North Hills’ Cooper caps Mid.-Am. Qualifier on home courseGLENSIDE, Pa. — Geoffrey Cooper is a rookie among the North Hills Country Club membership, but he played the course (par 71, 6,428 yards) like a savvy veteran Thursday. He carded a 2-over-par 73 to earn medalist honors in a Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier presented by Callaway Golf. Cooper led a field of 105 players hoping to earn one of 33 qualifying spots and ties for the Championship proper, presented by Callaway Golf. It will take place May 21-22 at Gulph Mills Golf Club. At the end of the day, the cut line stopped at 79. Yesterday’s heavy rainfall left North Hills oversaturated and thus prompted Golf Association of Philadelphia officials to implement a 1 p.m. shotgun start. The club’s maintenance crew prepared the golf course accordingly throughout the morning. Cooper adapted to — and marveled at — the conditions, all things considered. “It’s a pleasant surprise to be at the top of the leaderboard today,” the Erdenheim, Pa. resident said. “I can’t believe what they did to the golf course in such a short time. It was perfect.” That surprise comes from only playing “four or five” rounds at North Hills since joining the club earlier this year. Plus, competitive golf comes and goes these days for Cooper because of family obligations. He and his wife recently celebrated the birth of their third child. But Cooper, 37, continues to consult with Steve Sieracki on a stack and tilt approach, which keeps his golf game in shape. “I’m working on a system where I can play any golf course and hit it straight,” he said. “My work with Steve allows me to be competitive and have fun.” Cooper, who started on No. 17 Thursday, eased any competitive golf jitters with a spectacular chip-in for 4 on the 18th hole (par 4, 323 yards). He airmailed the green with punch 7-iron from under the trees. “Too cute” of a chip off the hillside left Cooper 30 feet from the hole location. He responded with a clutch par save. However, Cooper carded a double bogey on the next hole (par 4, 338 yards) after finding the fairway bunker with his drive. He extricated himself accordingly, but left his third shot — a wedge from 100 yards — short of the green and three-putted. Cooper’s lone birdie occurred on the par 3, 160-yard No. 7, where he hit a 7-iron to eight feet. He made par on eight of his next nine holes, with the par 4, 321-yard 10th being the exception. Cooper found the fairway with a monstrous drive, but flew the green with a wedge from 40 yards. His ensuing chip stopped 20 feet from the flagstick, and Cooper failed to save par. He will, however, save May 21-22 on his calendar. “I would just like to play well,” Cooper, who works in pharmaceutical sales, said. “My starting point is to play well enough to at least be in the running for a spot in the Top 25. If I play well and get hot at any point during the round, I can contend.” Thursday’s qualifier was one of three used to determine who will compete in the Championship proper. Hartefeld National’s Tom Borsello and Ronald Jamarowicz shared medalist honors in an event at White Clay Creek Country Club last week. The final qualifier will take place May 8 at Radley Run Country Club. The Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Middle-Amateur Championship started in 1984, three years after the USGA created the U.S. Mid-Am as a formal championship for post-college amateurs. The Association followed suit with the USGA in creating a Mid-Am, but initially differed in its administration of the tournament in a couple of respects. The most obvious difference was the age requirement. Prior to 2001, the GAP Mid-Am was for players 30 years of age and older. The Association’s Executive Committee reviewed and revised that age requirement in 2001 to match the USGA's guidelines of 25 years of age or older for eligible players. Also at that point, the Committee changed the format of the event to a two-day stroke play tournament (instead of a one-day medal play event) with a cut to the low 70 players and ties after the first round. Callaway Golf was founded in 1982 by the late Ely Callaway, a visionary entrepreneur who operated under a simple but profound business promise: Deliver Demonstrably Superior, Pleasingly Different products and services. That philosophy turned what was originally a boutique manufacturer of high-quality wedges and putters into the world's largest maker of premium, performance golf products. The Callaway mission and vision has remained the same; we passionately pursue advanced, innovative technologies that help golfers of all abilities find more enjoyment from the game. Under the Callaway and Odyssey brands, Callaway manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf apparel, footwear and accessories in more than 110 countries worldwide. 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.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A Walk Through Time
GAP is the oldest state or regional golf association in the country. It started courtesy of a friendly competition – the Team Matches – and has grown into the preeminent golf association in the country. Along the way, golf history has been made.
