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Cricket’s April leads 30th Middle-Amateur Championship
GREENVILLE, Del.–The calendar reads May but April reigned in the first round of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 30th Middle-Amateur Championship. Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Joe April, 28, of Philadelphia, Pa., posted a sensational 4-under-par 67 at a demanding Fieldstone Golf Club (par 71, 6,579 yards) to grab a commanding three shot-lead after 18 holes of the season’s first Major. April’s steadfast short game produced five birdies and a scintillating closing eagle en route to one of two sub-par scores. He also carded three bogeys.
Stephen Hudacek, III of Glenmaura National Golf Club, the 2011 Amateur Championship runner-up, is alone in second place at 1-under 70. Senior standout Raymond Thompson of Overbrook Golf Club; Michael McDermott of Merion Golf Club, a three-time Mid.-Am. champion and 26-year-old Michael Carr of Plymouth Country Club are tied in third at even-par 71. Defending champion John Brennan of Philadelphia Cricket Club made the cut at 80.
The low 70 players and ties advanced into Day 2.
The second and final round of the Middle-Amateur Championship begins at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow. With inclement weather forecasted, the Association will start players on both the No. 1 and 10 tee. Typically, all players begin on No. 1 for Day 2.
“I wasn’t sure how I was going to play actually. I had a little bit of an inconsistent start to this year,” said April, who advanced to the second round of the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. “I’ve had some really good rounds and I’ve had some not so good rounds. The one thing I tried to do today, and I think I did a pretty good job, was to take it one shot at a time and not think ahead. I hit a lot of good wedges and putted great. It’s amazing how much that can save you. I’m very pleased and a little unexpected.”
April foreshadowed the day to come on the very first hole when after being forced to lay up his second shot on No. 1 (par 4, 418 yards), he saved par from 60 yards. He then jumped into red figures on No. 2 (par 5, 575 yards) with a tap-in birdie after a wedge from 130 yards stopped inches shy of the cup.
A brief hiccup on No. 4 (par 4, 354 yards) followed with a lost ball bogey but a gimme birdie on No. 5 (par 5, 522 yards) sent April on his way.
“That was actually a really good bogey on No. 4,” said April, who is playing in his first Association Mid.-Am. “I hooked my drive just a tad into the heavy fescue and never found it so I had to go back and replay it. I got up and down from 120 yards. That was one of the crucial holes out there. I didn’t want to make a double bogey especially after a good start. I made a birdie on No. 5 and that kind of gave me some momentum to get through the day. “
He added a smooth 7-iron over the flag to 20 feet on No. 6 (par 3, 184 yards) to make the turn at 2 under.
Two more tight wedges resulted in two more birdies on Nos. 11 (par 4, 304 yards) and 12 (par 4, 369 yards) and a 4-under score. However, a poor tee shot on No. 13 (par 3, 187 yards) and a blocked approach on No. 14 (par 4, 457 yards) gave two shots back. April wasn’t deterred, though. He finished in spectacular style. April reached No. 18 (par 5, 524 yards) in two, the second a 240-yard 3-wood, before sinking a 35-foot downhiller. He totaled just 27 putts.
“It had a little bit of speed on it,” a wry April said. “I’m glad it found the bottom of the cup.”
April, who graduated from Drexel University in 2007, noted a new job in the private equity field last year has allowed him to become rededicated to the game. Last year’s U.S. Mid.-Am. and today’s performance proved that out.
Hudacek burst onto the scene a few years back with a runner-up finish to Michael Hyland in the 2011 Amateur.
A non-aggressive approach on Wednesday has the 26-year-old in contention.
“I never played here before so I played very conservatively and I think that helped a lot,” said Hudacek, a resident of Scranton, Pa. “I may take one or two more shots tomorrow but I think I’ll stick to the game plan I had today. I putted very well.”
Hudacek had two birdies and a bogey to make the turn at 1 under before finishing his last nine in even-par 36.
He said he still draws on that 2010 experience.
“That’s been a big confidence booster just knowing my game can go to that level,” said Hudacek. “I don’t think I’ve played that well since then but I see shades of it coming back.”
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.
Name,
club
Score
Joe
April, Philadelphia Cricket Club
67
Stephen
Hudacek, III, Glenmaura
National Golf Club
70
Michael
McDermott, Merion Golf Club
71
Raymond
Thompson, Overbrook Golf Club
71
Michael
Carr, Plymouth Country Club
71
Stephen
Seiden, Llanerch Country
Club
72
Thomas
E. Timby, Jr., The Bucks Club
72
Peter
Barron, III, Stone Harbor Golf Club
73
Matthew
Gaffney, Little Mill Country Club
73
Scott
Storck, Philadelphia Cricket Club
73
Scott
McNeil, Bala Golf Club
73
Rich
Pruchnik, Back Creek Golf Club
73
Michael
Hyland, Little Mill Country Club
73
Kyle
Davis, Bidermann Golf Club
73
Kevin
Cahill, Merion Golf Club
74
Chris
Lange, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
74
Brian
McDermott, Llanerch Country Club
74
Joshua
Isler, Chester Valley Golf Club
74
Sean
Torpey, Commonwealth National Golf Club
74
Blake
Cleary, Wilmington Country Club
74
Christopher
Ault, Yardley Country Club
74
Matthew
Mattare, Saucon Valley Country Club
75
Shawn
Lavin, Rolling Green Golf Club
75
Peter
Moran, Edgmont Country Club
75
Michael
Tash, Tavistock Country
Club
75
Freddy
Henriquez, Loch Nairn
Golf Club
75
William
Jeremiah, Bidermann Golf Club
76
Ryan
Gelrod, Philadelphia Cricket Club
76
Brian
Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club
76
Jeff
Osberg, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
76
Thomas
Hyland, Little Mill Country Club
76
Mark
Peterson, Philadelphia Cricket Club
76
Oscar
Mestre, Overbrook Golf Club
76
Tim
Freeh, Back Creek Golf Club
76
Marc
Mandel, Philadelphia Cricket Club
77
Will
Holt, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club
77
Christopher
Thude, Torresdale-Frankford
Country Club
77
Scott
McLaughlin, Commonwealth National Golf Club
77
G.
Patrick Dougherty, Philadelphia Cricket Club
77
James
Gillespie, Wedgwood Country Club
77
Christopher
Clauson, Sandy Run Country Club
77
Anthony
Apostolico, Back Creek Golf Club
77
Thomas
Bartolacci, Jr., Saucon
Valley Country Club
