Tournaments cater to players of all ages and skill levels.

Saturday qualifiers highlight 2013 tournament season

  The U.S. Open at Merion isn’t the only golf ticket in town this year.

  The Golf Association of Philadelphia presents more than 60 tournaments on its’ 2013 schedule — the 117th in the organization’s history. Events cater to players of all age groups (Junior, Amateur and Senior) and ability levels (Championship and Handicap). The season formally begins in April and concludes in October.

  New in 2013, the Association will offer a pair of Saturday qualifiers: April 13 at Downingtown Country Club for the Middle-Amateur Championship and May 18 at Broad Run Golfer’s Club for the Amateur Championship. Both events give individuals with schedule conflicts during the workweek a chance to experience GAP.

GAP Team Matches
  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 clubs will compete on April 21, 28 and May 5. The Playoff & Challenges will be held May 11.

  Little Mill Country Club proved that its’ 2011 title wasn’t a fluke; it edged Philadelphia Cricket Club, Merion Golf Club and Overbrook Golf Club to claim the 2012 edition.

John Brennan, 2012 Middle-Amateur Champion

Championships
  The Middle-Amateur Championship, now in its’ 30th year, heads to Fieldstone Golf Club May 22-23. In addition to Downingtown, Greate Bay Country Club will host a qualifying event April 25, as will French Creek Golf Club on May 6.

  Fresh off the U.S. Open frenzy, the 113th Amateur Championship brings its’ prowess to Aronimink Golf Club and St. Davids Golf Club (qualifying site only) June 18-20 & 22. Qualifiers will take place at the aforementioned Broad Run, at Yardley Country Club May 8 and at Inniscrone Golf Club May 20. White Manor Country Club’s Brian Colbert, a Chicago, Ill. native, defeated Philadelphia Publinks GA’s Greg Jarmas, 6&4, in the 2012 Final at Huntingdon Valley Country Club.

  Waynesborough Country Club welcomes the 109th Open Championship July 17. Amateurs and professional looking to compete in the event must first qualify at Penn Oaks Golf Club June 24 or Burlington Country Club June 27. Huntingdon Valley’s Andrew Mason retained his Open crown by topping a strong field at the illustrious Pine Valley Golf Club last year.

  Presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance, the Joseph H. Patterson Cup travels to Cedarbrook Country Club Aug. 8-9. To play in the season’s final Major, players must qualify at Philmont Country Club (North) July 23 or Makefield Highlands Golf Club July 25.

  The 98th Philadelphia Team Championship heads west to Lehigh Country Club June 25. Rally the troops and try to qualify at Llanerch Country Club May 28.

USGA events
  The Golf Association of Philadelphia will administer seven USGA qualifying events, including three for the U.S. Open. Those with Merion aspirations will enter the local stage at Waynesborough May 9, Whitford Country Club May 13 or Applebrook Golf Club May 16. Other qualifiers include the U.S. Junior Amateur (June 28 at Indian Valley Country Club), the U.S. Amateur (July 22 at Overbrook and Radnor Valley Country Club), the USGA Senior Amateur (Aug. 12 at LedgeRock Golf Club) and the U.S. Mid-Amateur (Aug. 27 at Doylestown Country Club).

Senior
  Players 55 years of age and over begin their Senior Silver Cross Award quest with the Francis B. Warner Cup (Gross) May 2 at White Manor Country Club. Other Majors on the Senior slate include the Frank H. Chapman (Gross) June 5 at RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve, the Brewer Cup July 8-10 at Lookaway Golf Club and the 43rd Senior Amateur Championship Sept. 3-4 at Huntingdon Valley Country Club. Michael Vassil of the Country Club of Scranton claimed both the Senior Amateur and Senior Silver Cross Award in last year’s shortened affair at Wilmington Country Club.

Junior
  The region’s top youngsters will convene at The Ridge at Back Brook June 25-27 for the 99th Junior Boys’ Championship. The Peg Burnett Trophy still resides at Fox Hill Country Club after Mariano Medico, clubmate of 2011 Champion Brandon Matthews, defeated Berkshire Country Club’s Evan Thornton, 1-up, in last year’s Final at Torresdale-Frankford Country Club.

  The Harry Hammond Award will be decided in mid-July when the Christman Cup, presented by Global Golf Post at Talamore Country Club July 16, follows the 29th Jock MacKenzie Memorial at Sandy Run Country Club on July 15. The format for The Deeg Sezna, set for Aug. 6 at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, changes from an 18-hole better-ball of partners to a select drive/alternate shot competition.

  Other events on the Junior calendar include the Pre-Junior Event at Philadelphia Cricket Club (St. Martins Course) July 3; the 28th Francis X. Hussey Memorial at Rolling Green Golf Club July 8 and the 65th Junior-Junior Boys' Championship (ages 11-13) at Merchantville Country Club July 29-31. Also new in 2013, the Junior-Junior will condense its four eight-player brackets into two 16-player match play grids. In addition to stroke play qualifying on the event’s first day, those advancing will compete in a first-round match.

Father & Son Tournaments
  Enjoy family golf at its finest by playing in one of the Association’s Father & Son tournaments. The Middle event, open to teams with sons 18 to 29 years of age, heads to Radley Run Country Club May 30. The club’s own Jim and Matt Krass captured the 2012 edition in a sudden-death playoff at Brookside Country Club of Allentown. The Father & Son (Younger), open to teams with sons 17 years of age and under, will be held July 11 at St. Davids Golf Club. Huntingdon Valley’s Michael and Jack Gregor will look to defend their title. The Older event, open to teams with sons 30 years of age and over, travels to Lancaster Country Club Sept. 9. Robert A. and Robert P. Billings prevailed in a playoff to win last year’s tournament at Whitford Country Club.

Handicap championships
  In 2012, the Association adopted the parameters of the TEE IT FORWARD initiative for its Spring and Fall Net Championships. As a result, three sets of tee options will be provided for those who drive the ball between 200 and 250 yards. The Springhaven Club, appropriately enough, will host the TEE IT FORWARD – Spring Net Championship, and Bent Creek Country Club the TEE IT FORWARD – Fall Net Championship Aug. 19.

Meetings
  To formally greet the 2013 golf season, the Association presents the Pro-President, Golf & Green May 15 at Green Valley Country Club and Philadelphia Country Club. The event features golf, cocktails, dinner and presentations and is open to golf professionals, presidents, golf and green chairmen at GAP Member Clubs. The 9th Annual Player’s Dinner will be held Oct. 8 at Whitemarsh Valley. The top players from each championship division — amateur, junior and senior — as well as flight winners from each tournament are recognized.

Honorary teams
  The Association will be represented in the Compher Cup, Williamson Cup, Senior Challenge Matches, the Philadelphia Challenge Matches and the Mason-Dixon Matches.

  The Compher Cup will be held April 24 at Galloway National Golf Club. It pits the GAP against the New Jersey State Golf Association with 12-man teams competing in an individual and four-ball match. GAP leads the annual series, 33-12-4 and carries a three-year winning streak into the 2013 contest. The Williamson Cup, set for Aug. 13-14 at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, features teams of four juniors from 10 regional and state associations competing in a two-day, 36-hole stroke play competition.

  Eight-man teams representing four associations — Delaware, GAP, New Jersey and Maryland — will participate in the Senior Challenge Matches, set for Oct. 2 at The Elkridge Club in Maryland. The Philadelphia Challenge Matches pit 12-man teams from the Golf Association of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Section of the PGA against one another 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 returns as the event’s host Oct. 9.

  The Mason-Dixon Matches, a competition of 12-man teams from the Golf Association of Philadelphia and the Middle Atlantic Golf Association, will be contested on Saucon Valley Country Club’s Weyhill Course Oct. 12-13. Team GAP leads the series overall, 34-23-4.

  Click here to view the complete 2013 schedule.

  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 143 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.