Philadelphia Cricket Club's Cole Berman will return to defend his title at Merion.

Magnificent Merion set to host 116^th BMW Philadelphia Amateur

  Historic venue meets historic event when Merion Golf Club hosts the 116th BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship June 13-15 & 18.

  The Golf Association of Philadelphia received a record-558 entries — all for a chance to set foot on the club’s famed East Course. Four qualifying events later, 138 of the Delaware Valley’s top players will compete for 32 available match play spots on June 16. Contestants must advance through a 36-hole stroke play qualifier — 18 at Merion in Ardmore, Pa. and 18 at Philadelphia Country Club (qualifying site only) in Gladwyne, Pa. Any ties for the final spots will be broken by a sudden-death playoff at the conclusion of Day One’s stroke play qualifier.

  First and second-round matches will take place June 14, with the quarterfinals and semifinals following on June 15. The remaining competitors clash in a 36-hole final on Saturday, June 18. BMW USA returns as a presenting partner of the event.

  Merion last welcomed the BMW Philadelphia Amateur 62 years ago. GAP Hall of Famer John Dyniewski defeated N. Harper Steward, 4&3, in the final. William Hyndman, III, another Hall of Famer and namesake of the Association’s Player of the Year Award, earned medalist honors that year with a score of 145. Dyniewski (1954-55, 1962) and Hyndman (1935, 1958, 1965) hold three BMW Philadelphia Amateur titles apiece, tied for third all-time.

  Cole Berman is two shy of matching that mark. The Philadelphia Cricket Club member will return to defend his crown. He defeated good friend and fellow collegiate Michael Davis of Aronimink Golf Club, 6&4, a year ago at Llanerch Country Club. Berman is a junior at Georgetown University, Davis a junior at Princeton University.

  “The interesting part about the (BMW) Philadelphia Amateur is it’s not at the same venue every year. The field changes quite a bit,” Berman, 20, of Rosemont, Pa., said. “Obviously the format is the same but it’s a completely different event. I’m going into it not thinking about [being the defending champion]. It’s nice to have that in the back of my mind and the confidence that I can do it. Mission one is to have two good rounds on Monday and hopefully go from there.”

  Berman is riding on the waves of a strong end to his collegiate season. He contributed to the Hoyas victory in the Big East Championship and competed in the NCAA Division I Regional, where he finished tied for 45th in Franklin, Tenn. Merion is next on his competitive checklist.

  “I’ve been fortunate enough to have played Merion a lot. I’m really excited to play in another tournament there — one that means a lot to me,” Berman said. “It’s something I’ve been looking forward to since last year’s (BMW) Philadelphia Amateur ended.”

  Joining Berman as a former BMW Philadelphia Amateur Champion in the field is Michael McDermott (2008, 2013), a Merion member since 2004.

  “It’s such a luxury to play in GAP tournaments. They’re always at such great courses, but this year in particular is special because Merion doesn’t host a tournament all that often,” McDermott, 41, of Bryn Mawr, Pa., said. “Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, Justin Rose — they’re the people who have won competitions at Merion. It’s a totally different scale, but it’d be a nice list to join. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of winner Merion brings out. Nobody’s going to win with their ‘B’ game for sure.”

  McDermott is one of four amateurs who competed in the 2007 Open Championship, also held on Merion’s East Course. He knows what the venue can present during a Major.

  “I think Merion will very much come down to what kind of weather we get leading up to it,” McDermott said. “Any championship course, especially Merion, is going to be based on the firmness of the greens. Merion can be two completely different golf courses based on a couple pin positions and a little bit of firmness in the greens. Even the straightest of hitters are going to miss lots of fairways at Merion. If the greens have additional firmness, the course is that much harder to play. The forecast will dictate to me what kind of week it’s going to be.”

  Other past BMW Philadelphia Amateur winners in this year’s field include Scott Ehrlich (2004), Brian Gillespie (2001), Michael Hyland (2000, 2011), Jeff Osberg (2014), Michael Tash (2003), Raymond Thompson (1972) and Conrad Von Borsig (2009).

  Saucon Valley Country Club’s Matthew Mattare is coming off his first GAP Major victory in the Middle-Amateur Championship presented by Callaway Golf.

  “When you have events at places like Merion or Pine Valley (Golf Club), it kind of ups the ante. You get a little more focused. You get a little more excited,” Mattare, 30, of Jersey City, N.J., said. “Success breeds success. Back in 2010, I strung together a couple of wins [in the Amateur at Saucon Valley]. You just become more comfortable and just at ease being in the hunt. Hopefully, that will translate the same way this year, where I build on this win and build on the fact that I went out there and won [the Middle-Amateur] in a playoff.”

  Mattare advanced to the BMW Philadelphia Amateur quarterfinals in 2010. He last qualified for match play in 2013, when he fell to Christopher Fuga, 6&4, in the Round of 32 at Aronimink. Past experience aside, Mattare is looking forward to returning to Merion; he posted a Top 10 finish in the 2003 Christman Cup, held on the East Course.

  “The first round I shot 71 and had 27 putts. The second round I hit more greens and had 44 putts,” Mattare said. “I had a six-putt on No. 8. It was one of the most scarring rounds of my entire life.”

  In addition to determining the match play field, the Amateur Championship Qualifier also serves as first two rounds of the Silver Cross Award.

  As always, both the public and media are welcome to attend.

  Aside from offering live scoring on its Web site, the Association will provide BMW Philadelphia Amateur updates via its social media outlets. Follow @GAofPhilly on Twitter and Instagram. Use the #BMWPhillyAm hashtag to join the conversation.

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.