GTM: Reigning Playoff teams win in Week OneThe GAP Team Matches Playoff’s 2011 finalists may retain their spots, if Week One is any indication. Defending champion Little Mill Country Club, as well as Fox Hill Country Club, Merion Golf Club and Tavistock Country Club, all overcame relentless rainfall and opened the 2012 campaign with victories. “We knew it was going to be a pretty miserable day. We just had to make sure everyone was going to keep grinding it out and not give up on any points,” Little Mill captain Ryan McCarty said. “It’s easy to get in an environment where it's miserable outside and you don’t want to be out there. I feel like that would be an easy day to get upset.”
“We definitely try to determine the lineup by the players’ strength,” McCarty said. “The straighter hitters we keep at Little Mill because you need to hit the ball straight there. The other players who’ve played in some of the [GAP] events we usually send on the road.” The road to Team Match title retention doesn’t get easier for Little Mill. It will next face a Llanerch Country Club hoping to rebound from a 31.5-22.5 loss at the hands of Huntingdon Valley Country Club. “We saw that Llanerch lost their first match and they’re going to be coming out strong,” McCarty said. “All the matches are going to be tough. Hopefully, the weather will be more accommodating.” Fox Hill edged Moselem Springs Golf Club, 28.5-25.5, in Section 1. Mother Nature was a tad more accommodating at the Exeter, Pa. club Sunday. “It wasn’t too bad up here,” Fox Hill’s captain Mark Answini said. “It really didn’t start raining until the back side. We tried to beat the weather.” Team Match rookies such as Joseph Carroll, Shamus Gartley and Mariano Medico held their own at home, Answini said. Long hitters such as Matthew Hoover, Brandon Matthews and John Mulhern, Jr. led Fox Hill on the road. “Playing down at Moselem and the length of the golf course was a key,” Answini said. “I sent the experienced players away and kept a good mix of the young guys at home.” Player allocation will again be a factor when Fox Hill opposes nearby Glenmaura National Golf Club next week. Glenmaura fell to Philadelphia Cricket Club, 36-18. “The clubs are right up the street from each other. The familiarity is there at both of the golf courses,” Answini said. “It’s a long and tough golf course. They’re a tough team. They’re deep from 1-12, that’s for sure.” In Section 4, Merion opened with a commanding 40-14 win over Hartefeld National. “On a day like yesterday, it was really tough. It was a hard, driving rain,” Merion’s captain Michael McDermott said. “I give the guys from Hartefeld a lot of credit. It was a balanced performance from us.” Each Merion player posted at least one point in the team’s triumph. “I was probably at the bottom of the point total, and that’s OK. Everybody did great,” McDermott said. “We have a really deep team; truly 1-12 we can almost be interchangeable, which is pretty unique. That’s a good thing, and it showed." Merion will rely on its depth when it faces fellow unbeaten Mercer Oaks Golf Course, who picked up a 36.5-17.5 win over RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve. “We have to have 12 guys play well,” McDermott said. “They’re one of the real good teams. They have a lot of strength at the top. We have our hands full.” Tavistock joins Overbrook Golf Club atop Section 3 after Week One. It knocked off Laurel Creek Country Club, 38-16. “It was a rough day to play, without question,” Tavistock captain Bill McGuinness said. “We’re excited about [our Week One victory] because we had three players missing yesterday.” McGuinness, Len Fox and Jim Meyers didn’t compete in Week One, but that didn’t faze Tavistock. Only one point separated its home and away outputs. “Fingers crossed, we think were an even stronger team next week,” McGuinness said. “We think we have two balanced teams and can do a good job. We’re ready to charge on.” NOTES Three new GAP Member Clubs made their Team Match debuts: Broad Run Golfer’s Club, Inniscrone Golf Club and Sea Oaks Golf Club … One contest ended in a tie. Meadia Heights 1 and Wilmington 1 halved with 27s.
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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.
