*Event Photos
*Scorecards
Yardley CC's Rogowicz heads Mid-Am Qualifier at home course
YARDLEY, Pa. – Paul Rogowicz admirably represented his home course Tuesday.
The Yardley CC member carded a 1-under-par 71 to earn medalist honors in Tuesday’s Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier on the par 72, 6,339-yard track. Rogowicz led a field of 119 players attempting to earn one of 39 qualifying spots and ties available for the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 28th Middle-Amateur Championship set for May 25-26 at Laurel Creek CC.
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| Paul Rogowicz |
One might assume that a home course advantage led to a subpar score.
“It helps, but you’re kind of expected to play well,” Rogowicz, of Yardley, Pa., said. “I got off to a good start, and that’s all I wanted to do.”
A birdie on No. 2 (par 4, 390 yards) reflected Rogowicz’s hot start. After his tee shot landed in the right rough, Rogowicz, 47, struck his 7-iron the “perfect distance” (158 yards). His ball hit the green and released to the back fringe. Seeing a “good lie,” Rogowicz chipped in for birdie.
“It was a shot that I was actually trying to chip in. I didn’t even think anything else,” he said.
Rogowicz also fired a birdie on No. 5 (par 4, 377 yards). He stuck a 9-iron 129 yards to two-feet.
“From that point, I kind of passed the butterflies and expectations,” he said. “Then I could just get into the round and start playing. Once you’re around par, you just want to stay there in a qualifier.”
To close his outward tour, Rogowicz, the 2006 Amateur runner-up, knocked an 8-iron to 10-feet right of the flagstick on No. 9 (par 3, 130 yards). He converted the right-to-left breaker. Rogowicz relied on solid ball-striking to avoid trouble throughout the day. His scorecard revealed only two blemishes. On No. 11 (par 4, 391 yards), Rogowicz came up short of the green after hitting his pitching wedge 111 yards.
“I was between clubs,” he said. “The pin was right on the front. I hit a good shot. It just kind of spun back down the hill a little bit.”
Rogowicz ran his chip six-feet past the cup and missed the comebacker. On the uphill par 3, 228-yard No. 17, Rogowicz powered his 2-iron to the back row of the two-tiered green. His shot off the ridge came out soft, and Rogowicz failed to execute the ensuing downhill putt to preserve par.
During the offseason, Rogowicz looked no further than family for golf inspiration and motivation.
“My golf game’s a little better because of my daughter Jackie,” he said. “I spent a lot of time with her, so I’ve been playing a lot and practicing a lot. It just seems like there’s a club in my hand when I’m out with her. Hopefully, it’s going to kick over into this year. This is the best I’ve played in awhile.”
Rogowicz, a sales representative for Delaware Valley Packaging Group, holds “pretty big” expectations for the Middle-Amateur Championship.
“I’ve had some success in the past,” he said. “I do like Laurel Creek. I’ve played well in some tournaments there. If my game can stay where it is, I think I can compete.”
Ryan Gelrod of Commonwealth National GC carded an even-par 72 to place second.
"I kept the ball in play, which is important out here," Gelrod, 39, of Ambler, Pa., said. "I hit a lot of greens and made a lot of putts. This is by far the best round I've played so far this spring, so it's nice to do it when it counted."
At the end of the day, the cut line fell to 79.
Tuesday’s qualifier was the first of two Middle-Amateur Championship qualifiers used to determine who will play in the Championship Proper later this month. The second qualifier will take place tomorrow, May 4 at Honeybrook GC.
The GAP Middle-Amateur started in 1984, three years after the USGA created the U.S. Mid-Am as a formal championship for post-college amateurs. The Association followed suit with the USGA in creating a Mid-Am, but initially differed in its administration of the tournament in a couple of respects.
The most obvious difference was the age requirement. Prior to 2001, the GAP Mid-Am was for players 30 years of age and older.
The Association’s Executive Committee reviewed and revised that age requirement in 2001 to match the USGA's guidelines of 25 years of age or older for eligible players. Also at that point, the Committee changed the format of the event to a two-day stroke play tournament (instead of a one-day medal play event) with a cut to the low 70 players and ties after the first round. The field begins with 132 players. Players must have a GAP/USGA Handicap Index of 7.0 or lower.
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Qualifiers
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Name, club
|
Score
|
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Paul Rogowicz, Yardley Country Club
|
71
|
|
Ryan Gelrod, Commonwealth National Golf
Club
|
72
|
|
Tom Spano, Llanerch Country Club
|
74
|
|
Joseph Russo, Running Deer Golf Club
|
74
|
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Brad McFadden, Overbrook Golf Club
|
75
|
|
William Bello, Metedeconk National Golf
Club
|
76
|
|
John Gosselin, Kennett Square Golf &
Country Club
|
76
|
|
Steven Budenz, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
76
|
|
Sean Remington, Green Valley Country Club
|
76
|
|
Michael Cole, Torresdale-Frankford Country
Club
|
76
|
|
Christopher Thude, Torresdale-Frankford
Country Club
|
76
|
|
Chris Lilley, Northampton Valley Country
Club
|
77
|
|
John Robinson, Commonwealth National Golf
Club
|
77
|
|
Rand Mendez, Fieldstone Golf Club
|
77
|
|
Christopher Ault, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
77
|
|
Dino Stathis, Metedeconk National Golf Club
|
77
|
|
Ray Pyontek, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
77
|
|
Michael Shoup, Sandy Run Country Club
|
77
|
|
Louis Giovi, Old York CC at Chesterfield
|
77
|
|
Francis Hamm, Country Club of Scranton
|
78
|
|
Kenneth Matt, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
78
|
|
Johan van Schalkwyk, Burlington Country
Club
|
78
|
|
Gerry Baldachino, Old York CC at
Chesterfield
|
78
|
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Chris Hynoski, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
78
|
|
James Gillespie, Wedgwood Country Club
|
78
|
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David Smith, Doylestown Country Club
|
78
|
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Michael LaGrasso, Little Mill Country Club
|
78
|
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Lee Cook, Laurel Creek Country Club
|
78
|
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Matthew Gaffney, Little Mill Country Club
|
78
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Danny Osada, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
78
|
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Fred Jones, Merion Golf Club
|
78
|
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Robert Cunningham, Overbrook Golf Club
|
78
|
|
Dan Pickering, Indian Valley Country Club
|
79
|
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Bradley Roberts, Wedgwood Country Club
|
79
|
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Alex Cameron, Merchantville Country Club
|
79
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Todd Vonderheid, Huntsville Golf Club
|
79
|
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G. Patrick Dougherty, Philadelphia Cricket
Club
|
79
|
|
Frank Corrado, Jr., Jericho National Golf
Club
|
79
|
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Sean Leonard, Tavistock Country Club
|
79
|
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Jack Anderson, Yardley Country Club
|
79
|
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Michael Moffat, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
79
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| |
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Failed to qualify
|
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Steve Owens, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
80
|
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Mark Quigley, Lu Lu Country Club
|
80
|
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George Hagstoz, Riverton Country Club
|
80
|
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John Poole, III, Makefield Highlands Golf
Club
|
80
|
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Fran Begley, Wedgwood Country Club
|
80
|
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Ted Harris, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
80
|
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Timothy Chow, Indian Valley Country Club
|
80
|
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Sean Coyle, Llanerch Country Club
|
80
|
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Jack Wallace, Burlington Country Club
|
80
|
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Mike Krantz, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
80
|
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Kevin McGrain, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
80
|
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Jason Staso, Spring Mill Country Club
|
81
|
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Sean Torpey, Doylestown Country Club
|
81
|
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Bryan McClaskey, Merchantville Country Club
|
81
|
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Tino Calantoni, Saucon Valley Country Club
|
81
|
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Scott Carney, Commonwealth National Golf
Club
|
81
|
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Ryan Jordan, Tavistock Country Club
|
81
|
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Donald Chapman, Riverton Country Club
|
82
|
|
Joseph Roeder, Links Golf Club
|
82
|
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Bradley Cusick, Tavistock Country Club
|
82
|
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Joe Viechnicki, Saucon Valley Country Club
|
82
|
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Jim Gavaghan, Jericho National Golf Club
|
82
|
|
George Connell, Jr., Gulph Mills Golf Club
|
82
|
|
Brian Dobisch, Talamore Country Club
|
82
|
|
Ivan Mcbride, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
82
|
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Mark Kosko, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
82
|
|
Michael Decapua, Northampton Country Club
|
82
|
|
Ed Kahn, Little Mill Country Club
|
82
|
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Fred Hartwell, Jr., Middletown Country Club
|
82
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Mark Sivel, Bala Golf Club
|
82
|
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Patrick Cahill, III, Whitemarsh Valley
Country Club
|
83
|
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Jon Hill, Burlington Country Club
|
83
|
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Christopher Parmer, Metedeconk National
Golf Club
|
83
|
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Richard Atcavage, Whitemarsh Valley Country
Club
|
83
|
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Burton McHugh, Sunnybrook Golf Club
|
83
|
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Greg Blackburn, Honeybrook Golf Club
|
83
|
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Faust Capobianco, IV, Saucon Valley Country
Club
|
84
|
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Keith Smedley, Northampton Valley Country
Club
|
84
|
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James Lewis, Little Mill Country Club
|
84
|
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Marty Crounse, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
84
|
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Gary Smith, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
85
|
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Kevin Wall, Old York Road Country Club
|
85
|
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Derek Isbrandt, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
85
|
|
Gerald Bowes, Jr., Whitemarsh Valley
Country Club
|
86
|
|
Tim McNerney, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
86
|
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Robert Lodovici, Little Mill Country Club
|
86
|
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Mark Dennish, The Ridge at Back Brook
|
87
|
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John Simone, Philmont Country Club
|
87
|
|
Gene Martin, Laurel Creek Country Club
|
87
|
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Chuck Kraatz, Talamore Country Club
|
87
|
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Douglas Rodio, Laurel Creek Country Club
|
88
|
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Michael Shenkman, The ACE Club
|
88
|
|
Jeffrey Angelucci, Torresdale-Frankford
Country Club
|
88
|
|
J. Clark O'Donoghue, Riverton Country Club
|
89
|
|
Jonathan Shevlin, North Hills Country Club
|
90
|
|
Greg Cathcart, The Ridge at Back Brook
|
91
|
|
Kenneth Ralston, Huntsville Golf Club
|
91
|
|
Mike Miklinevich, Greate Bay Country Club
|
91
|
|
Seth Walizer, Berkshire Country Club
|
92
|
|
Tom Quinn, Cedarbrook Country Club
|
92
|
|
Joseph Greenwald, RiverCrest Golf Club
& Preserve
|
93
|
|
Lawrence Paster, Philmont Country Club
|
93
|
|
Duane Pinnock, RiverCrest Golf Club &
Preserve
|
95
|
|
Rick Wright, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
96
|
|
Lee Sutherland, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
96
|
|
Casey Murray, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
97
|
|
David Guertler, Merchantville Country Club
|
DQ
|
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Steve Donahue, Cherry Valley Country Club
|
NS
|
|
Paul Bickford, Wedgwood Country Club
|
NS
|
|
Robert Ashford, Saucon Valley Country Club
|
NS
|
|
Louis Fulgoni, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
WD
|
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James Bell, III, Makefield Highlands Golf
Club
|
WD
|
|
Douglas Cusick, Tavistock Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Nicholas Damm, Huntingdon Valley Country
Club
|
WD
|
|
Joseph Costanzo, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
WD
|
|
John Venne, Torresdale-Frankford Country
Club
|
WD
|
| |
|
DQ-disqualification; NS-no show;
WD-withdrawal
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