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| Charles Caparo has been a Plymouth Country Club member for 30 years. |
*Scorecards
*Photo gallery
*History
Home cooking for Caparo: Plymouth’s president wins Spring Net
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. — A back-nine birdie bonanza brought Charles Caparo into the winner’s circle Tuesday. The 30-year Plymouth Country Club member inked red on five of his final seven holes to win the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Tee It Forward — Spring Net Championship on his home course. He edged Brookside Country Club’s Michael Sloane and Manufacturers Golf & Country Club’s Kent Spade in a match of cards to prevail. All three players posted 42 points; Caparo registered 26 on his inward tour to win the tiebreaker.
“I was striking the ball well,” Caparo, 66, of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., said. “Frankly, I had three or four feet for the birdies that I made,” he said. “That certainly did help me.”
Boy did it ever. Caparo, playing from the gold tees (par 72, 5,897 yards), converted a bundle of three-footers to shoot up the leaderboard: a 8-iron on No. 12 (par 3, 134 yards); a 5-wood on No. 14 (par 3, 180 yards); a 7-iron from 145 yards on No. 15 (par 4, 333 yards) and a 5-wood from 185 yards on No. 16 (par 4, 413 yards). Another birdie seemed evident on No. 17 (par 5, 483 yards); Caparo stood 97 yards from the flagstick but failed to reach the green in regulation.
“I have trouble with my 52-degree wedge, so I decided to hit half a pitching wedge,” Caparo, who is entering his ninth year as Plymouth’s president, said. “I nonchalantly hit a pitch-out and made bogey.”
But the mistake didn’t extinguish Caparo’s momentum. He knocked a 60-degree wedge 78 yards to four feet for a closing birdie on No. 18 (par 5, 468 yards).
“My game is coming around,” Caparo said. “The spring is usually tough for me, only because of allergies. Now the allergies have started to go by the wayside, so I’m feeling much better and the ball-striking is much better.”
In addition to his rising golf game, course familiarity contributed to Caparo’s success Tuesday.
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| Michael Sloane |
“Obviously, knowing the greens well and where you have to hit it helps,” he said. “On this golf course, you have to keep it in play. I was fortunate, especially on the back nine, to hit it very well. From the sixth hole on, I was 4 under.”
Sloane, playing in the event’s final group, turned with 22 points in his coffers, but a one hour and 47 minute weather delay skewed his scoring direction.
“I played just about as good as I could play,” Sloane, 47, of Pottstown, Pa., said. “It was a perfect distance for me. What a difference it is to be able to hit par 4s in two. I needed one more par after the rain and couldn’t get it. That just took the momentum away.”
Sloane, Brookside’s general manager, points to back-to-back birdies early as highlights on the day. He rolled in a pair of 15-footers on Nos. 7 (par 3, 115 yards) and 8 (par 5, 445 yards). Sloane played from the red tees (par 72, 5,661 yards).
Spade frequently drove past Plymouth when he worked in employee benefit consulting. He finally experienced it firsthand, and the results were pleasant.
“It was challenging,” Spade, 62, of Fort Washington, Pa., said. “I struggled with my driver. I don’t think I had any drives that stayed in the fairway. I had to scramble quite a bit in getting back on.”
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| Kent Spade |
Par saves on Nos. 1 (par 4, 363 yards) and 2 (par 4, 345 yards) highlighted Spade’s scrambling ability. Wayward drives prompted punch-outs, and Spade lofted a pair of wedges to within 10 feet on both. Those saves “kept the round going,” Spade said. A chip-in birdie on No. 4 (par 4, 271 yards) shifted it into high gear. After another loose drive left Spade, who played from the gold tees, in the tree-line, he returned to the fairway and sent a bump-and-run from 20 yards into the jar.
The Spring Net Championship, formerly known as the First Handicap Tournament, is open to players 18 years of age and older with handicap index less than 36.0. The event began in 1946. The Association adopted the Tee It Forward parameters in 2012. It also changed the scoring format to net stableford.
The Tee It Forward initiative encourages golfers to play the course at a length that is aligned with their average driving distance.
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.
|
Overall
|
|
Name,
club
|
Points
|
|
*Charles
Caparo, Plymouth Country Club
|
42
|
|
Michael
Sloane, Brookside Country Club
|
42
|
|
Kent
Spade, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
42
|
|
Vito
Caracappa, Golf Course at Glen Mills
|
41
|
|
William
Erskine, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
40
|
|
Dennis
O'Donnell, Old York Road Country Club
|
40
|
|
Steve
Poorman, Meadia Heights
Golf Club
|
39
|
|
Edward
Blomstedt, Moselem
Springs Golf Club
|
39
|
|
Edward
Osciak Jr., Loch Nairn
Golf Club
|
39
|
|
Don
Neill, Lu Lu Country Club
|
38
|
|
Leonard
Davis, White Clay Creek Country Club
|
38
|
|
Brian
Mulvenna, White Oaks Country Club
|
38
|
|
Joseph
Donahue, Sandy Run Country Club
|
38
|
|
Allan
Shannon, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
37
|
|
Richard
Turner, Llanerch Country Club
|
37
|
|
Luke
Pape, Tavistock Country
Club
|
37
|
|
Brian
Winters, Plymouth Country Club
|
36
|
|
Robert
Agran, Reading Country Club
|
36
|
|
Kelly
Jensen, Old York Road Country Club
|
36
|
|
Joseph
DeAngelis, Jericho National Golf Club
|
35
|
|
James
Miller, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
35
|
|
Scott
Sherman, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
35
|
|
C.
Michael Conway, Plymouth Country Club
|
35
|
|
Scott
Dichter, Meadia Heights
Golf Club
|
35
|
|
J.
Kirk Luntey, Merion Golf Club
|
34
|
|
Jerry
Whitman, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
34
|
|
Mike
Kyle, Talamore Country Club
|
34
|
|
James
Konnick, Brookside Country Club
|
34
|
|
James
Barron, Hartefeld National
|
33
|
|
Patrick
McCusker, Jr., Plymouth Country Club
|
33
|
|
Robert
Kowalski, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
33
|
|
Stephen
Silvano, McCall Golf & Country Club
|
33
|
|
Trent
Scott, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
33
|
|
Michael
Mannon, Phoenixville Country Club
|
33
|
|
Ned
Moore, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
33
|
|
Keith
McQueen, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
32
|
|
Steve
Backstrom, Little Mill Country Club
|
32
|
|
W.
Frank Skilton, Manufacturers Golf & Country
Club
|
32
|
|
Timothy
Horan, Radley Run Country Club
|
32
|
|
Gary
Ames, Bala Golf Club
|
31
|
|
Dennis
McCarty, Little Mill Country Club
|
31
|
|
Jack
Endicott, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
31
|
|
Bob
Abramski, Talamore
Country Club
|
30
|
|
Joe
Greitzer, Bala Golf Club
|
30
|
|
Gary
Chlapaty, RiverCrest Golf
Club & Preserve
|
30
|
|
Paul
Hagan, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
30
|
|
Joseph
Templin, LedgeRock Golf Club
|
29
|
|
George
Hilley, McCall Golf & Country Club
|
29
|
|
James
Generoso, Schuylkill Country Club
|
28
|
|
Charles
Gallagher, III, Flourtown Country Club
|
28
|
|
James
Cardano, Cedarbrook
Country Club
|
28
|
|
Patrick
Riley, The Bucks Club
|
28
|
|
Jason
Kowalski, Yardley Country Club
|
27
|
|
Stephen
Barry, Sakima Country Club
|
26
|
|
Tom
Bender, Waynesborough Country Club
|
26
|
|
John
O'Rourke, McCall Golf & Country Club
|
26
|
|
Joseph
Flynn, North Hills Country Club
|
26
|
|
J.
Frederick Merz, Jr., Merion Golf Club
|
24
|
|
Robert
Logan, Overbrook Golf Club
|
24
|
|
John
VanDame, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
23
|
|
W.
Garth Sprecher, Lancaster Country Club
|
23
|
|
Jack
Walls, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
23
|
|
Rick
Rutter, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
22
|
|
Pat
McCarthy, Old York Road Country Club
|
21
|
|
Neil
Fine, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
20
|
|
Hank
Collins, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
WD
|
|
Timothy
Joyce, Edgmont Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Art
Brosius, Golf Course at Glen Mills
|
WD
|
|
David
Kearney, Lehigh Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Jay
Vasil, Greate Bay Country
Club
|
WD
|
|
Lester
Michael, Lehigh Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Anthony
Barbine, RiverCrest Golf
Club & Preserve
|
WD
|
|
Conrad
Radcliffe, Esq., Applebrook Golf Club
|
WD
|
|
Scott
Hutchinson, Lookaway Golf Club
|
WD
|
|
Steven
Cucinotti, Talamore
Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Frank
Andrusiewicz, Makefield
Highlands Golf Club
|
WD
|
| |
|
First
flight
|
|
Name,
club
|
Points
|
|
Charles
Caparo, Plymouth Country Club
|
42
|
|
William
Erskine, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
40
|
|
Brian
Winters, Plymouth Country Club
|
36
|
|
Joseph
DeAngelis, Jericho National Golf Club
|
35
|
|
J.
Kirk Luntey, Merion Golf Club
|
34
|
|
James
Barron, Hartefeld National
|
33
|
|
Patrick
McCusker, Jr., Plymouth Country Club
|
33
|
|
Robert
Kowalski, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
33
|
|
Stephen
Silvano, McCall Golf & Country Club
|
33
|
|
Trent
Scott, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
33
|
|
Gary
Ames, Bala Golf Club
|
31
|
|
Bob
Abramski, Talamore
Country Club
|
30
|
|
Joe
Greitzer, Bala Golf Club
|
30
|
|
Jason
Kowalski, Yardley Country Club
|
27
|
|
Stephen
Barry, Sakima Country Club
|
26
|
|
John
VanDame, Five Ponds Golf Club
|
23
|
|
W.
Garth Sprecher, Lancaster Country Club
|
23
|
|
Art
Brosius, Golf Course at Glen Mills
|
WD
|
|
David
Kearney, Lehigh Country Club
|
WD
|
|
Jay
Vasil, Greate Bay Country
Club
|
WD
|
|
Lester
Michael, Lehigh Country Club
|
WD
|
| |
|
Second
flight
|
|
Name,
club
|
Points
|
|
Steve
Poorman, Meadia Heights
Golf Club
|
39
|
|
Don
Neill, Lu Lu Country Club
|
38
|
|
Allan
Shannon, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
37
|
|
Richard
Turner, Llanerch Country Club
|
37
|
|
Robert
Agran, Reading Country Club
|
36
|
|
James
Miller, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
35
|
|
Scott
Sherman, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
35
|
|
Michael
Mannon, Phoenixville Country Club
|
33
|
|
Ned
Moore, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
33
|
|
Keith
McQueen, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
32
|
|
Steve
Backstrom, Little Mill Country Club
|
32
|
|
Dennis
McCarty, Little Mill Country Club
|
31
|
|
Gary
Chlapaty, RiverCrest Golf
Club & Preserve
|
30
|
|
Paul
Hagan, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
30
|
|
Joseph
Templin, LedgeRock Golf Club
|
29
|
|
James
Generoso, Schuylkill Country Club
|
28
|
|
Tom
Bender, Waynesborough Country Club
|
26
|
|
Anthony
Barbine, RiverCrest Golf
Club & Preserve
|
WD
|
|
Conrad
Radcliffe, Esq., Applebrook Golf Club
|
WD
|
|
Scott
Hutchinson, Lookaway Golf Club
|
WD
|
|
Steven
Cucinotti, Talamore
Country Club
|
WD
|
| |
|
Third
flight
|
|
Name,
club
|
Points
|
|
Michael
Sloane, Brookside Country Club
|
42
|
|
Dennis
O'Donnell, Old York Road Country Club
|
40
|
|
Edward
Blomstedt, Moselem
Springs Golf Club
|
39
|
|
Leonard
Davis, White Clay Creek Country Club
|
38
|
|
Kelly
Jensen, Old York Road Country Club
|
36
|
|
C.
Michael Conway, Plymouth Country Club
|
35
|
|
Scott
Dichter, Meadia Heights
Golf Club
|
35
|
|
Jerry
Whitman, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
34
|
|
Mike
Kyle, Talamore Country Club
|
34
|
|
W.
Frank Skilton, Manufacturers Golf & Country
Club
|
32
|
|
Jack
Endicott, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
31
|
|
Charles
Gallagher, III, Flourtown Country Club
|
28
|
|
James
Cardano, Cedarbrook
Country Club
|
28
|
|
Patrick
Riley, The Bucks Club
|
28
|
|
Rick
Rutter, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
22
|
|
Frank
Andrusiewicz, Makefield
Highlands Golf Club
|
WD
|
| |
|
Fourth
flight
|
|
Name,
club
|
Points
|
|
Kent
Spade, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
42
|
|
Vito
Caracappa, Golf Course at Glen Mills
|
41
|
|
Edward
Osciak Jr., Loch Nairn
Golf Club
|
39
|
|
Brian
Mulvenna, White Oaks Country Club
|
38
|
|
Joseph
Donahue, Sandy Run Country Club
|
38
|
|
Luke
Pape, Tavistock Country
Club
|
37
|
|
James
Konnick, Brookside Country Club
|
34
|
|
Timothy
Horan, Radley Run Country Club
|
32
|
|
George
Hilley, McCall Golf & Country Club
|
29
|
|
John
O'Rourke, McCall Golf & Country Club
|
26
|
|
Joseph
Flynn, North Hills Country Club
|
26
|
|
J.
Frederick Merz, Jr., Merion Golf Club
|
24
|
|
Robert
Logan, Overbrook Golf Club
|
24
|
|
Jack
Walls, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
23
|
|
Pat
McCarthy, Old York Road Country Club
|
21
|
|
Neil
Fine, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
20
|
|
Hank
Collins, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
WD
|
|
Timothy
Joyce, Edgmont Country Club
|
WD
|
| |
|
*-won
in scorecard playoff
|
|
WD-withdrawal
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|
