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| Michael Casella of Northampton CC carded a 1-over-par 72 to earn medalist honors. |
*Scorecards
*Photo Gallery
Northampton's Casella heads Mid.-Am. Qual. at Bellewood
POTTSTOWN, Pa. — Wanting to increase his competitive golf intake, Michael Casella of Northampton Country Club decided to audition for the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 29th Middle-Amateur Championship Wednesday. He promptly earned a role after carding a 1-over-par 72 to earn medalist honors in a Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier at a cool and damp Bellewood Golf Club (par 71, 6,678 yards).
Casella led a field of 156 players attempting to earn one of 49 qualifying spots and ties available for the Championship proper, set for May 23-24 at Chester Valley Golf Club. The Easton, Pa. resident tallied 27 putts on the day.
“That was the key. I putted very well,” he said. “The greens were wet from the rain, so you could be aggressive on your putts.”
That aggressiveness didn’t serve Casella well early. Starting on the back nine, he blocked his drive left on the dangerous No. 13 (par 4, 363 yards). Casella then equipped a 6-iron to address a challenging approach from 130 yards.
“I had to go underneath a tree and run it up the green,” he said. “It rolled past the hole and off the back of the green.” Casella chipped on and left his par putt short.
Casella, 42, carded consecutive bogeys on Nos. 15 (par 4, 381 yards) and 16 (par 4, 387 yards). Unfamiliarity contributed to the first as Casella misjudged a 9-iron approach from 130 yards.
“I didn’t realize the green sloped from right to left so hard, and the ball just spun to the left just off the green,” he said.
A similar 9-iron story and ending occured on the uphill 16th hole for Casella. However, he leveled his play with three red figures to begin his inward tour. On No. 1 (par 4, 385 yards), Casella hit a sand wedge 107 yards to eight feet left of the flagstick. He powered a 3-wood 240 yards to 60 feet on No. 2 (par 5, 505 yards). Casella ran his eagle try three feet past the jar, but cleaned up the birdie putt. On No. 3 (par 4, 383 yards), he knocked a gap wedge 117 yards and drained an uphill 20-footer.
“It literally went in on the last rotation,” Casella, a pharmaceutical representative, said.
A hiccup on No. 5 (par 4, 432 yards) put Casella one above the blue. With less than180 yards to the flagstick, he tried to negotiate a 5-iron onto the green. It came out low and flew to the rear of the green. Casella left a six-footer to save par on the front lip.
“Some of the downhill putts I expected to be faster than they were,” he said.
Wednesday marked Casella’s first attempt to qualify for the Middle-Amateur Championship. He did so under the encouragement of Gary Hardin, Northampton’s head professional.
“He says I’m better than I think I am,” Casella said. “I’ve only played in club events and the Lehigh Valley Amateur the last couple of years. I just thought that if I’m ever going to be good, then I need to play in some of these events to get used to tournament competition.”
Now that he’s forged a spot in the Championship proper, Casella hopes to make an impression among a crowd of new faces.
“I don’t know any of these guys or what the competitions like,” he said. “I just feel like if I can control my emotions and be confident, then I could put up a good score.”
The cut line stopped at 81. Wednesday’s qualifier was the last event used to determine who will play in the Championship Proper next month. Thirty-one players advanced from an April 26 qualifier at Wedgwood Country Club.
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.
Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 145 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. As Philadelphia’s Most Trusted Source of Golf Information, the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
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Qualifiers
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|
Name,
club
|
Score
|
|
Michael
Casella, Northampton Country Club
|
72
|
|
Ryan
Gelrod, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
75
|
|
Brian
McDermott, Llanerch Country Club
|
75
|
|
Gordon
Jamieson, Merion Golf Club
|
75
|
|
Thomas
Hyland, Little Mill Country Club
|
76
|
|
Ivan
McBride, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
76
|
|
Michael
Beran, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
77
|
|
Grant
Skyllas, Moselem Springs
Golf Club
|
77
|
|
John
Simone, Philmont Country Club
|
77
|
|
Scott
Orr, Brookside Country Club
|
77
|
|
Simon
Hagger, Fieldstone Golf Club
|
77
|
|
Robert
Good, Merion Golf Club
|
77
|
|
Michael
Quinn, Edgmont Country Club
|
78
|
|
Tom
Piersanti, Saucon Valley
Country Club
|
78
|
|
Doug
Fedoryshyn, Concord Country Club
|
78
|
|
Todd
Vonderheid, Huntsville Golf Club
|
78
|
|
Santo
Lafoca, Huntsville Golf Club
|
78
|
|
Sean
Coyle, Llanerch Country Club
|
78
|
|
Jim
Braunsberg, Blue Bell Country Club
|
78
|
|
John
Gosselin, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club
|
78
|
|
Rich
Thon, The Springhaven Club
|
79
|
|
Jonathan
Shevlin, North Hills Country Club
|
79
|
|
Joshua
Isler, Chester Valley Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Paul
Kupcha, Fieldstone Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Brian
Fisher, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
79
|
|
Patrick
Phillips, Spring Ford Country Club
|
79
|
|
Brian
Corbett, Huntsville Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Carlo
Fitti, Llanerch Country
Club
|
79
|
|
Bill
Albertus, Penn Oaks Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Chris
Lange, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Michael
Domenick, Phoenixville Country Club
|
79
|
|
Anthony
Apostolico, Back Creek Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Daniel
Feeney, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
80
|
|
Tim
Anderson, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
80
|
|
Thomas
Brennan, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
80
|
|
Mark
Hodgson, Burlington Country Club
|
80
|
|
Robert
Loftus, Overbrook Golf Club
|
80
|
|
William
Naylor, Applebrook Golf Club
|
80
|
|
Arthur
Herling, III, Cedarbrook
Country Club
|
80
|
|
Christopher
Lucci, Brookside Country Club
|
80
|
|
Jason
Barkley, Moselem Springs Golf Club
|
80
|
|
Patrick
McCusker, Jr., Plymouth Country Club
|
80
|
|
Kevin
Cahill, Merion Golf Club
|
81
|
|
Peter
Landreth, Jr., Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
81
|
|
Richard
Atcavage, Whitemarsh
Valley Country Club
|
81
|
|
Andrew
Dietz, Laurel Creek Country Club
|
81
|
|
Chris
Hunger, Wedgwood Country Club
|
81
|
|
Elias
Chua, Fieldstone Golf Club
|
81
|
|
George
Griffaton, Brookside Country Club
|
81
|
|
Mark
Coassolo, Brookside C.C. of Allentown
|
81
|
|
Patrick
McCauley, Applebrook Golf Club
|
81
|
|
Timothy
Whartenby, Northampton Valley Country Club
|
81
|
|
Andrew
Carnevale, North Hills Country Club
|
81
|
|
Michael
Fagan, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
|
81
|
| |
|
Failed
to qualify
|
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Tino Calantoni, Saucon
Valley Country Club
|
82
|
|
Brian
Shevland, Waynesborough
Country Club
|
82
|
|
Robert
Gill, Fox Hill Country Club
|
82
|
|
John
Donnelly, Concord Country Club
|
82
|
|
Mark
Wachter, DuPont Country Club
|
82
|
|
Tim
Westfall, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
82
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|
Vincent
Craven, Jr., Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
82
|
|
David
Liotta, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
|
82
|
|
Ian
Kessler, Penn Oaks Golf Club
|
82
|
|
Matthew
German, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
82
|
|
Scott
Storck, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
83
|
|
Tom
Borsello, White Clay Creek Country Club
|
83
|
|
Kevin
Dougher, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
83
|
|
David
Atkinson, Llanerch Country Club
|
83
|
|
Patrick
Conroy, Llanerch Country Club
|
83
|
|
Tim
Sindorf, Burlington Country Club
|
83
|
|
David
Smith, Doylestown Country Club
|
83
|
|
John
Alterman, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
83
|
|
Joe
Kerrigan, Jr., Llanerch Country Club
|
83
|
|
Bradley
Bernosky, French Creek Golf Club
|
83
|
|
James
O'Connor, Penn Oaks Golf Club
|
84
|
|
Chris
Esbenshade, Bent Creek Country Club
|
84
|
|
Gavin
Grimes, Chester Valley Golf Club
|
84
|
|
Kevin
Bair, Loch Nairn Golf Club
|
84
|
|
Matt
Brady, Penn Oaks Golf Club
|
84
|
|
Hudson
Green, Brookside Country Club
|
84
|
|
Kenneth
Croney, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
|
84
|
|
Burton
McHugh, Sunnybrook Golf Club
|
84
|
|
James
Wybar, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
84
|
|
Ryan
Felpel, Honeybrook Golf
Club
|
84
|
|
Casey
Murray, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
84
|
|
Brad
George, Golf Course at Glen Mills
|
84
|
|
Joseph
Greenwald, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
85
|
|
John
Poole, III, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
85
|
|
Damon
Zappariello, North Hills Country Club
|
85
|
|
Craig
Lozak, Jr., Makefield
Highlands Golf Club
|
85
|
|
Todd
Cappelli, Philadelphia Publinks
GA
|
85
|
|
David
Gibbons, Spring Ford Country Club
|
85
|
|
Jeffrey
Moyher, Merion Golf Club
|
85
|
|
Anthony
Piazza, The ACE Club
|
85
|
|
William
Keane, Jr., Philadelphia Country Club
|
85
|
|
Thomas
Mallouk, Ph.D., Lookaway
Golf Club
|
85
|
|
Robert
Galbreath, Sr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
85
|
|
Faust
Capobianco, IV, Saucon
Valley Country Club
|
86
|
|
Pat
Pasquariello, Philadelphia Country Club
|
86
|
|
Michael
Hodges, The Springhaven Club
|
86
|
|
Jim
Simmons, Stonewall
|
86
|
|
Gerald
Bowes, Jr., Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
|
86
|
|
Joseph
Dulka, Jr., Bellewood
Golf Club
|
86
|
|
Stephen
Brown, Chester Valley Golf Club
|
87
|
|
John
Robinson, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
87
|
|
Patrick
Murray, North Hills Country Club
|
87
|
|
Brad
Sokol, Green Valley Country Club
|
87
|
|
Timothy
Chow, Indian Valley Country Club
|
87
|
|
Alan
Lazzarino, DuPont Country Club
|
87
|
|
George
Steinmetz, Spring Ford Country Club
|
87
|
|
Sean
Remington, Green Valley Country Club
|
87
|
|
Chris
Lilley, Yardley Country Club
|
87
|
|
Lynn
Kilduff, Huntsville Golf Club
|
87
|
|
Nicholas
Damm, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
87
|
|
Lee
Calfo, Rolling Green Golf Club
|
88
|
|
Joe
Frey, Edgmont Country Club
|
88
|
|
Lucas
Serbun, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
88
|
|
Scott
Bogdan, French Creek Golf Club
|
88
|
|
Frank
Natale, Sunnybrook Golf Club
|
88
|
|
Adam
Gelwarg, Green Valley Country Club
|
88
|
|
Chuck
Kraatz, Talamore Country
Club
|
88
|
|
Justin
Cifra, Sunnybrook Golf Club
|
89
|
|
Taylor
Stansberry, Jericho National Golf Club
|
90
|
|
James
Bell, III, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
90
|
|
John
Mullins, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
90
|
|
Jason
Kowalski, Yardley Country Club
|
90
|
|
Peter
Mark, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
90
|
|
Brian
Foxx, Cherry Valley Country Club
|
90
|
|
Fred
Luck, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
90
|
|
Andrew
Winn, Radnor Valley Country Club
|
90
|
|
Randy
Kruse, Sandy Run Country Club
|
91
|
|
Michael
Costonis, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
91
|
|
Duane
Pinnock, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
91
|
|
Nicholas
Stoyer, Bent Creek Country Club
|
94
|
|
Linc Treadwell, Saucon Valley Country Club
|
96
|
|
Douglas
Rodio, Little Mill Country Club
|
96
|
|
Art
Brosius, Golf Course at Glen Mills
|
DQ
|
|
Craig
Larsen, Aronimink Golf Club
|
NS
|
|
Jimmy
Taylor, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
WD
|
|
Bennett
Meyer, Philmont Country Club
|
WD
|
|
George
Petrellis, Blue Bell Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Jack
Clough, Wilmington Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Christopher
Baggini, Applebrook Golf
Club
|
WD
|
|
Richard
Blumberg, Philmont Country Club
|
WD
|
|
John
Cobb, Tavistock Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Michael
Pastorius, Ravens Claw Golf Club
|
WD
|
|
Matt
Dietrich, Whitford Country Club
|
WD
|
|
James
Della Guardia, Spring Ford Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Michael
Rogers, Llanerch Country Club
|
WD
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Arthur
Kania, Jr., Merion Golf Club
|
WD
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DQ-disqualification;
NS-no show; WD-withdrawal
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