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Merion’s McDermott earns No. 1 seed; readies for another Am. run
MALVERN, Pa.–A balky left shoulder almost derailed Michael McDermott’s Amateur Championship title defense before it started.
A cortisone shot late last week alleviated the pain, however, and some swings on the range Monday at White Manor Country Club loosened the stiff joint.
That meant it was business as usual on the course for the five-time William Hyndman, III Player of the Year.
McDermott opened Amateur Championship qualifying at White Manor Country Club (par 71, 6,752 yards) with a 5-under 66 and added a 1-over-par 71 at Overbrook Golf Club (par 70, 6,566 yards) in Round 2 to earn medalist honors for the second time in his career. He finished 4-under 137. Five players finished at 3 under. The low 32 players advanced to match play. The cut line fell at 148 with five players competing for two spots. Jalen Griffin of Talamore Country Club birdied the first playoff hole with an 8-iron from 153 yards to eight inches to survive. Russell Hill of Old York Country Club at Chesterfield grabbed the final match play spot with a par on the third playoff hole. He will face McDermott at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at White Manor.
“I don’t know what to say about the shoulder because it was fine today,” said McDermott, who is gunning for a third Amateur title (2008, 2013). “It was a scary couple of days because I didn’t know. I told my wife this morning that I’ve never felt more uncertain heading to a tournament because I didn’t know if I was going to play. I can tell there is a little bit of a twitch there but I felt fine. Hopefully that will be the last time I think about that this week.”
Rounds 1 and 2 of the 114th Amateur are set for tomorrow. The quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday. The 36-hole final begins at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.
McDermott stated his intentions early on White Manor’s back nine, his initial outward jaunt, with four birdies on the final four holes.
On No. 15 (par 4, 321 yards), McDermott almost drove the green before chipping up to a foot for a 3; on No. 16 (par 4, 412 yards) he lifted a sand wedge from 115 yards to six feet; on No. 17 (par 5, 546 yards), he cozied a difficult putt from 35 feet away and the back fringe to inches before knocking a gap wedge from 130 yards on No. 18 (par 4, 399 yards) to four feet.
“By the first tee I knew I was OK to play. I played really solid the whole day at White Manor. It was a pretty low stress sort of round for a course that is tough,” said McDermott, 39, of Bryn Mawr, Pa. “Overbrook has always had my number. I’ve never really put together a good competitive or social round there. I had a sand wedge into 14. I landed on the fringe on the sprinkler head and bounced out-of-bounds. Then I had to hit the shot again with a pond short. There were a lot of thoughts in my head at that point. I hit it to about eight feet and made a five. It was a bad break but I kept it together and parred out from there.”
McDermott’s other Amateur medalist honor came in 2003 when qualifying was at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club and Philmont Country Club (North). He carded an identical 4-under 137 that year.
Last year, McDermott defeated Alexander Hicks of Wildwood Golf & Country Club, 5&4, at Aronimink Golf Club for the Amateur trophy.
The quintet at 3 under includes John Brennan of Philadelphia Cricket Club; Chris Crawford of Spring Mill Country Club; Aaron Fricke of Honeybrook Golf Club; Anthony Sebastianelli of Glen Oak Country Club and Matthew Teesdale of Commonwealth National Golf Club. Brennan, 35, of Audubon, Pa., the 2012 Middle-Amateur Champion, withdrew from match play. His scores will count in the Silver Cross Award standings. He carded a 67 at Overbrook before returning a 71 at White Manor.
Crawford, 20, of Bensalem, Pa., also started at Overbrook. He posted a 68 there before carding a 70 at White Manor. Crawford just completed his sophomore year at Drexel University. He advanced to Round 2 of match play last year at Aronimink Golf Club.
Aaron Fricke, 19, of Lancaster, Pa., recently captured the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s 74th Dressler Public Links Championship. He posted a 67 at Overbrook in the morning and a 71 at White Manor in the afternoon. This is Fricke’s first time competing in the Golf Association of Philadelphia Amateur. Fricke just completed his freshman year at Lackawanna Junior College.
It is also Anthony Sebastianelli’s first Amateur experience. The Glen Oak Country Club member started at White Manor with a 67 before closing with a 71 at Overbrook. Sebastianelli, 19, of Clarks Summit, Pa., graduated from Abington Heights High this year. He is headed to Central Connecticut State University in the fall. Sebastianelli finished his high school career with a third-place showing in the PIAA Class AAA State Championship.
Teesdale, 23, is a Temple University senior to-be. Teesdale went 71-67 at White Manor and Overbrook, respectively. He lost in the first round of last year’s Amateur.
NOTES–There was a one-hour weather delay at 6:40 p.m. … Raymond Thompson of Overbrook, the 1972 Amateur Champion, advanced to match play at age 62 … Four players from Commonwealth, led by Teesdale, advanced into the match play field. Matt Cocco, Michael Johnson, and Kyle Martin also moved forward … Sam Soeth is the lone White Manor entrant remaining.
Qualifiers       Â
Name, club
Total
Michael McDermott, Merion Golf
Club
66W-71O–137
#John Brennan, Philadelphia
Cricket Club
67O-71W–138
Matthew Teesdale,
Commonwealth National Golf Club
71W-67O–138
Christopher Crawford, Spring
Mill Country Club
68O-70W–138
Anthony Sebastianelli,
Glen Oak Country Club
67W-71O–138
Aaron Fricke, Honeybrook Golf Club
67O-71W–138
Alexander Hicks, Wildwood
Golf & Country Club
73W-66O–139
Stephen Dressel, St. Davids Golf Club
74W-66O–140
Jeff Osberg,
Huntingdon Valley Country Club
74O-68W–142
Benjamin Smith, Huntingdon
Valley Country Club
72O-70W–142
Rodney James, Golden Oaks
Golf Club
70W-73O–143
Raymond Thompson, Overbrook
Golf Club
74W-69O–143
Brandon Dalinka,
The Ridge at Back Brook
71O-72W–143
Kyle Martin, Commonwealth
National Golf Club
73W-71O–144
Scott McNeil, Philadelphia Publinks GA
71W-73O–144
Ryan Gelrod, Philadelphia
Cricket Club
71O-74W–145
Michael Carr, Plymouth
Country Club
73W-72O–145
Jack Wallace, Philadelphia Cricket
Club
73W-72O–145
Bill Jeremiah, Bidermann Golf Club
72W-73O–145
Joseph Fabrizio,
Jr., Aronimink Golf Club
78W-68O–146
Michael Johnson, Commonwealth
National Golf Club
75W-71O–146
Alex Blickle,
LedgeRock Golf Club
77O-69W–146
Patrick Ross, Huntsville Golf
Club
75W-71O–146
Sam Soeth,
White Manor Country Club
72O-74W–146
John Samaha,
Old York Road Country Club
76O-70W–146
Nelson Hargrove, Gulph Mills Golf Club
72W-75O–147
Ben Feld,
Green Valley Country Club
72O-75W–147
Matthew Finger, DuPont
Country Club
78W-69O–147
Matt Cocco,
Commonwealth National Golf Club
76O-71W–147
Zachary Falone,
Rolling Green Golf Club
77O-70W–147
Brendan Worthy, Merion Golf
Club
74O-73W–147
*Jalen
Griffin, Talamore Country Club
75O-73W–148
*Russell Hill, Old York CC at
Chesterfield
74W-74O–148
Failed to
qualify
Chris Lange, Jr., Overbrook
Golf Club
74W-74O–148
Michael Hyland, Little Mill
Country Club
76W-72O–148
Paul Yun, Applecross
Country Club
71O-77W–148
Brad McFadden, Overbrook Golf
Club
78W-71O–149
Thomas Gramigna,
Tavistock Country Club
72O-77W–149
Don Donatoni,
White Manor Country Club
72W-77O–149
Benjamin Cooley, Huntingdon Valley
Country Club
73O-76W–149
Cole Berman, Philadelphia
Cricket Club
76W-73O–149
Kevin Kramarski,
Riverton Country Club
71W-78O–149
Mariano Medico, Fox Hill
Country Club
73O-76W–149
Christopher Lange, Overbrook
Golf Club
76W-74O–150
Matthew Mattare, Saucon Valley Country Club
72O-78W–150
Brian Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club
74O-76W–150
Bo Maguire, Brookside Country
Club
81W-69O–150
David Guertler,
Laurel Creek Country Club
75W-75O–150
Philip Bartholomew, Philadelphia
Cricket Club
76W-74O–150
Michael Moffat, Commonwealth
National Golf Club
75O-75W–150
Joe Kerrigan, Jr., Llanerch Country Club
77W-73O–150
Kevin Haag, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
74O-76W–150
Michael Kania,
Overbrook Golf Club
73O-78W–151
Scott Storck,
Philadelphia Cricket Club
79O-72W–151
Johan van Schalkwyk,
Merchantville Country Club
72O-79W–151
Louis Kelly, Jr., Philmont Country Club
76W-75O–151
Joe April, Philadelphia
Cricket Club
73O-78W–151
Brendan Borst,
Philadelphia Cricket Club
74O-77W–151
Cory Siegfried, Aronimink Golf Club
74O-78W–152
Oscar Mestre, Overbrook Golf
Club
80W-72O–152
Glenn Smeraglio, Mercer Oaks
Golf Course
80W-72O–152
Mark Coassolo,
Brookside C.C. of Allentown
75O-77W–152
Michael Cook, Applebrook Golf Club
79O-73W–152
Matthew Crescenzo,
Philmont Country Club
74O-78W–152
Tyler Sokolis,
Commonwealth National Golf Club
79W-73O–152
J.T. Barker, Saucon Valley Country Club
79W-73O–152
Michael Brown, Philadelphia Publinks GA
75O-78W–153
Oliver White, Manufacturers
Golf & Country Club
77O-76W–153
Alex Kane, Radley Run Country Club
76O-77W–153
Blaine Lafferty, Burlington
Country Club
76O-77W–153
Steve Cerbara,
Yardley Country Club
78W-75O–153
Michael Dimeglio,
Mercer Oaks Golf Course
78W-75O–153
Shawn Lavin, Rolling Green
Golf Club
80W-74O–154
Peter Barron, III, Stone
Harbor Golf Club
70W-84O–154
Sean Coyle, Llanerch Country Club
77W-77O–154
David Liotta, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
77W-77O–154
Byron Whitman, Berkshire
Country Club
77W-77O–154
Evan Galbreath, Philmont Country Club
74W-80O–154
James Gillespie, Wedgwood
Country Club
80O-74W–154
Edward Kelly Jr., Old York
Road Country Club
76O-78W–154
Jason Loehrs,
Philadelphia Publinks GA
80W-74O–154
Marc Mandel, Philadelphia
Cricket Club
73O-82W–155
David Shields, Philadelphia Publinks GA
79O-76W–155
James Braunsberg,
Blue Bell Country Club
77O-78W–155
Grant Skyllas,
LedgeRock Golf Club
78O-77W–155
Scott McLaughlin,
Commonwealth National Golf Club
82W-73O–155
Kevin Frost, Philadelphia
Cricket Club
81W-74O–155
Peter Moran, Edgmont Country Club
78O-78W–156
Christopher Reedman, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
74O-82W–156
Andrew Willner, Phoenixville
Country Club
76W-80O–156
Liam McAnally,
Applecross Country Club
78W-78O–156
Tom DiCinti,
Old York CC at Chesterfield
80O-77W–157
Tim Westfall, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
76W-81O–157
Philip Rothermel,
Golden Oaks Golf Club
77O-80W–157
T.J. Summers, Commonwealth
National Golf Club
78O-80W–158
Carey Bina,
Radnor Valley Country Club
77W-81O–158
Steve Skurla,
White Manor Country Club
75W-83O–158
Steven Minnick, Jr., Penn
Oaks Golf Club
73O-86W–159
Daniel Pinciotti,
Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club
80O-79W–159
Ryan Worthy, Merion Golf Club
77O-82W–159
Rob Rowe, Bent Creek Country
Club
80W-79O–159
Doug Fedoryshyn,
Concord Country Club
76O-84W–160
Jon-Michael Socaris, Broad Run Golfer's Club
80O-80W–160
Daniel Feeney, Philadelphia
Cricket Club
75O-86W–161
Thomas Lewis, Commonwealth
National Golf Club
82O-79W–161
Matthew Ade, Riverton Country
Club
83W-79O–162
Zachary Dilcher,
Inniscrone Golf Club
82W-81O–163
Daniel Altieri,
Hopewell Valley Golf Club
78O-85W–163
Bobby Kershner,
Spring Ford Country Club
77O-86W–163
James Austin, Five Ponds Golf
Club
84W-80O–164
Lodie Van Tonder, Sakima Country Club
81W-83O–164
James Chojnacki,
Valleybrook Country Club
80W-85O–165
Jason Kowalski, Yardley Country
Club
88W-78O–166
Sawyer Wolfers,
GAP Junior eClub
85O-81W–166
David West, Whitford Country Club
84O-83W–167
Mark Wachter,
DuPont Country Club
82O-85W–167
Joseph Markmann,
Talamore Country Club
83W-85O–168
Brian Fisher, Philadelphia Publinks GA
84O-85W–169
Peter Bradbeer,
Merion Golf Club
90O-80W–170
Steven Passalacqua,
Wedgwood Country Club
86O-86W–172
Justin Elwell,
Running Deer Golf Club
88O-86W–174
Zachary Herr, Jericho National
Golf Club
77O-NCW–NC
Paul Tighe,
Little Mill Country Club
78W-NSO–NS
J.T. Twomey,
Jericho National Golf Club
94W-NSO–NS
Alex Willey, Burlington
Country Club
87W-NSO–NS
Charles Cai,
Mercer Oaks Golf Course
74O-WDW–WD
Stephen Hudacek,
III, Glenmaura National Golf Club
