Top 10 Headlines of 2014

  To place a stamp on the 2014 scrapbook, the Golf Association of Philadelphia will unveil its Top 10 headlines. Whittling down a year’s worth of activity into a small bundle of thoughts wasn't easy, but we gave it a try.

1.

Merion Golf Club’s Robert M. Morey was elected as the Association’s 32nd President. He served the previous three years as vice president and chaired the organization’s Championship Committee. At Merion, Morey spent six years on the club’s Board of Governors and served as Golf Chairman. He is currently the club’s co-Green Chairman.

2.

Chip Lutz completed the GAP lifecycle with a victory in the Senior Amateur Championship at Philmont Country Club. He is the first player in Association history to win a title in each age group (Junior Boys’, Amateur, Middle-Amateur and Senior Amateur). Lutz also earned a fifth straight Senior Player of the Year Award.

3.

A Patterson Cup victory afforded Cole Berman a third straight Junior Player of the Year Award. The Philadelphia Cricket Club youngster withstood tough conditions, executed an essential birdie on the 17th hole and carded an even-par 72 in the event’s final round to prevail. Berman, a freshman at Georgetown University, trailed Junior POY frontrunner Blaine Lafferty by 150 points entering the season’s final Major.

4.

The J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust took a step closer to reaching a milestone benchmark. In 2014, its Dawn to Dusk Golf Marathon raised more than $211,000, boosting its five-year total to more than $890,000 for the educational needs of Caddie Scholars. The goal of surpassing $1 million in all-time contributions is within reach for 2015.

5.

The Association partnered with the Philadelphia Section of the PGA to offer Golf In Schools physical education classes. The five-week pilot program reviewed the game’s foundation — starting with grip and posture and ending with the full swing. It provided an introduction of golf to students at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Berlin Township, N.J.

6.

Matthew Teesdale basked in a sensational summer that included a victory in the Open Championship, a quarterfinal run in the Amateur Championship, a Silver Cross Award, a match play appearance in the U.S. Amateur and a William Hyndman, III Player of the Year Award. The Temple University senior joins fellow Owls Brandon Matthews (2013) and Andrew Mason (2011) on the POY plaque.

7.

Overbrook Golf Club stunned the GAP Team Matches universe by defeating Aronimink Golf Club, Little Mill Country Club and defending champion Philadelphia Cricket Club for its first title since 1988. It posted 69 points — five clear of Cricket and nine of Little Mill, the 2011 and 2012 winner. “This is absolutely, without a doubt, one of the greatest accomplishments all of us have been a part of,” Captain Oscar Mestre said.

8.

The Women’s Golf Association of Philadelphia changed leadership in 2014. Jane Dorey replaced Charlotte Barnhard, who retired after serving as the organization’s Executive Director for 43 years. Dorey is a Tavistock Country Club member who held roles on the club’s Women’s Golf Association and Greens Committee.

9.

New in 2014, the Play Ready Pledge encouraged GAP members to be aware of their pace of play during a round of golf. Nearly 1,400 golfers took the pledge and received a bag tag that included tips on improving pace of play. The Play Ready Pledge marks another effort as the Association continues to fulfill its mission of preserving, protecting and promoting the game.

10.

Don Donatoni used a late season upswing to retain his Super-Senior Player of the Year title. He successfully defended his Brewer Cup title in July, won the Super-Senior title in the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s Senior Amateur in August and secured a second straight Silver Cross Award thanks to a runner-up performance in the GAP Senior Amateur.

Honorable mentions

Peter Barron, III atoned for a playoff loss the year prior by capturing the Middle-Amateur Championship presented by Callaway Golf. Following a three-hour weather delay, he willed in a 10-footer for birdie on the 18th hole to edge clubhouse leader Chris Ault by a stroke. Jeff Osberg became the 24th Huntingdon Valley Country Club member to win the Amateur when he defeated Nelson Hargrove by a record 10&9 margin. Osberg played the contest’s final 20 holes in the stroke play equivalent of 9 under.

Sean O’Hair, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour and a Chadds Ford, Pa. resident, served as the featured speaker during the J. Wood Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust’s Annual Brunch at Philadelphia Country Club. O’Hair spoke about winning on the PGA Tour; competing in Major tournaments like The Masters and the balancing act of raising four children while competing against the world’s best players.

Thirteen players with GAP ties qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Saucon Valley Country Club. Five advanced into match play, with three bursting into the Round of 16: Andy Latowski, Matthew Mattare and Scott McNeil.

Alan and Craig Kliewer set a Father & Son (Middle) scoring record, in relation to par, with a 5 under performance at Burlington Country Club. That marvelous mark allowed the Meadia Heights Golf Club duo to successfully defend its title.

Amid abundant anticipation, Philadelphia Cricket Club unveiled its brilliantly restored Wissahickon Course in May. The finished product earned accolades across the board, including a spot on Golfweek’s “year’s best renovations” list. Philadelphia Cricket will host the 48th PGA Professional National Championship June 21-24, 2015.