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| Commonwealth National Golf Club’s Scott McLaughlin rolls his birdie putt on No. 15 (par 4, 382 yards). |
*Scorecards
*Photo gallery
Commonwealth's McLaughlin tops Amateur Qualifier at Bellewood
POTTSTOWN, Pa. — A right thumb injury never felt so good to Scott McLaughlin. The Commonwealth National Golf Club member cut the appendage on a saw while working on trees at his parent’s home last night.
He bandaged it to stop the bleeding, but the color red stayed with McLaughlin Monday at Bellewood Country Club (par 71, 6,493 yards). He carded a 4-under-par 67 to earn medalist honors in a Golf Association of Philadelphia Amateur Championship Qualifier.
“If it was the left thumb, I wouldn’t have been able to play today because I hold onto the club that way,” McLaughlin, 34, of Hatboro, Pa., said. “I had no expectations coming in. I wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to swing. It [the injury] affected me a little bit early on, and then I guess I kind of got used to it. It wasn’t bad at all.”
McLaughlin led a field of 102 players hoping to earn one of 29 qualifying spots and ties available for the Championship proper, set for June 9-11 &14 at White Manor Country Club.
The cut line dropped to 74 by day’s end.
McLaughlin totaled 26 putts en route to the top spot.
“My short game really saved me,” he said. “In these qualifiers, you just want to make pars and let the birdies come as they are, and that’s what I did today. The course was great. The greens were very hole-able.”
Tight wedges created multiple scoring chances for McLaughlin Monday. On No. 4 (par 4, 418 yards), he hit a lob wedge 85 yards to 10 feet for birdie. McLaughlin knocked a gap wedge to 10 feet for a 2 on the par 3, 130-yard No. 6. On the next hole (par 5, 526 yards), he powered a 3-iron from 235 yards to the front of the green and lagged a 25-footer into kick-in range.
McLaughlin added a pair of birdies coming in to secure medalist status. He converted an uphill 18-footer on No. 13 (par 4, 364 yards) after knocking a gap wedge 117 yards. McLaughlin capped a sensational round with a 4 on the par 5, 515-yard 18th hole. He hammered a 3-iron 238 yards to 30 feet and two-putted. McLaughlin’s lone blemish occurred on No. 1 (par 4, 383 yards), where he flew the green with a lob wedge from 90 yards. He chopped out of the hazard and two-putted.
McLaughlin’s performance Monday is a welcome change from a year ago. He needed a birdie on the 18th hole at Yardley Country Club to qualify for the GAP Amateur Championship. McLaughlin drove the green and three-putted for par.
“I really wanted to play in the Amateur last year; I love Aronimink [Golf Club, the host site],” he said. “I was really disappointed not to make it.”
Excitement now replaces that disappointment. McLaughlin posted a Top 10 finish in the Patterson Cup when White Manor hosted in 2011. He looks forward to returning to the venue.
Monday’s qualifier was the first of three used to determine who will play in the Championship proper. The next will be held Saturday, May 17 at Running Deer Golf Club.
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 150 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
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Scores
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Scott McLaughlin, Commonwealth National Golf Club
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67
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John Samaha, Old York Road Country Club
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69
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Marc Mandel, Philadelphia Cricket Club
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69
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Patrick Ross, Huntsville Golf Club
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69
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Michael Cook, Applebrook Golf Club
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70
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Mariano Medico, Fox Hill Country Club
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70
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Alex Blickle, LedgeRock
Golf Club
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70
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Ryan Worthy, Merion Golf Club
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70
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J.T. Barker, Saucon Valley Country Club
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70
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Anthony Sebastianelli, Glen Oak Country
Club
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70
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James Braunsberg, Blue Bell Country Club
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71
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Bo Maguire, Brookside Country Club
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71
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Scott McNeil, Philadelphia Publinks GA
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71
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Philip Rothermel, Golden Oaks Golf Club
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72
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Rodney James, Golden Oaks Golf Club
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72
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David Liotta, Whitemarsh Valley Country
Club
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72
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John Foley, Spring Ford Country Club
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73
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Doug Fedoryshyn, Concord Country Club
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73
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Steven Minnick, Jr., Bala Golf Club
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73
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Bobby Kershner, Spring Ford Country Club
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73
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Ben Feld, Green Valley Country Club
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73
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Tim Westfall, RiverCrest Golf Club &
Preserve
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73
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Joseph Fabrizio, Jr., Aronimink
Golf Club
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73
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Zachary Dilcher, Inniscrone
Golf Club
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73
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Brian Fisher, Philadelphia Publinks GA
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74
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Mark Coassolo, Brookside C.C. of Allentown
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74
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Peter Moran, Edgmont Country Club
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74
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Brendan Worthy, Merion Golf Club
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74
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Michael Moffat, Commonwealth National Golf Club
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74
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Andrew Willner, Phoenixville Country Club
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74
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Byron Whitman, Berkshire Country Club
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74
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Kevin Frost, Philadelphia Cricket Club
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74
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Jason Kowalski, Yardley Country Club
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74
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Sean Coyle, Llanerch Country Club
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74
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Joe Kerrigan, Jr., Llanerch Country Club
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74
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Failed to qualify
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Ryan Carroll, Chester Valley Golf Club
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75
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Thomas Hyland, Little Mill Country Club
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75
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Evan Thornton, Berkshire Country Club
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75
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Scott McKean, Chester Valley Golf Club
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75
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David O'Malley, Commonwealth National Golf Club
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76
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Eamon Marone,
Northampton Country Club
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76
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Robert Olseski, Sandy Run Country Club
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76
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William Thornton, Jr., LedgeRock Golf Club
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76
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Matt Kocent, White Manor Country Club
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77
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Michael Quinn, Edgmont Country Club
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77
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Max Siegfried, Aronimink Golf Club
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77
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Matt Dudas, Indian Valley Country Club
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77
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George Petrellis, Blue Bell Country Club
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77
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Jason Barkley, Huntsville Golf Club
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77
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Brett Cybulski, Merchantville Country Club
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77
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Dan Arison, Applebrook
Golf Club
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78
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Kevin Genuardi, Cedarbrook
Country Club
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78
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Rand Mendez, Fieldstone Golf Club
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78
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Jimmy Pokorny, Golf Course at Glen Mills
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78
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John Alterman, Commonwealth National Golf
Club
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78
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Kevin Cahill, Merion Golf Club
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78
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Ted Brennan, Philadelphia Country Club
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78
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Christopher Clauson, Sandy Run Country Club
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78
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Bob Beck, Lehigh Country Club
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78
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Jack Quirk, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
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78
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Nick Kirkpatrick, Bellewood Country Club
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78
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Jay Rubenstein, Saucon Valley Country Club
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78
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James O'Connor, Penn Oaks Golf Club
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78
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Kyle Early, RiverCrest Golf Club &
Preserve
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78
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Geoffrey Cooper, North Hills Country Club
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79
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Benjamin Kotler, Squires Golf Club
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79
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Samuel Gallen, Berkshire Country Club
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79
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Pat Pasquariello, Philadelphia Country Club
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79
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Timothy Anderson, Philadelphia Publinks GA
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79
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Liam Murphy, Hartefeld National
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79
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Duane Pinnock, RiverCrest
Golf Club & Preserve
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79
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Zachary Melnick, Plymouth Country Club
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79
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Matthew Meves, Manufacturers Golf &
Country Club
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79
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Alexander Liebman, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
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80
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Robert Dietrich, Loch Nairn Golf Club
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80
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John Manfredi, Woodcrest Country Club
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80
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John Grove, Chester Valley Golf Club
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80
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Matthew Walsh, Overbrook Golf Club
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80
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John Robinson, Commonwealth National Golf Club
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81
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Joshua Caggiula, RiverCrest
Golf Club & Preserve
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81
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Robert Craven, Philadelphia Country Club
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81
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Michael Ritchie, Raven's Claw Golf Club
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81
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Arthur Wheeler, Jr., Gulph Mills Golf Club
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81
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Michael Dunn, Little Mill Country Club
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81
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Brandon Raihl, Heidelberg Country Club
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82
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William Howard, V, West Chester Golf & Country Club
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83
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Brian Sokolowski, Greate
Bay Country Club
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83
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Alexander Dupre, Rolling Green Golf Club
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83
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Eric Palumbo, Rolling Green Golf Club
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83
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Gary Yeager, Philadelphia Cricket Club
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83
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Michael Boden, Aronimink
Golf Club
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83
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Sam Damico, Chester Valley Golf Club
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85
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Jeff Klagholz, Aronimink
Golf Club
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85
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Jules Quinones, Blue Bell Country Club
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85
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Matthew Hilbush, Commonwealth National Golf
Club
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86
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Thomas Humphrey, Wilmington Country Club
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86
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Mark Quigley, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
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88
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Rodney Anders, Indian Valley Country Club
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88
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Brad Sokol, Green Valley Country Club
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90
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Bradley Bernosky, Broad Run Golfer's Club
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WD
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Alexander Maguire, Jr., Brookside Country Club
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WD
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WD - withdrawal
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