
William
Jeremiah, Bidermann Golf Club
68
77
145
Chris
Lange, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
74
71
145
Paul
Kovalcheck, Lu Lu Country Club
73
72
145
Greg
Matthias, Hartefeld National
76
70
146
Nicholas
Reach, Glenmaura National Golf Club
75
71
146
Jeffrey
Griest, Waynesborough Country Club
72
74
146
Thomas
Gramigna, Tavistock Country Club
72
74
146
James
Braunsberg, Blue Bell Country Club
72
75
147
Geoffrey
Cooper, Laurel Creek Country Club
75
72
147
Stephen
Seiden, Concord Country Club
73
74
147
Michael
Brown, Lookaway Golf Club
73
74
147
Oscar
Mestre, Overbrook Golf Club
73
74
147
Robert
Robertson, Philadelphia Cricket Club
76
71
147
John
Brennan, Spring Ford Country Club
72
76
148
Mark
Endres, Overbrook Golf Club
75
73
148
Connor
McNicholas, Commonwealth National Golf Club
75
73
148
G.
Patrick Dougherty, Philadelphia Cricket Club
72
76
148
Justin
Martinson, Hartefeld National
71
77
148
Daniel
Charen, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
74
74
148
John
Nottage, Lu Lu Country Club
73
76
149
Michael
Hyland, Little Mill Country Club
75
74
149
Ben
Feld, Blue Bell Country Club
75
74
149
Robert
Bechtold, Loch Nairn Golf Club
73
76
149
Ryan
Gelrod, Commonwealth National Golf Club
76
73
149
Benjamin
Smith, Little Mill Country Club
75
74
149
Vinny
Alessi, Five Ponds Golf Club
71
79
150
Michael
Quinn, Edgmont Country Club
75
75
150
Roc
Irey, Lookaway Golf Club
76
74
150
Brett
Diakon, Commonwealth National Golf Club
71
79
150
Edward
McCrossen, Jr., Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
74
76
150
John
LeBoeuf, Philadelphia Country Club
73
78
151
James
Kania, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
73
78
151
Matthew
Walsh, Overbrook Golf Club
73
78
151
Paul
Rogowicz, Yardley Country Club
75
76
151
Joseph
Roeder, Links Golf Club
75
77
152
Greg
Forster, Radnor Valley Country Club
76
76
152
Jim
Schulz, Jr., Mercer Oaks Golf Course
76
77
153
Chip
Culp, Philadelphia Cricket Club
76
77
153
Sam
Pancoast, Radley Run Country Club
76
78
154
Nelson
Hargrove, Merion Golf Club
70
84
154
Peter
Moran, Edgmont Country Club
73
81
154
Sean
Coyle, Llanerch Country Club
76
79
155
James
Bea, Spring Mill Country Club
76
80
156
Matt
Raudenbush, Pine Valley Golf Club
75
81
156
Andrew
Dietz, Laurel Creek Country Club
76
81
157
Max
Matejik, Yardley Country Club
76
82
158
Thomas
Hyland, Little Mill Country Club
76
82
158
Ryan
O'Donnell, Rolling Green Golf Club
75
84
159
Jimmy
Wolfe, Bellewood Golf Club
74
88
162
P.
Chet Walsh, Philadelphia Country Club
73
WD
WD
Tom
Borsello, White Clay Creek Country Club
75
WD
WD
Failed
to qualify
Ari
Flaisher, Philadelphia Publinks GA
77
Joe
Viechnicki, Saucon Valley Country Club
77
Charles
Bernard, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
77
Tom
DiCinti, Links Golf Club
77
David
Shields, Philadelphia Publinks GA
77
Drew
Panebianco, Talamore Country Club
77
Brad
McFadden, Overbrook Golf Club
77
Brian
Creghan, Philadelphia Publinks GA
77
Marc
Mandel, White Manor Country Club
78
Lance
Hornung, Wedgwood Country Club
78
Scott
Carney, Commonwealth National Golf Club
78
John
Inman, Cherry Valley Country Club
78
John
Murphy, II, Wildwood Golf & Country Club
78
Ryan
McCarty, Little Mill Country Club
78
Mark
Coassolo, Brookside C.C. of Allentown
78
Michael
Ashcraft, Brookside C.C. of Allentown
79
Pierce
Dever, Yardley Country Club
79
Erik
Thorn, Links Golf Club
79
Tim
Westfall, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
79
Shawn
Lavin, Philadelphia Publinks GA
79
Brian
Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club
80
Dan
Bernard, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
80
Brian
Herman, Merchantville Country Club
80
Hunter
Hanson, Waynesborough Country Club
80
Brad
Flickinger, Country Club of Scranton
80
Andrew
Strock, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
81
Matthew
Pesci, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
81
Nick
Iacono, Fieldstone Golf Club
81
Daniel
Pinciotti, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club
81
Ed
Chylinski, Chester Valley Golf Club
81
Greg
Jarmas, Philadelphia Publinks GA
81
Jamie
Slonis, Tavistock Country Club
81
Jason
Kowalski, Downingtown Country Club
81
Justin
Cifra, Sunnybrook Golf Club
81
Michael
O'Keefe, Little Mill Country Club
82
Jeffrey
Romines, Philadelphia Publinks GA
82
Zac
Robertson, Edgmont Country Club
82
Craig
LaBarbera, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
82
Christopher
Reedman, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
