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CNGC’s Teesdale holds Round 1 lead of Patterson Cup
HADDONFIELD, N.J.–Matt Teesdale is no longer an Association revelation. The rising Temple University senior has morphed into a scintillating sensation.
Teesdale, of Commonwealth National Golf Club, posted a Tavistock Country Club (par 72, 6,818 yards) competitive course record of 6-under-par 66 on Wednesday in the opening round of the 112th Joseph H. Patterson Cup. He leads by one stroke heading into tomorrow’s final 18 holes.
Tee times start at 7:30 a.m. with the leaders; Teesdale, Braden Shattuck of the Golf Course at Glen Mills and Cole Berman of Philadelphia Cricket Club beginning at 10:50 a.m.
Teesdale entered the Patterson off a victory in the 110th Open Championship exactly two weeks ago, his first in the Golf Association of Philadelphia. A win tomorrow opens a chest of treasures. It would be Teesdale’s first Patterson victory; it would secure the Silver Cross Award and likely result in a coronation atop the William Hyndman, III Player of the Year. In a bit of an oddity, a triumph would mirror the 2013 accomplishments of Owls’ teammate Brandon Matthews.
“I’m just trying to keep playing good golf,” said Teesdale, 23, of Maple Glen, Pa. “I figured if I could take advantage of the par 5s, I would definitely have a good chance to shoot a good number. My game plan was to birdie the par 5s and par everything else.”
Teesdale, who started at 8:40 a.m., opened his round with a bogey. He finished with seven birdies and 10 pars.
He responded to the first-hole bogey with a two-putt birdie on No. 2 (par 5, 544 yards) after hitting the green from 219 yards with a 5-iron and stopping the ball 25 feet from the hole. He added another two-putt birdie on the par 5, 552-yard 5th and then another on No. 6 (par 4, 426 yards) after dropping a 6-iron from 180 yards to five feet.
On the back nine, Teesdale, who finished second to Matthews a year ago, heated up. He knocked a wedge from 20 yards to two feet on No. 10 (par 4, 341 yards); lofted an 80-yard sand wedge to eight feet on No. 12 (par 4, 415 yards) and on No. 15 (par 5, 542 yards) drove over the left trees before knocking a pitching wedge from 124 yards to 15 feet, where he two putted. On the final hole, Teesdale closed it out in style. He soared a 9-iron from 140 yards to 20 feet left and below the hole. He drained the putt from the right side door.
Teesdale’s birdie on No. 15 was a bit of good fortune. And indicative of the roll he’s been on. Initially, his ball appeared destined for a woody grave. Instead it cleared the trees and found the left rough with a perfect angle to the flag.
“I thought if I couldn’t find it I was going to give at least two back to the field,” said Teesdale. “I knew that was the play though because I hit 2-iron in the practice round yesterday. There is a lot more real estate down there than the top right of the fairway.”
No. 15 is a dog-leg left of almost 90 degrees.
Shattuck was a late entrant into Thursday’s final grouping.
Playing in the afternoon, the 19-year-old Aston, Pa. resident birdied three of his final four holes for a closing 31 (he played the front nine last). The highlight, a chip-in on No. 6 (par 4, 426 yards) from 20-yards out in the right rough for a 3. He closed with a 5-iron to seven feet on No. 8 (par 3, 211 yards) and a 115-yard sand wedge to 20 feet on No. 9 (par 4, 357 yards) for red figures.
The cut line fell at 76 with 61 players advancing to Day 2.
As previously stated, Teesdale remains a strong candidate to take the Silver Cross. The Silver Cross is awarded to the player with the lowest aggregate score in the qualifying rounds of the Amateur Championship and both rounds in the Patterson Cup.
He holds a five-shot lead on Aaron Fricke of Honeybrook Golf Club and six-shot edge on Michael McDermott of Merion Golf Club.
A total of 22 players finished at even-par or better.
Berman’s 4-under 68 could have huge Junior Division implications. The two-time reigning Junior Player of the Year will find a third straight season-ending honor with a top finish.
Lurking three shots back is Jeff Osberg of Huntingdon Valley Country Club. Osberg won the 2010 Patterson Cup.
“I played well enough to shoot a good score like Matt did but clearly you don’t want to leave yourself out of the tournament on the first day,” said Osberg, 30, of West Chester, Pa. “I’d say it’s good to be in the hunt. It’s going to be tough to make up three strokes on [Matt].”
Golf Association of Philadelphia
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.
Name,
club
Scores
Matthew
Teesdale, Commonwealth National Golf Club
66
Braden
Shattuck, Golf Course at Glen Mills
67
Cole
Berman, Philadelphia Cricket Club
68
Jeff
Osberg, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
69
Troy
Vannucci, Little Mill Country Club
70
James
Kania, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
71
Benjamin
Smith, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
71
Benjamin
Cooley, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
71
Alex
Blickle, LedgeRock Golf Club
71
Sean
Fahey, Overbrook Golf Club
71
Matthew
Crescenzo, Philmont Country Club
71
Sean
Semenetz, Philadelphia Cricket Club
71
Aaron
Fricke, Honeybrook Golf Club
71
Geoffrey
Cooper, North Hills Country Club
72
Peter
Barron, III, Stone Harbor Golf Club
72
Ben
Feld, Green Valley Country Club
72
Thomas
Gramigna, Tavistock Country Club
72
James
Braunsberg, Blue Bell Country Club
72
Bill
Jeremiah, Bidermann Golf Club
72
Jalen
Griffin, Talamore Country Club
72
Andy
Latowski, Philadelphia Cricket Club
72
Mark
Benevento, Jr., Greate Bay Country Club
72
Michael
McDermott, Merion Golf Club
73
Jack
Wallace, Philadelphia Cricket Club
73
Oliver
White, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
73
Louis
Kelly, Jr., Philmont Country Club
73
Patrick
Ross, Huntsville Golf Club
73
Scott
McNeil, Philadelphia Publinks GA
73
Zachary
Herr, Jericho National Golf Club
74
Oscar
Mestre, Overbrook Golf Club
74
Michael
Kania, Overbrook Golf Club
74
Sean
Coyle, Llanerch Country Club
74
P.
Chet Walsh, Philadelphia Country Club
74
Chris
Lange, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
74
William
McGuinness, Tavistock Country Club
74
Kevin
Conners, Jr., Whitford Country Club
74
Anthony
Sebastianelli, Glen Oak Country Club
74
Roc
Irey, Lookaway Golf Club
75
Gary
Daniels, Applebrook Golf Club
75
Brian
Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club
75
Raymond
Thompson, Overbrook Golf Club
75
Daniel
Furman, Commonwealth National Golf Club
75
Grant
Skyllas, LedgeRock Golf Club
75
Kyle
Martin, Commonwealth National Golf Club
75
Thomas
E. Timby, Jr., The Bucks Club
75
Roland
Massimino, Jericho National Golf Club
75
Peter
Moran, Edgmont Country Club
76
Shawn
Lavin, Rolling Green Golf Club
76
John
Brennan, Philadelphia Cricket Club
76
Glenn
Smeraglio, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
76
Michael
Brown, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
76
Michael
Hyland, Little Mill Country Club
76
Matthew
Gaffney, Little Mill Country Club
76
Evan
Thornton, Berkshire Country Club
76
Kevin
Kramarski, Riverton Country Club
76
James
Gillespie, Wedgwood Country Club
76
Russell
Hill, Old York CC at Chesterfield
76
Ryan
Siegler, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
76
Joe
Kerrigan, Jr., Llanerch Country Club
76
Steve
Cerbara, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
76
Mark
Hill, Jr., Rolling Green Golf Club
76
Failed
to qualify
Ryan
Gelrod, Philadelphia Cricket Club
77
Marc
Mandel, Philadelphia Cricket Club
77
Thomas
Hyland, Little Mill Country Club
77
Robert
Galbreath, Jr., Philmont Country Club
77
John
Murphy, II, Wildwood Golf & Country Club
77
Christopher
Crawford, Spring Mill Country Club
77
Max
Siegfried, Aronimink Golf Club
77
Ryan
Walker, St. Davids Golf Club
77
Mac
Ryan, Overbrook Golf Club
77
Matthew
Walsh, Overbrook Golf Club
77
John
Samaha, Old York Road Country Club
77
Kevin
Frost, Philadelphia Cricket Club
77
Mark
Farley, Lu Lu Country Club
77
Gregory
Goodreds, Talamore Country Club
77
Rodney
James, Golden Oaks Golf Club
78
Scott
Storck, Philadelphia Cricket Club
78
Matt
Cocco, Commonwealth National Golf Club
78
John
Gosselin, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club
78
Joshua
Isler, Chester Valley Golf Club
78
Steve
Oh, Philadelphia Cricket Club
78
Andrew
Carber, Talamore Country Club
78
Dan
Rudershausen, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club