Who will advance to the GAP Team Matches Playoff?

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GAP Team Matches: Playoff spots at stake on 'Survival Sunday'

  Playoff berths hang in the balance entering Week Three of the GAP Team Matches. Squads from all four sections in Division AA posted critical wins in Week Two to set up “win and you’re in” scenarios.

  Glenmaura National Golf Club (2–0) defeated Aronimink Golf Club (0–2), 31-5–22.5, and now faces defending champions and fellow unbeatens Little Mill Country Club (2–0). Glenmaura National’s last Playoff appearance came in 2010.

  “Any time you get a chance to play for an opportunity to go to the playoff, it’s always exciting,” Matthew Dougherty, Glenmaura’s captain, said. “We know that we have the two-time defending champ lurking in the wings, so we’re certainly not taking that for granted. We’re going out with high expectations as I would expect Little Mill to have as well and rightfully so. We anticipate it being a close match.”

  To earn its Playoff opportunity, Glenmaura National relied on a 23-point home performance against Aronimink in Week Two. Dougherty accounted for three of those points and is currently tied for the most among individuals in Division AA.

  “I drove the ball well both weeks, which at Glenmaura, it’s a demanding tee shot-oriented course,” Dougherty said. “When you drive the ball well there, you put yourself in position to score well.”

  Ball striking will factor into Glenmaura National’s line-up against Little Mill, according to Dougherty.

  “When we’re looking at line-ups we generally like to put the guys that are driving the straightest and longest at home,” he said. “That generally shapes how we’re going to set our rosters.”

  In Section 4, Llanerch Country Club (2–0) knocked off Merion Golf Club (0–2), 33.5–20.5, in Week Two. It will oppose Back Creek Golf Club (2–0) with a Playoff berth at stake.

  “It’s nice to get a W,” Tom Spano, Llanerch’s captain, said. “Having our fate in our hands this weekend against Back Creek, it’s nice to be in that position. We’re pretty excited. Back Creek has a great record so far and a strong-looking team. It’s nice to see two 2-0 teams going at it, knowing that whoever wins gets to go to the finals.”

  In its Week Two win, Llanerch received key contributions from Eddie Johnson, Brian McDermott and Michael Rogers, who fired a 1-over-par en route to a three-point sweep at Merion. Spano also attributed the team’s success to the impact of newcomers Carlo Fitti and Joe Kerrigan, Jr., who’ve posted a combined 18.5 points.

  “They’re playing great and really helping the better-balls as well,” Spano said. “The goal is to play good enough away and protect at home, which is what we’ve done the past two weeks.”

  Mercer Oaks Golf Course (2–0) has followed a similar path to success. The squad’s averaged 21 points at home in triumphs over Meadia Heights Golf Club (0–2) and Old York Country Club at Chesterfield (0–2).

  “It’s obviously been a team effort at this point,” Glenn Smeraglio, Mercer Oaks’ captain, said. “I think our home guys have done a tremendous job.”

  Playing in Mercer Oaks’ No. 1 slot at home, Justin VanHyning has accrued 12 points, tied for the most in Division AA, thru two weeks.

  “He’s coming off a win at the Compher Cup for New Jersey [State Golf Association],” Smeraglio said. “Justin can play. He doesn’t get out and play much, but when he plays, he plays well.”

  Mercer Oaks opposes fellow unbeaten Philadelphia Cricket Club (2–0) in Week Three for a chance to return to the Playoff after missing out in 2012. Smeraglio isn’t optimistic about the upcoming contest.

  “It will have to be a ‘shock the world’ kind of day for us to win," Smeraglio said. "We’ll give it a whirl. If we could get all of our players to play, we’ll give them a tussle. We’re going to have some fun.”

  Overbrook Golf Club (2–0) currently leads Division AA in points with 85. It posted 36 in a Week Two win over Fox Hill Country Club (1–1).

  “I think everybody really played well,” Oscar Mestre, Overbrook’s captain, said. “Our away team especially did yeoman’s work in not only having to travel the distance to get to Fox Hill but also to play a golf course that is very much conducive to a home advantage. We were very proud and appreciative of our away team. We didn’t find out about [their victory] until we were on Nos. 15 and 16. It was a pleasant announcement to know we were carrying a bit of lead going into the final holes of our matches.”

  One of Overbrook’s road warriors in 2013 is Chris Lange, Jr., who is tied for the most points in Division AA among individuals.

  “You’d be hard-pressed to find somebody who wants it as badly as he does,” Mestre said. “He’s committed and working hard on his game. Chris has for sure been an awesome teammate to have in the respect that he’s doing whatever it takes not only in word, but in action. He’s definitely one of the linchpins of that next generation.”

  Players such as Lange, Jr., Sean Fahey, James Kania, Jr. and Robert Cunningham represent Overbrook’s next generation, which combined with its stable of elder statesmen has created a formula for success.

  “I think the grizzled veterans are getting more grizzled,” Mestre said. “Not that the old guys are going away, but the younger guys are taking more of a leadership role. It is the continuation of the maturation process of our young players as golfers and competitors.”

  Overbrook will rely on that blend of youth and experience during a Week Three showdown against a Huntingdon Valley Country Club (1–1) team that is fresh off a dominant 51.5–2.5 win over RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve (0–2). Huntingdon Valley holds a record 32 GAP Team Matches titles; Overbrook is fourth on the all-time list with six.   “Our outlook is similar to the 35 previous years where we’ve batted with Huntingdon Valley,” Mestre said. “The names have changed, but Huntingdon Valley is always a super worthwhile opponent. Their history speaks for itself. When you talk about clubs that take the competition seriously, want to win and have been very good at winning, how do you not bring up Huntingdon Valley? We’ve had some great competition and camaraderie with them. We know we have to show up with our A game because they are not going to go quietly into the night. No lead is big enough over those guys.”

  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.