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| Mark Hill, a former minor league baseball player, finished with the low score at Whitford. |
Former ballplayer Hill medals in #GAPMidAm Qual. at Whitford
EXTON, Pa. — Golf isn’t slated number one on Mark Hill’s priority list, but after a standout performance Monday, it may overcome baseball for the top spot sooner rather than later.
| Scorecards | Photos | History |
The former George Mason University standout and minor league baseball player carded a 1-over 73 amid gusty conditions on his way to medalist honors in a Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier presented by Callaway Golf at Whitford Country Club (par 72, 6,607 yards).
By day's end, the cut line stopped at 7-over 79 in the final of three #GAPMidAm Qualifiers. The field is now officially set for the Championship Proper on May 24-25 at Overbrook Golf Club.
After going 2 over on the back nine -- his first side of the day – Rolling Green Golf Club’s Hill utilized a pair of jarred birdies on Whitford’s front to finish with the day’s low round.
His first of the day came on the par-3, 189-yard No. 2. It was there where Hill put a solid 6-iron off the tee to four feet short of the hole, followed by an easy putt left for the red figure.
His round’s second birdie came on No. 6 (par 4, 398 yards). Hill selected hybrid off the tee and left himself 130 yards in to the flagstick. Again, he left himself four feet in front of the cup before converting.
“The conditions were great out here today. The wind didn’t really hit us until the last few holes, so it was nice to get out early,” said Hill, who has been a Rolling Green member for four years. “In high school we played here but only got nine in. I came over here last week to get a feel for the course and try and get familiar with it because I didn’t remember anything here.”
Hill, who has played in the previous two Middle-Amateurs, has chosen golf as a replacement to baseball in terms of competing. The 29-year-old was a third baseman for George Mason before playing a season with the Rockland Boulders, an independent minor league baseball team who competes in the Canadian-American Association.
After suffering a broken hand with the Boulders, Hill eventually returned to the Philadelphia region. He currently serves as an instructor at Maplezone Baseball Institute and coaches travel baseball.
“This is the next best thing, competing in golf tournaments,” said Hill, a Media, Pa. resident. “I played golf when I was younger, so I wanted to continue competing at a high level. Beer league baseball or softball wasn’t an option for me.”
With his playing focus now on golf, it may just be matter of time before Hill becomes a familiar name on GAP leaderboards.
“I just started playing in these bigger GAP events a few years ago. I’ve competed in a few [Middle-Amateurs], two [Joseph H. Patterson Cups] and a GAP Open,” he said. “They are always fun to play in. I’m excited for the future.”
The Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Middle-Amateur Championship started in 1984, three years after the USGA created the U.S. Mid-Amateur as a formal championship for post-college amateurs. The Association followed suit with the USGA in creating a Mid-Am, but initially differed in its administration of the tournament in a couple of respects.
The most obvious difference was the age requirement. Prior to 2001, the GAP Middle-Amateur was for players 30 years of age and older.
The Association’s Executive Committee reviewed and revised that age requirement in 2001 to match the USGA's guidelines of 25 years of age or older for eligible players. Also at that point, the Committee changed the format of the event to a two-day stroke play tournament (instead of a one-day medal play event) with a cut to the low 70 players and ties after the first round. The field begins with 132 players.
Callaway Golf
Callaway Golf was founded in 1982 by the late Ely Callaway, a visionary entrepreneur who operated under a simple but profound business promise: Deliver Demonstrably Superior, Pleasingly Different products and services. That philosophy turned what was originally a boutique manufacturer of high-quality wedges and putters into the world's largest maker of premium, performance golf products. The Callaway mission and vision has remained the same; we passionately pursue advanced, innovative technologies that help golfers of all abilities find more enjoyment from the game. Under the Callaway and Odyssey brands, Callaway manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf apparel, footwear and accessories in more than 110 countries worldwide.
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.
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Qualifiers
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Name, club
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Score
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Mark Hill, Rolling
Green Golf Club
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73
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Dan Brown, Llanerch
Country Club
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74
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Joe Kerrigan, Jr., Llanerch Country Club
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74
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James O'Connor, Penn Oaks Golf
Club
|
74
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Robert Bechtold,
Fieldstone Golf Club
|
75
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Brandon Detweiler,
Lancaster Country Club
|
75
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Carlo Fitti,
Llanerch Country Club
|
75
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Ryan Gelrod,
Philadelphia Cricket Club
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75
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William Keane, Jr.,
Philadelphia Country Club
|
75
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Bo Maguire, Brookside Country
Club
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75
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Joe April, Philadelphia Cricket
Club
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76
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James Bradbeer,
Jr., Merion Golf Club
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76
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Joseph Dulka,
Bellewood Country Club
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76
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Doug Fedoryshyn,
Applebrook Golf Club
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76
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Brian Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club
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76
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Rodney James, Five Ponds Golf
Club
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76
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Daniel Pinciotti,
Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club
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76
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Todd Baron, Philadelphia Publinks GA
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77
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Christopher Clauson, Lu Lu Country Club
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77
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Ryan O'Donnell, Rolling Green
Golf Club
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77
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Patrick Phillips, Spring Ford
Country Club
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77
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Samuel Sherrill, Downingtown
Country Club
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77
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Ari Flaisher,
McCall Golf & Country Club
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78
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Tom Grady, Radley Run Country
Club
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78
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Rick Hendrickson, Aronimink Golf Club
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78
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Michael Hodges, The Springhaven Club
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78
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Stephen Hudacek,
III, Glenmaura National Golf Club
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78
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Brian Kenny, Greate Bay Country Club
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78
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Alexander Maguire, Jr.,
Brookside Country Club
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78
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Michael Rogers, Overbrook Golf
Club
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78
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Jim Sullivan, Lu Lu Country Club
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78
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Mark Wachter,
DuPont Country Club
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78
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P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia
Country Club
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78
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Alex Bilinski,
Hershey s Mill Golf Club
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79
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Ashley Brasfield, Rolling Green
Golf Club
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79
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Kevin McDermott, Llanerch Country Club
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79
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Pat Melvin, Overbrook Golf Club
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79
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Eric Palumbo, Rolling Green
Golf Club
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79
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George Petrellis,
Commonwealth National Golf Club
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79
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Billy Reube,
Huntingdon Valley Country Club
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79
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Tom Spano, Llanerch
Country Club
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79
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Lodie Van Tonder, Sakima Country Club
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79
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Jay Vasil, Fox Hill Country
Club
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79
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Matthew Walsh, Overbrook Golf
Club
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79
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Failed
to qualify
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Brian Dorey, Metedeconk National Golf Club
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80
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Matt Hasness,
Huntingdon Valley Country Club
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80
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Jason Loehrs,
Cobbs Creek Golf Club
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80
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Chris Meares,
Running Deer Golf Club
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80
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Michael Olson, Medford Village
Country Club
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80
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Michael Shevlin, Sr,
Philadelphia Publinks GA
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80
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David West, Whitford Country
Club
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80
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Richard White, Overbrook Golf
Club
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80
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Andy Beittel,
Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
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81
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Brian Degnan,
Cobbs Creek Golf Club
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81
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Ronald Jamarowicz,
White Clay Creek Country Club
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81
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Brian Keane, Mercer Oaks Golf
Course
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81
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Jonathan Kruse, Rolling Green
Golf Club
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81
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Philip Potter, Radley Run
Country Club
|
81
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Todd Anderson, Wilmington
Country Club
|
82
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Eric Buckland, Meadia Heights Golf Club
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82
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Barry Cahill, Radley Run
Country Club
|
82
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Ryan Carroll, Chester Valley
Golf Club
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82
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Ed Chylinski,
Chester Valley Golf Club
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82
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Gregory DaPron,
Hartefeld National
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82
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Robert Dietrich, Loch Nairn Golf Club
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82
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William Gamgort,
DuPont Country Club
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82
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Peter Moran, Whitford Country
Club
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82
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David Shields, Flourtown
Country Club
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82
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Nick Verrecchio,
Rolling Green Golf Club
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82
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Daniel Wu, Blue Bell Country
Club
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82
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Ryan Beck, Old York Road
Country Club
|
83
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Philip Damico, McCall Golf
& Country Club
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83
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Thomas Humphrey, Wilmington
Country Club
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83
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Pat Kain,
Overbrook Golf Club
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83
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Paul Kupcha,
Fieldstone Golf Club
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83
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Matthew Loeslein,
White Clay Creek Country Club
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83
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Nick Madden, Lu Lu Country Club
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83
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Kevin Maguire, Trump National
Golf Club (Philadelphia)
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83
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Michael Meiswich,
Penn Oaks Golf Club
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83
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Jim Rosenbaum, Old York Road
Country Club
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83
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Linc Treadwell, Saucon Valley Country Club
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83
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Brian Trymbiski,
Doylestown Country Club
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83
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Edward Benatti,
Hartefeld National
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84
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Faust Capobianco, IV, Saucon Valley Country Club
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84
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Jonathan Cooney, Flourtown
Country Club
|
84
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Dave Fardon,
Philadelphia Publinks GA
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84
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William Howard, V, West Chester
Golf & Country Club
|
84
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Larry Kelly, Whitford Country
Club
|
84
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Bobby Kershner,
Bellewood Country Club
|
84
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Charles Meadows, Whitford
Country Club
|
84
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Jeff Nocella,
Bala Golf Club
|
84
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John O'Donnell, White Manor
Country Club
|
84
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Michael Quinn, Philadelphia Publinks GA
|
84
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Matthew Vassil, Country Club of
Scranton
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84
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John Birk,
Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
85
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John Burke, III, Hartefeld National
|
85
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Elias Chua, Fieldstone Golf
Club
|
85
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Matt Ehrlich, Huntingdon Valley
Country Club
|
85
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Drew Garis,
North Hills Country Club
|
85
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Christopher Johnson, Waynesborough Country Club
|
85
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Frank Kohute,
Running Deer Golf Club
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85
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Matthew McFarlane, Doylestown
Country Club
|
85
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Mark O'Neill, Sandy Run Country
Club
|
85
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Tim Slizofski,
North Hills Country Club
|
85
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Brian Bygott,
Tavistock Country Club
|
86
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John Grove, Chester Valley Golf
Club
|
86
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Kevin Koch, Spring Ford Country
Club
|
86
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Duane Pinnock, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
86
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Andrew Carnevale, North Hills
Country Club
|
87
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Matt Regan, Coatesville Country
Club
|
87
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Andrew LaRosa,
Whitford Country Club
|
88
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Bryan McClaskey,
Merchantville Country Club
|
88
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Brian Shevland,
Waynesborough Country Club
|
88
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Paul Stewart, Union League of
Philadelphia
|
88
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Lee Calfo,
Rolling Green Golf Club
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89
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Michael Diemer,
Riverton Country Club
|
89
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Damon Heller, Bent Creek
Country Club
|
89
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Joe Spitaleri,
Inniscrone Golf Club
|
89
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Todd vonVital,
Jericho National Golf Club
|
89
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Matthew Brennan, Sr., Rolling
Green Golf Club
|
90
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William Dalton, Jr., Overbrook
Golf Club
|
90
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Rand Mendez, Fieldstone Golf
Club
|
90
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Travis Shaffer, RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve
|
90
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Greg Bender, Honeybrook Golf Club
|
91
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Matthew Ciarmella,
Hartefeld National
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91
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Marc Mandel, Philadelphia
Cricket Club
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91
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Daniel Katona,
Trump National Golf Club - Philadelphia
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92
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Matt Salamone,
Philadelphia Cricket Club
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92
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Andrew Sterge,
Applebrook Golf Club
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92
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Andy Vitella,
Manufacturers Golf & Country Club
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93
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George Connell, Jr., Gulph Mills Golf Club
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94
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Steven Cucinotti,
Talamore Country Club
|
95
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John Donnelly, Concord Country
Club
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DQ
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James Kaiser, Tavistock Country Club
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DQ
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Fran Migliocco,
DuPont Country Club
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NC
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Matthew Kreuter,
Plymouth Country Club
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NS
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Scott Carney, Commonwealth
National Golf Club
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WD
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Chad Collingwood, Spring Ford
Country Club
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WD
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Michael Fireman, Talamore Country Club
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WD
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Michael Kandravi,
Llanerch Country Club
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WD
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Arthur Kania, Jr., Merion Golf
Club
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WD
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Wayne LeSage,
Jr., Chester Valley Golf Club
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WD
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Kevin O'Brien, Cedarbrook Country Club
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WD
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Andrew Ploszay,
Chester Valley Golf Club
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WD
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Buddy Reed, Wild Quail Golf
& Country Club
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WD
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Noam Roizman,
Bluestone Country Club
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WD
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Thomas E. Timby,
Jr., The Bucks Club
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WD
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Alan Wagenschnur,
Wild Quail Golf & Country Club
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WD
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Charlie Wahl, Tavistock Country Club
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WD
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WD - withdrawal; DQ -
disqualification; NC - no card; NS - no show
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