Brendan Borst reacts to a birdie miss on No. 10 (par 4, 410 yards).

Cricket’s Borst tops BMW Philly Amateur Qualifier at Inniscrone

  AVONDALE, Pa. — Once he arrived at Inniscrone Golf Club Saturday afternoon, Brendan Borst thought it’d be a good idea to purchase a yardage book in the pro shop. He never set foot on the property prior.

  Hard to believe given his round of 1-under-par 69 in a BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship Qualifier amid cold and rainy conditions. Borst led a field of 88 players hoping to attain one of 10 available spots and ties for the Championship proper.

  The cut line fell to 76 by day’s end. The 116th BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship will take place June 13-15 & 18 at Merion Golf Club’s historic East Course.

  “It was a tough day on a tough golf course,” Borst, 26, of Philadelphia, Pa., said. “Since it was my first time seeing it, I was just trying to stay out of trouble. I was going by the yardage book that I got in the pro shop. It worked out pretty well. The yardage book was key today. There are a lot of holes where you have to control the distance of your tee shot.”

  Spotty yet saturating showers and chilly temperatures increased the difficulty on the par 70, 6,456-yard set-up. Borst, who started on No. 8 (par 3, 190 yards) in the shotgun format, felt the effects early, registering three bogeys on his first nine holes. A tough rear hole location on No. 13 (par 4, 400 yards), a few whacks on No. 15 (par 5, 537 yards) and a shot into the hazard on No. 16 (par 4, 380 yards) meant ruffles on the yardage book’s pages.

  The treacherous 17th hole (par 4, 470 yards), which played a full stroke over par on this day, turned things around for Borst. After sending a drive into the right rough, he powered a 3-iron 230 yards to 35 feet and converted a right-to-left breaker for birdie.

  “That was kind of a gift. I hit it too hard and it caught the back of the hole,” Borst, a Philadelphia Cricket Club member, said.

  As the rain persisted, so did Borst and his penchant for red figures. He lifted a wedge 30 yards to three feet on No. 2 (par 4, 359 yards) for birdie. On the drop par 3, 107-yard No. 5, Borst knocked a 60-degree wedge to seven feet for a 3 in between squeegee sessions. Borst’s length again paid dividends on No. 7 (par 5, 510 yards). He hammered a 5-iron 210 yards and two-putted for a closing birdie.

  Borst, who works for PNC Bank, qualified for match play in the 2013 BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship at Aronimink Golf Club. He advanced to the Round of 16 that year. Borst failed to make the match play cut in 2014. He’s eager to tackle Merion for the first time.

  “I’m hitting the ball great right now,” Borst said. “Playing with all of the Cricket guys has definitely helped my game.”

  Fox Hill Country Club hosts the fourth and final BMW Philadelphia Amateur Qualifier on Monday, May 23.

  When Merion’s famed East Course last welcomed the BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship 62 years ago, Golf Association of Philadelphia Hall of Famer John Dyniewski defeated N. Harper Steward of Manufacturers Golf & Country Club, 4&3. The Golf Association of Philadelphia Magazine highlighted the event’s history at Merion in its Spring 2016 issue.

  The BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship is the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s premier event. Participants must first advance through a one day, 36-hole stroke play qualifier to gain one of 32 available match play positions. Those who qualify for match play must advance through four matches in two days to reach the Amateur Final, which is typically held on the Saturday of Father’s Day weekend. The winner receives the J. Wood Platt Trophy; its namesake holds a record-seven Amateur Championship titles.

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.