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Chip Lutz of LedgeRock Golf Club is in prime position
for a third Middle-Amateur Championship title. |
Finger, Lutz card 2-under 69s to sit atop 33rd Mid.-Am. leaderboard
PAOLI, Pa.–It’s a contrast in perspectives for the pair sitting atop the 33rd Middle-Amateur Championship presented by Callaway Golf leaderboard. Chip Lutz is a multi-time Golf Association of Philadelphia Major winner, a national champion and a Senior hall of famer. He’s a hunted name no matter the tournament stop. Matthew Finger, on the other hand, has emerged the last few years as a frequent force in the tri-state area golfing arena. Seemingly always knocking, Finger remains in search of that door-opening score.
| Scorecards | Tee times | History | Notebook | Day 1 Video |
Those two enter Thursday’s second and final round as co-leaders after each posted 2-under-par 69s on Wednesday at Waynesborough Country Club. They’ll begin their last 18 holes, along with Dan Bernard of Aronimink Golf Club (1 under), at 11:20 a.m.
A warm day coupled with a pesky breeze and a demanding layout created a compact Day 1 leaderboard.
The top 28 players are separated by only five shots.
The storyline is legacy versus validity for the two co-leaders.
“It’s good to be a contender at my age,” said Lutz, 61, of Reading, Pa. “I’m happy to be close coming into the final day. I always hope I’m close on the last nine holes. If I get off to a reasonably good start, stay close and have nine to play, I like my chances. Anything can happen and as long as you have that opportunity that’s what makes it exciting.”
Lutz’s Mid.-Am. track record is head-shaking. He is a dual winner, taking titles in 1998 and 2007, and in the last eight Middle-Amateur Championships in which he’s competed (he didn’t participate in 2013 or 2015), the LedgeRock Golf Club member has finished no worse than fifth.
A victory tomorrow would make Lutz, the reigning U.S. Senior Amateur champion, the oldest Mid.-Am. winner in history. In addition to his Middle-Amateur titles, Lutz has won the Association’s Junior, Amateur and Senior championships.
Finger, of DuPont Country Club, recorded his best Mid.-Am. performance in 2014 when he closed with a 5-under 66 at Gulph Mills Golf Club to shoot up the leaderboard and place fifth. In 2015, he fell in the final match for the New Jersey State Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship.
“I’ve not led too many tournaments in GAP; it’ll be a little different,” said Finger, 38, of Woolwich Township, N.J. “There will be a little bit more attention. Spectators, scoreboards, GAP officials. I’ve always been good at staying with the game plan and not get ahead of myself.”
Finger and Lutz reached red figures in similar style, putting a premium on fairways and greens. A necessity with Waynesborough’s ruthless rough.
Lutz turned his front-side in 1-under 34 behind three birdies and two bogeys. He registered eight pars and a birdie on the back, his lone red digit coming on No. 14 (par 3, 175 yards). He ripped a 7-iron to 15 feet right of the hole and drained the putt.
Finger, who started on the back nine, the more difficult side of the two, turned in an impressive 3-under 33. He birdied four holes including three of the last four. The highlight coming on No. 17 (par 3, 212 yards) when he ripped a 4-iron to six feet and made the birdie putt.
The course stats for the day had the back nine (40.5 average) playing two strokes higher than the front side (38.1).
On Finger’s outward trek, he bogeyed two of the first four holes, but birdied No. 7 (par 5, 546 yards) with a 12-foot putt up the hill. He parred his final two holes for a 69.
“I was in total control of the driver today,” said Finger, who recently competed in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club. He and partner Michael Korcuba advanced to match play but fell in the first round. “Playing 90 holes at Winged Foot with difficult conditions and fast greens really prepared me well for this course. Waynesborough is a difficult golf course. I find myself playing better on difficult golf courses. I don’t hit it very long but I hit it pretty straight. You have to find the fairways here, avoid the fairway bunkers and keep it out in front of you.”
Defending champion Scott McNeil of Bala Golf Club posted an opening-round 78 and is in a tie for 57th.
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 151 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.
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Name, club
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Total
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Chip Lutz,
LedgeRock Golf Club
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69
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Matthew
Finger, DuPont Country Club
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69
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Benjamin
Smith, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
70
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|
Dan Bernard,
Aronimink Golf Club
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70
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|
Gregor
Orlando, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
70
|
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Ben Feld,
Green Valley Country Club
|
71
|
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Dan Arison,
Applebrook Golf Club
|
71
|
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Jeff Osberg,
Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
71
|
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John Robinson,
Lu Lu Country Club
|
71
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|
Matthew
Mattare, Saucon Valley Country Club
|
71
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|
Nathan
Sutherland, Heidelberg Country Club
|
71
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John Brennan,
Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
72
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|
Michael
Hyland, Little Mill Country Club
|
72
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|
Raymond
Thompson, Overbrook Golf Club
|
72
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Ryan Gelrod,
Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
72
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Stephen
Dressel, St. Davids Golf Club
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72
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Brian
McDermott, Llanerch Country Club
|
73
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Dan
Rudershausen, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club
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73
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Daniel
Pinciotti, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club
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73
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Jamie Slonis,
Tavistock Country Club
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73
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Michael R.
Brown, Jr., Philadelphia Publinks GA
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73
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William
Jeremiah, Bidermann Golf Club
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73
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David Liotta,
Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
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74
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Perry Landis,
Moselem Springs Golf Club
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74
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Peter Barron,
III, Stone Harbor Golf Club
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74
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Rodney James,
Heidelberg Country Club
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74
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Scott
McLaughlin, Lu Lu Country Club
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74
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Thomas Timby,
Jr., Mercer Oaks Golf Course
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74
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Ari Flaisher,
McCall Golf & Country Club
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75
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Chris Lange,
Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
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75
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Chris Storck,
LedgeRock Golf Club
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75
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Christopher
Ault, Yardley Country Club
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75
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Christopher
Clauson, Lu Lu Country Club
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75
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Matthew
Gaffney, Running Deer Golf Club
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75
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Tom Grady,
Radley Run Country Club
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75
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Christopher
Thude, Union League Golf Club at Torresdale
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76
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Conrad Von
Borsig, Philadelphia Cricket Club
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76
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G. Patrick
Dougherty, Philadelphia Cricket Club
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76
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Geoffrey Cooper,
North Hills Country Club
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76
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James
Gillespie, Little Mill Country Club
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76
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James Kania,
Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
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76
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Jeffrey
Huntzinger, Philmont Country Club
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76
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Michael
DiMeglio, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
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76
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Michael
McDermott, Merion Golf Club
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76
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Tyler Rae,
Bidermann Golf Club
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76
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Adam Warner,
Tavistock Country Club
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77
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Brendan Borst,
Philadelphia Cricket Club
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77
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Jack Wallace,
Philadelphia Cricket Club
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77
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Joe Kerrigan,
Jr., Llanerch Country Club
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77
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Joseph Dulka,
Bellewood Country Club
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77
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Kevin Haag,
Makefield Highlands Golf Club
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77
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Kevin Koch,
Spring Ford Country Club
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77
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Oscar Mestre,
Overbrook Golf Club
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77
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Paul Bickford,
Little Mill Country Club
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77
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Sean Coyle,
Llanerch Country Club
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77
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Thomas
Gramigna, Tavistock Country Club
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77
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Brian
Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club
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78
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Brian Winters,
Spring Ford Country Club
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78
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Eddie Johnson,
Llanerch Country Club
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78
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Edward Kelly,
Jr., Old York Road Country Club
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78
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James
O'Connor, Penn Oaks Golf Club
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78
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Joe Perese,
Philmont Country Club
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78
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John Cyb,
Makefield Highlands Golf Club
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78
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John Murphy,
II, Stone Harbor Golf Club
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78
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Michael Tash,
Tavistock Country Club
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78
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Patrick Welsh,
Makefield Highlands Golf Club
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78
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Paul
Liebezeit, Aronimink Golf Club
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78
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Roc Irey,
Lookaway Golf Club
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78
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Scott McNeil,
Bala Golf Club
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78
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Sean Seese,
Huntingdon Valley Country Club
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78
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Failed
to qualify
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Ashley
Brasfield, Rolling Green Golf Club
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79
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Frank Petrash,
IV, Philadelphia Cricket Club
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79
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Glenn
Smeraglio, Lu Lu Country Club
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79
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Jason Loehrs,
Philadelphia Publinks GA
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79
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Michael Carr,
Philadelphia Cricket Club
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79
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Michael
Rogers, Overbrook Golf Club
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79
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Robert
Bechtold, Fieldstone Golf Club
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79
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Robert
Harrington, Merion Golf Club
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79
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Thomas Hyland,
Little Mill Country Club
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79
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Tim Westfall,
RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
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79
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Andrew Jaskel,
Union League Golf Club at Torresdale
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80
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Andrew
Ploszay, Chester Valley Golf Club
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80
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Bob Beck,
Lehigh Country Club
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80
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Bradley
Roberts, Little Mill Country Club
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80
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Brian Dorey,
Metedeconk National Golf Club
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80
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Brian Fisher,
Phoenixville Country Club
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80
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Cory Reighard,
Llanerch Country Club
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80
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Eric Murphy,
Indian Valley Country Club
|
80
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Gary E.
Daniels, Applebrook Golf Club
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80
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James
Donnelly, Merion Golf Club
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80
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Mark Peterson,
Waynesborough Country Club
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80
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Michael
Santerian, Wedgwood Country Club
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80
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Sam McFall,
Philadelphia Cricket Club
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80
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Andrew
Zoeller, Waynesborough Country Club
|
81
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Bill Boyle,
Metedeconk National Golf Club
|
81
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Charles
Meadows, Whitford Country Club
|
81
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Chris
Esbenshade, Bent Creek Country Club
|
81
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Dan Wach, Blue
Heron Pines Golf Club
|
81
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Derek
Schwendinger, Trenton Country Club
|
81
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Michael Dunn,
Little Mill Country Club
|
81
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Michael
Moffat, Lu Lu Country Club
|
81
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Michael
Walker, Hartefeld National
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81
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Sean Torpey,
Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
81
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Tom Spano,
Llanerch Country Club
|
81
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David West,
Applecross Country Club
|
82
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Doug
Fedoryshyn, Concord Country Club
|
82
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Hunter Hanson,
Waynesborough Country Club
|
82
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Michael
Vassil, Country Club of Scranton
|
82
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Ron Weaver,
Bent Creek Country Club
|
82
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Shawn Lavin,
Rolling Green Golf Club
|
82
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Alex Hargaden,
Bala Golf Club
|
83
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Jim Rosenbaum,
Old York Road Country Club
|
83
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John Burke,
Running Deer Golf Club
|
83
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Joshua Isler,
Chester Valley Golf Club
|
83
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Mark Hill,
Rolling Green Golf Club
|
83
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Todd
Vonderheid, Huntsville Golf Club
|
83
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Alexander
Penza, Llanerch Country Club
|
84
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Don Donatoni,
White Manor Country Club
|
84
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Lodie Van
Tonder, Sakima Country Club
|
84
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Mark Lovell,
DuPont Country Club
|
84
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Tim Pici,
Chester Valley Golf Club
|
84
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Blake Cleary,
Wilmington Country Club
|
85
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Brian Corbett,
Huntsville Golf Club
|
85
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David
Guertler, Laurel Creek Country Club
|
85
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Hee Yoo,
Skippack Golf Club at Evansburg
|
85
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James Somers,
Makefield Highlands Golf Club
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85
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Steve
Mroozian, Makefield Highlands Golf Club
|
85
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Frank Kohute,
Running Deer Golf Club
|
86
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Patrick
McCusker, Jr., Plymouth Country Club
|
86
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Steven
Walczak, Wilmington Country Club
|
86
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Timothy
Haberbusch, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
86
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Dave Landau,
Berkshire Country Club
|
87
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Fran Begley,
Wedgwood Country Club
|
87
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John Birk,
Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
87
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Nicholas
Lukow, Woodstone Country Club
|
87
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Jared
Palubinski, Schuylkill Country Club
|
88
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Eugene
Maginnis, Jr., Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
|
90
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Scott Storck,
Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
93
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Cory
Siegfried, Aronimink Golf Club
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DQ
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Brad McFadden,
Overbrook Golf Club
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WD
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James Wybar,
Philadelphia Cricket Club
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WD
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Mario Canal,
Laurel Creek Country Club
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WD
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Maximillian
Muller, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
|
WD
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DQ-disqualification;
WD-withdrawal
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