2012 schedule features remarkable, diverse venuesPrestigious courses will welcome the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Major championships in 2012. Chester Valley Golf Club, Huntingdon Valley Country Club, Philadelphia Country Club and the nationally-revered Pine Valley Golf Club mark four of the 60 plus venues on the tournament schedule — the 116th in the organization’s history. The 2012 GAP schedule caters to players of all age groups (Junior, Amateur and Senior) and ability levels (Championship and Handicap). The season begins in April with the GAP Team Matches and concludes in October.
A tradition since the Association’s inception in 1897, the GAP Team Matches is the longest-running golf competition of its kind. A total of 320 teams from 133 clubs will compete on April 22, 29 and May 6. The Playoff and Challenges will be held May 12. Little Mill CC won its first-ever GAP Team Matches title in 2011. It defeated Division AA contenders Fox Hill CC, Merion GC and Tavistock CC in the Playoff. Championships The 29th Middle-Amateur Championship, the season’s first Major, is set for May 23-24 at Chester Valley in Malvern, Pa. Qualifiers will take place April 26 at Wedgwood CC and May 2 at Bellewood GC. Chester Valley previously hosted the Middle-Amateur Championship in 1989 and 2002. A pair of Philadelphia’s purest golf courses will host the 112th Amateur Championship June 12-14 & 16. Huntingdon Valley and Torresdale-Frankford CC (match play qualifying site only) will challenge the region’s top players. Qualifiers for the Championship proper will take place May 8 at Tavistock CC and May 17 at Penn Oaks GC. Little Mill CC’s Michael Hyland earned his second J. Wood Platt Trophy by defeating Glenmaura National GC’s Stephen Hudacek, III in the 2011 Final at Manufacturers G&CC. For only the fourth time in its 108-year history, the Open Championship heads to Pine Valley July 23. Those wishing to compete on the golf course ranked No. 1 in the world by Golf Magazine must first qualify at Indian Valley CC (June 19), Woodcrest CC (June 20) or Whitford CC (June 27). Huntingdon Valley’s Andrew Mason, the 2011 William Hyndman, III Player of the Year, became the eighth individual amateur to win the Open Championship when he won last year’s event on his home track. Mason is also the reigning Joseph H. Patterson Cup Champion. If he wishes to retain his title, Mason must conquer Philadelphia CC when it hosts the 109th edition, presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance, Aug. 9-10. Qualifying events will be held July 19 at The Springhaven Club and July 25 at Green Valley CC. The Philadelphia Team Championship heads to the home of its reigning champions July 2. Overbrook GC will look to win its 15th solo title, but it first must advance through a May 29 qualifier at The ACE Club.
The Association will administer six USGA qualifying events. They include the U.S. Open (May 10 at Trump National GC — Philadelphia or May 14 at Back Creek GC), the U.S. Senior Open (June 19 at Laurel Creek CC), the U.S. Amateur (July 18 at Applebrook GC and Waynesborough CC), the U.S. Mid-Amateur (Aug. 13 at St. Davids GC) and the U.S. Senior Amateur (Sept. 11 at Philmont CC (North). Senior The 42nd Senior Amateur Championship is set for Sept. 19-20 at Wilmington CC (South). The two-day, 36-hole event is open to golfers 55 years of age and older with a handicap index of 7.0 or lower. Inclement weather caused three site changes and shortened the 2011 edition to 18 holes. As a result, Raymond Thompson of Overbrook GC won the Senior Division; John Rowe of Whitemarsh Valley CC the Super-Senior Division. Players begin their quest for the Senior Silver Cross at Concord CC May 3 in the Francis B. Warner Cup (Gross). Rounding out the Senior Majors are the Brewer Cup at LedgeRock GC (July 9-11) and the Chapman Memorial (Gross) at Jericho National GC (July 26). Other Senior schedule highlights include: the Warner Cup (Net) on May 29 at Whitemarsh Valley CC; the Senior Four-Ball Stroke Play on June 6 at Heidelberg GC; the Senior Four-Man Team on July 12 at Spring Ford CC and the Senior 27-Hole Challenge on Aug. 22 at Spring Mill CC. Junior The Peg Burnett Trophy is up for grabs June 25-27 when the 98th Junior Boys’ Championship heads to Torresdale-Frankford CC. In 2005, Robert Galbreath, Jr. of Huntingdon Valley CC captured his second of a record-four Junior Boys’ Championship titles at the Northeast Philadelphia club. Merion GC’s West Course is the stage for the 13th Christman Cup, set for July 20. The 28th Jock MacKenzie Memorial at Sandy Run CC will be held July 16. The qualifying round of the Junior Boys’ Championship, the Jock MacKenzie Memorial and the Christman Cup account for the Harry Hammond Award — the Junior version of the Silver Cross. The 11th Deeg Sezna Four-Ball, contested at Hartefeld National since its inception, heads to Applecross CC Aug. 7. Other events on the junior schedule include: the Pre-Junior Event at Philadelphia Cricket Club (St. Martins Course) July 6; the 27th Francis X. Hussey Memorial at Rolling Green GC July 9 and the Junior-Junior Boys' Championship (ages 11-13) at Phoenixville CC July 30-Aug. 1. Juniors will also have a chance to represent GAP in the Williamson Cup, set for Aug. 12-13 at Fieldstone GC. The Williamson Cup features teams of four juniors from 10 regional and state associations competing in a two-day, 36-hole stroke play competition. Father & Son Tournaments The Association continues to promote father-son golf through its Middle, Younger and Older tournaments. Brookside CC of Allentown hosts its first GAP event when the 5th Father & Son (Middle) arrives May 31. The select drive/alternate shot tournament is open to teams with sons 18 to 29 years of age. The Father & Son (Younger), open to teams with sons 17 years of age and under, will take place at Plymouth CC June 28. Huntingdon Valley CC’s Michael and R. Morgan Dougherty won back-to-back titles in 2010-11. Finally, the Father & Son (Older), open to teams with sons 30 years and over, will be held Sept. 17 at Whitford CC.
The Spring Net Championship will be held at Coatesville CC June 5. William McCabe, Jr. of McCall G&CC battled 100-degree temperatures to win last year’s title at The Springhaven Club. Cedarbrook CC hosts the Fall Net Championship Aug. 20. Jack Endicott of Manufacturers G&CC is the event’s reigning champion. Both the Fall and Spring Net championships will feature the TEE IT FORWARD initiative and a Net Stableford scoring format. The Association will provide three sets of tee options for those that drive the ball between 200 and 250 yards. Meetings The Pro-President, Golf & Green will take place at both Cedarbrook CC and Talamore CC May 16. The event formally kicks off the 2012 season and features golf, cocktails, dinner and presentations. It is open to golf professionals, presidents, golf and green chairmen at GAP Member Clubs. Doylestown CC hosts the 8th Annual Player’s Dinner Oct. 9. The event recognizes the top players from each championship division — amateur, junior and senior — as well as flight winners from each tournament. The 116th Annual Meeting concludes the GAP schedule. It will be held Oct. 24 at Commonwealth National GC. Honorary teams In addition to the Williamson Cup, the Association will be represented in the Compher Cup, the Senior Challenge Matches, the Philadelphia Challenge Matches and the Mason-Dixon Matches. The Compher Cup will be held April 25 at Philmont CC (North). It pits the GAP against the New Jersey State Golf Association with 12-man teams from each organization competing in an individual and four-ball match. GAP leads the annual series, 33-12-4 and rides a two-year winning streak entering the 2012 contest. Eight-man teams representing four associations — Delaware, GAP, New Jersey and Maryland — will participate in the Senior Challenge Matches, set for Oct. 2 at Whitemarsh Valley CC. The Philadelphia Challenge Matches pit 12-man teams from the Golf Association of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Section of the PGA against each other in an individual and four-ball match. Team GAP will look for its first victory since 1994. The PGA leads the all-time series, 16-1-3. Applebrook GC returns as the event’s host Oct. 10. The Mason-Dixon Matches, a competition of 12-man teams from the Golf Association of Philadelphia and the Middle Atlantic Golf Association, will be held Oct. 13-14 at River Bend G&CC in Great Falls, Va. Team earned the 2011 title with a 10-8 triumph at LedgeRock GC. GAP leads the series overall, 34-22-4. Click here to view the complete 2012 schedule. |
A Walk Through Time
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.
