*Pairings
Gulph Mills to host 31st Middle-Amateur presented by Callaway GolfBrutal winter weather throughout the Philadelphia region sent golf into a brief hibernation. Nothing says spring is here and the sport is alive and well like the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Middle-Amateur Championship. Gulph Mills Golf Club hosts the event’s 31st edition, presented by Callaway Golf, May 21-22. A field of 133 players, ages 25 and over, will take to the gorgeous King of Prussia, Pa. track, hoping to capture the season’s first Major. The Middle-Amateur Championship is a 36-hole stroke play competition, with the low 70 players and ties advancing into the final round. It is a William Hyndman, III Player of the Year points event. Merion Golf Club’s Michael McDermott returns to defend his title, with history once again on his side. McDermott captured a record fourth Middle Amateur title a year ago at Fieldstone Golf Club, site of his 2008 victory. When Gulph Mills last hosted the event in 2004, McDermott fired rounds of 69 and 70 to prevail. “I’m defending this year and won it the last time it was there, so I’m really excited,” McDermott, 39, of Bryn Mawr, Pa., said. “I love Gulph Mills. It’s absolutely one of my favorite courses in the area. I think it’s challenging but offers the opportunity to score. From what I recall 10 years ago when I won here, Chris Lange [of Overbrook Golf Club] put a low number up two hours before I teed off as the leader. I think that just shows you’re never too far back at Gulph Mills, and it can make for a very exciting tournament.” Lange, a two-time Middle-Amateur champion, carded a stellar 5-under-par 66 to finish a stroke back of McDermott in 2004. He looks forward to returning to the venue. “Gulph Mills is a great golf course,” Lange, 59, of Bryn Mawr, Pa., said. “I don’t play in all of the tournaments I used to play, but when I saw Gulph Mills [was the site of the Middle-Amateur Championship], I signed up.” Both Lange and McDermott may again climb up the 2014 leaderboard, too. Lange represented Overbrook during its triumph in the GAP Team Matches and shared runner-up honors in the Francis B. Warner Cup (Gross). McDermott missed the U.S. Open local qualifying cut by a stroke at Laurel Creek Country Club, carding a 1-over-par 72. But that isn’t necessarily a bad indicator of things to come. “I started off the same as last year, which is by not qualifying for the U.S. Open,” McDermott, who finished second in the 2013 William Hyndman, III POY standings, said. “If that’s the one similarity to last year, then maybe we’re off to a good start.” Recent former champions in this year’s field include Philadelphia Cricket Club’s John Brennan (2012), Mercer Oaks Golf Course’s Glenn Smeraglio (2011), Tavistock Country Club’s Thomas Gramigna (2010), Philadelphia Publinks GA’s Michael Brown (2009) and LedgeRock Golf Club’s Chip Lutz, the four-time reigning Senior Player of the Year. The public is welcome to attend this year’s event. Aside from offering live scoring on its Web site, the Association will provide Middle-Amateur updates via Twitter. Follow @GAofPhilly and use the hashtag “GAPMidAm.” The inaugural Middle-Amateur Championship was held in 1984, three years after the United States Golf Association (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 Middle-Amateur 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. Players must have a GAP/USGA Handicap Index of 7.0 or lower. For more information on the Middle-Amateur Championship, contact the GAP office at 610-687-2340. 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 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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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.
