BMW GTM: Packed weekend sets stage for Playoff push

  Mother Nature’s about-face stole the Week Two spotlight in the BMW GAP Team Matches. Spring temperatures, sunny skies and minimal winds allowed all matches to take place free of weather issues. The weather also accommodated the completion of Week One matches delayed or on hold due to snow the week prior.

  In Division AA, four teams set the stage for Week Three showdowns with wins amid pleasant conditions. Defending champions Philadelphia Cricket Club 1 (2–0) and Glenmaura National Golf Club (2–0) prevailed to remain atop Section I. Likewise in Section IV, where Aronimink Golf Club (2–0) and Huntingdon Valley Country Club (2–0) sealed Week One wins on Saturday before emerging victorious on Sunday.

  Both Llanerch Country Club (2–0) and Overbrook Golf Club (2–0) control their own fates following Week Two victories. Week Three action is set for Sunday, May 1.

  The upcoming Aronimink-Huntingdon Valley contest is glazed with distinguished history. In the BMW GAP Team Matches realm, Huntingdon Valley holds the most titles all-time with 32. Aronimink ranks third with a distant seven. The two, however, took different trajectories to meet at this point. Huntingdon Valley last reached the Playoff in 2010, when it secured trophy No. 32. Aronimink’s coming off consecutive postseason appearances.

  “We’re very excited about the opportunity to get into the Playoff, but we have a really tough match against Huntingdon Valley. That’s going to be a very close match,” Jeff Fialko, Aronimink’s team captain, said.

  “Everybody’s excited. We haven’t been in this position too much lately,” Dan Pinciotti, Jr., Huntingdon Valley’s team captain, said. “We have a solid squad but Aronimink’s been in the Playoff the last couple of years. They’re going to be tough. It’s going to be a lot of fun though.”

  In Week One, Huntingdon Valley held a nine-point advantage over Applebrook Golf Club (0–2). It turned that lead into an official win by accruing 21.5 points at Applebrook on Saturday. A day later, Huntingdon Valley defeated Tavistock Country Club (0–2), 35–19. Michael Gregor led the team with sweeps in both of his matches. He is tied atop the individual scoring standings in Division AA through two weeks.

  “Playing Applebrook and getting a win over there put us in a good position to go against Tavistock,” Pinciotti, 44, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., said. “We knew Tavistock was going to be tough with the veteran crew they have over there and the young guys sprinkled in. The guys played Saturday all day and Sunday all day. You wondered if they could keep up their stamina.”

  Stamina proved a non-issue for both Huntingdon Valley and Aronimink. The latter stood tied with Tavistock before erupting for 21.5 points at home in a Week One win. Aronimink next bested neighbor Applebrook, 28.5–25.5.

  “It was nice to have a doubleheader. Obviously the match against Applebrook was very close,” Fialko, 52, of Berwyn, Pa., said. “There’s a lot of familiarity between both teams — a lot of cross-memberships and they’re right in our backyard. We had a very spirited match. We were fortunate to prevail in that one to say the least.”

  Fialko points to youth contributions as a key to Aronimink’s success thus far. Team newcomer Matthew Davis and Max Siegfried, the reigning GAP Junior Player of the Year, combined for 12 points through two weeks of competition.

  “Over the past three years, we’ve really gotten the young guys involved, and they’ve really motivated and spurred on the older group,” Fialko said. “There’s a lot more energy in the club. It’s very easy to field a team.”

  Philadelphia Cricket Club 1 continues to flex its muscle as Division AA’s behemoth. It overpowered Wyoming Valley Country Club (0–2), 42–12. The team won 10 of 12 singles and five of six four-ball matches.

  “We’re obviously very happy and excited,” Robert Savarese, Jr., Cricket’s team captain, said. “Everybody is playing well and doing what they have to do to win their matches. The depth is showing through with the performance. I look at it as we have 12 No. 1 players throughout the line-up. If our guys at the top can hold their own against good competition, the guys on the back end can earn a lot of points for us.”

  Through two weeks, Philadelphia Cricket 1 leads Division AA with 87 points. Five of the Top 10 individual scorers bear the team’s insignia. Next on the Playoff path is a match-up with fellow unbeaten Glenmaura National. The two teams last met in 2012, with Philadelphia Cricket 1 prevailing, 36-18.

  “They’re a tough team. We’re expecting to have a real battle with them,” Savarese, 49, of Lafayette Hill, Pa., said. “We’re optimistic, but we’re going to have to meet the challenge of them being a good team and having good players ready to play us.”

  In Week Two, Glenmaura National defeated Makefield Highlands Golf Club (0–2), 30.5–23.5.

  “It was probably one of the more challenging matches because we didn’t know much about Makefield,” Matthew Dougherty, Glenmaura’s team captain, said. “Obviously we saw they lost the week before, but with the weather and Cricket’s strength, it doesn’t make it easy to go back and rely on results. We just tried to keep some our longer hitters at home because of the length demands at our course. We felt it would give us a better shot.”

  The line-up decision paid dividends. Dougherty, playing his first competitive round of the year, paired with close friend Patrick Mitchell. The two swept the singles and better-ball portion of their match.

  “To get those juices flowing is always good to kick off the year. You get the nerves out of the way early, and having Pat play with me certainly helped,” Dougherty, 37, of Clarks Summit, Pa., said. “And Pat played tremendous. I think he shot 69 with a couple of three-putts. We couldn’t ask for much more out of him.

  “Sean Madden, in our sixth hole, exceeded our expectations and played fantastic. It was really good to see some of the guys shake off last week with the weather and get their swings in more of a groove.”

  Pleasant weather ahead of Week Two increased practice opportunities for the Glenmaura team. It will take all of the sessions it can get in advance of a duel with the defending champion.

  “This is the fourth year in a row where we’ve been 2–0 and playing for a spot in the Playoff. We’re 0–3 in that effort, and it doesn’t get any easier playing Cricket,” Dougherty said. “When you try and figure out your line-up, you try to find weaknesses in the other team. You really can’t find a weakness in Cricket Club. You’d be hard-pressed to find a weakness on their second team. They make you play well, and if you don’t, you see the results that are out there. We know it’s a challenge. We’re looking forward to it.”

  In a clash for Section II supremacy, Llanerch knocked off LedgeRock Golf Club (1–1), 35.5–18.5.

  “Looking at their line-up from week one and their win, they have a lot of really good players. We weren’t going to take the match lightly,” Tom Spano, Llanerch’s team captain, said. “It feels great to get another W.”

  Overbrook, meanwhile, secured two wins over the weekend. It wrapped up a weather-delayed Week One contest against Philadelphia Cricket Club 2, earning 14 points at home on Saturday.

  “We knew we had a lead going in, but there is an awkward pressure of knowing you have the lead,” Oscar Mestre, Overbrook’s team captain, said. “The guys who had gone out the week prior in completely different weather conditions and earned the lead … you didn’t want to let those guys down.”

  That sense of team pride illuminated in Overbrook’s 32–22 triumph over Merion Golf Club (0–2) the following day. Chris Lange, Jr. flew in from a family party in Boston, Mass. that morning to play and swept his individual match. Andy Thompson executed critical saves on Nos. 15 (from a trying lie in the bunker) and 16 (from short of the green to a front hole location) at Overbrook to grab 2.5 singles points.

  “He makes several up-and-downs coming down the stretch that Houdini would be proud of. He kind of realizes the importance of the moment,” Mestre, who was paired with Thompson, said. “He didn’t have much going but in match play he’s going to find a way to get it in the hole.”

  Like Overbrook, Llanerch is adopting a “do it for the team” mentality. For the second straight week, J.J. Berenato and Brad MacDonald received call-ups from the second team and produced accordingly. Playing in the Nos. 1 and 2 slots at home, Brian McDermott and MacDonald, who grew up together at Llanerch, swept their singles and better-ball matches against LedgeRock.

  “It’s always like big brother, little brother type stuff with Brian being the elder,” Spano, 33, of Bryn Mawr, Pa., said. “They’re a really good team. They love competing with one another and against one another when we have interclub stuff.”

  Both Llanerch and Overbrook can lock up Playoff spots for the second straight year with Week Three wins. Past BMW GAP Team Matches champions, however, obstruct the way. Llanerch looks to squeeze by Commonwealth National Golf Club (1–1) while Overbrook opposes Little Mill Country Club (1–1). Overbrook will do so without the Kania brothers, James, Jr. and Michael, because of family obligations.

  “It will be hard, under the best of conditions, to replace their talent and enthusiasm. We’re going to have to reach a little deeper than usual,” Mestre, 56, of Berwyn, Pa., said. “We’ve had plenty of knockdown, drag out battles with Little Mill over the last five years. We look forward to the challenge. Regardless of who we are able to get to line up and play that day, it will be maximum effort given.”

  “It’s nice to control your own destiny knowing that if you win, you’re in,” Spano said. “Commonwealth is always strong. We still need a win. It’ll be nice to get back to the Final. It was a great experience to finish second overall. We look forward to building on that.”

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 153 Full Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. 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.