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Scott McNeil of Bala Golf Club holds a one-shot lead in the
116th #PatCup at Gulph Mills Golf Club after the opening round. |
Bala’s McNeil finds comfort en route to 116th #PatCup lead
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.-Life has interrupted Scott McNeil’s golf game. As typical for anyone around McNeil’s age, 32, family and work have pushed golf down the priority list.
| Scorecards
| Round 2 tee times
| Day 1 Notebook
| History
| Day 1 Video
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However, with those obligations under control, a quick swing lesson in tow and longtime friend Doug Havens on the bag after a health scare, a clear-minded McNeil returned to his former stomping grounds Wednesday – the top of a leaderboard.
McNeil, winner of the 2015 Middle-Amateur Championship, carded a toasty 4-under-par 67 in the opening round of the 116th Joseph H. Patterson Cup at a sweltering Gulph Mills Golf Club (par 71, 6,501 yards).
The long-hitting righty posted three birdies, an eagle and a bogey to land atop the scoreboard. A total of 12 players finished under par.
The cut line fell at 75 with 68 players advancing to Day 2. The final group of McNeil, Joe Tigani and Campbell Wolf start at 11:30 a.m. Tigani of Fieldstone Golf Club, Wolf of Carlisle Country Club as well as Chris Ault of Yardley Country Club stand at 3 under. Defending champion Peter Bradbeer of Merion Golf Club missed the cut.
“Today was very enjoyable,” McNeil, a member at Bala Golf Club and resident of Philadelphia, Pa., said. “To have Doug back on the bag and enjoy ourselves was all that mattered to me. He’s worried about me and I am worried about him when it is this hot. It helps that I am not worried about myself.” Havens is 73 years old.
McNeil’s not worried, but his competition should be. His ability to get out of the house early for a quick lesson with Bala pro Chris Barletta resulted in better, sharper contact throughout his round.
McNeil said Barletta noticed he wasn’t staying down through impact. That adjustment resulted in plenty of birdie opportunities today.
On No. 1 (par 4, 422 yards), he converted a 30-foot birdie putt straight up the hill. Five straight pars followed before, on No. 7 (par 5, 498 yards), he blasted a 7-iron from 166 yards to three feet. He drained the downhill breaker. On No. 11 (par 4, 317 yards), McNeil’s drive landed next to the green. He chipped up to two-and-a-half feet for a 3. A bogey on No. 17 (par 3, 205 yards) came as the result of a poor tee shot before McNeil reached No. 18 (par 5, 430 yards) in two shots and two-putted from 30 feet.
“I feel like it could get better tomorrow,” McNeil said of his swing. “My ball-striking has been average. Nothing terrible, nothing great. I had some good consistency and fewer mistakes today.
“I had a lot of good looks that I wasn’t able to convert. The pins and greens are difficult. It is difficult to make everything you look at because the greens break so much. I got more looks than I have had recently and I don’t feel like there is a ton of trouble off the tee for me [here].”
Ault, Tigani and Wolf are all a shot back.
Wolf threatened McNeil’s top spot but double bogeyed No. 18 after sending his second shot long of the green. The 19-year-old from Mechanicsburg, Pa., who is heading to DePaul University in the days ahead, had six birdies, a bogey and that double. The Patterson also serves as the final two rounds of the Silver Cross (the Silver Cross is awarded to the player with the lowest aggregate score in the qualifying rounds of the Amateur Championship and the Patterson Cup.) Wolf stands one behind leader Ryan Rucinski of Hartefeld National.
“I just wanted to make as many birdies as I could,” said Wolf, who like McNeil, has never played Gulph Mills before. “I’m trying to win the Silver Cross.”
Tigani, 22, of Hockessin, Del., who was playing in his second ever Patterson Cup, had four birdies, an eagle and three bogeys. Ault, who made four birdies and a bogey, has good vibes at Gulph Mills. His last appearance in a Golf Association of Philadelphia Major at the club, the 2014 Middle-Amateur, resulted in a second-place finish.
"I love this place," Ault, 32, of Yardley, Pa., said. "It sets up well for me off the tee. It fits my eye really well because I like to fade the golf ball. It is fair but challenging. There is nothing I don't like about it. Whenever I step on the course here I feel comfortable."
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Name, club
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Score
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Scott McNeil, Bala Golf Club
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67
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Christopher Ault, Yardley Country Club
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68
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Joe Tigani, Fieldstone Golf Club
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68
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Campbell Wolf, Carlisle Country Club
|
68
|
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Blaine Lafferty, Little Mill Country Club
|
69
|
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Conrad Von Borsig, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
69
|
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Peter Barron, III, Greate Bay Country
Club
|
70
|
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Nicky Marrollo, Whitford
Country Club
|
70
|
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Michael McDermott, Merion Golf Club
|
70
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Marty McGuckin, RiverCrest Golf Club
& Preserve
|
70
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Gregor Orlando, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
70
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Sam Soeth, The ACE Club
|
70
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Adam Armagost, RiverWinds
Golf & Tennis Club
|
71
|
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Alexander Butler, Bluestone Country Club
|
71
|
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Danny Harcourt, Mercer Oaks Golf Course
|
71
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David Hicks, The Shore Club
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71
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Troy Kelleher, Country Club of Scranton
|
71
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Ryan Rucinski, Hartefeld
National
|
71
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Grant Skyllas, LedgeRock Golf Club
|
71
|
|
Thomas Timby, Jr., Mercer Oaks Golf
Course
|
71
|
|
Cole Berman, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
72
|
|
Michael R. Brown, Jr., Lu Lu Country
Club
|
72
|
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Matthew Finger, DuPont Country Club
|
72
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Carlos Fullerton, Brookside CC of Allentown
|
72
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James Kania, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
|
72
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Patrick Knott, Merion Golf Club
|
72
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Matt Kocent, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
72
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Andrew Mason, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
|
72
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Matthew Mattare, Saucon Valley Country Club
|
72
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Paul Mauer, Stonewall
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72
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Chris Meares, Running Deer Golf Club
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72
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Richard Riva, Bent Creek Country Club
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72
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Ryan Tall, Spring Ford Country Club
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72
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Ethan Wall, Manasquan River Golf Club
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72
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Reed Winkler, Hartefeld National
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72
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Dawson Anders, Indian Valley Country Club
|
73
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Zachary Barbin, Loch Nairn Golf Club
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73
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Michael Carr, Philadelphia Cricket
Club
|
73
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Michael Cook, Applebrook Golf Club
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73
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Mark Czerniakowski, Lu Lu Country Club
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73
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John Samaha, Old York Road Country Club
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73
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Troy Vannucci, Little Mill Country
Club
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73
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Jeremy Wall, Manasquan River Golf Club
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73
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John Buliga, Yardley Country Club
|
74
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Mark Farley, Lu Lu Country Club
|
74
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Blake Hinckley, Wilmington Country Club
|
74
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Brian Isztwan, Huntingdon Valley
Country Club
|
74
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Marco Nieto, Glenmaura National Golf
Club
|
74
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Dan Rudershausen, Kennett Square Golf
& Country Club
|
74
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Jay Whitby, Wild Quail Golf & Country Club
|
74
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John Barone, Glenmaura National Golf
Club
|
75
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Robert Bechtold, Fieldstone Golf Club
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75
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Mark Benevento, Jr., Greate Bay
Country Club
|
75
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Carey Bina, Radnor Valley Country Club
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75
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Brandon Capone, Old York CC at Chesterfield
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75
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Christopher Cerminaro, Glenmaura National Golf Club
|
75
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Andrew Cornish, RiverCrest Golf Club
& Preserve
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75
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Greg DeLuca, Makefield Highlands Golf
Club
|
75
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Thomas Dzwonczyk, Country Club of
Scranton
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75
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David Herbst, West Shore Country Club
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75
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Andrew Lombardo, Indian Valley Country Club
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75
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Gary McCabe, Jr., RiverCrest Golf Club
& Preserve
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75
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Michael Moffat, Lu Lu Country Club
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75
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Jeff Osberg, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
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75
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Michael Rogers, Overbrook Golf Club
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75
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Steve Skurla, White Manor Country Club
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75
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James Sullivan, Jr., Lu Lu Country
Club
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75
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Chris Warner, Yardley Country Club
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75
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Failed to qualify
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Matthew Balcer, Bensalem Township
Country Club
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76
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Zachary Falone, Sakima
Country Club
|
76
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Ben Feld, Green Valley Country Club
|
76
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Thomas Gramigna, Tavistock Country
Club
|
76
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Eddie Johnson, Llanerch Country Club
|
76
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Chris Lange, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club
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76
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Connor McNicholas, Lu Lu Country Club
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76
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Jack Melville, Lu Lu Country Club
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76
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Patrick Mitchell, Glenmaura National
Golf Club
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76
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Alex Pillar, CC at Woodloch Springs
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76
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Ron Robinson, Commonwealth National Golf Club
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76
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Griffin Smith, Jericho National Golf Club
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76
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Kevin Cahill, Merion Golf Club
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77
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Robert Firth, Jr., North Hills Country Club
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77
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Brian Fischer, Commonwealth National Golf Club
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77
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Ryan Gelrod, Philadelphia Cricket Club
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77
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Joe Kerrigan, Jr., Llanerch Country
Club
|
77
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Matt Kristick, Blue Bell Country Club
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77
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Daniel Rieger, Sunnybrook Golf Club
|
77
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Andrew Strock, Trenton Country Club
|
77
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|
R.J. Wren, LedgeRock Golf Club
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77
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|
Steve Cerbara, Jericho National Golf
Club
|
78
|
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Bo Maguire, Brookside Country Club
|
78
|
|
Sean Seese, Huntingdon Valley Country
Club
|
78
|
|
T.J. Summers, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
78
|
|
Mike Sydnes, Talamore
Country Club
|
78
|
|
Rodney Anders, Indian Valley Country Club
|
79
|
|
Michael Beran, Spring Ford Country
Club
|
79
|
|
Peter Bradbeer, Merion Golf Club
|
79
|
|
Brian Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club
|
79
|
|
David Kim, Commonwealth National Golf Club
|
79
|
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Casey Lyons, Medford Village Country Club
|
79
|
|
Joseph Morganti, Llanerch
Country Club
|
79
|
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Owen Mulhern, Whitford Country Club
|
79
|
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Greg O'Connor, Bellewood Country Club
|
79
|
|
Benjamin Pochet, Spring Ford Country
Club
|
79
|
|
J.T. Spina, Spring Ford Country Club
|
79
|
|
Christopher Thude, Union League Golf
Club at Torresdale
|
79
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Matthew Walsh, Overbrook Golf Club
|
79
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Eric Williams, Honesdale Golf Club
|
79
|
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Arthur Worthington, Gulph Mills Golf Club
|
79
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Greg Bender, Honeybrook Golf Club
|
80
|
|
Cal Buonocore, Llanerch
Country Club
|
80
|
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Danny Dougherty, DuPont Country Club
|
80
|
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Brad McFadden, Overbrook Golf Club
|
80
|
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Matthew O'Brien, Philadelphia Publinks
GA
|
80
|
|
Connor Sharp, Union League Golf Club at Torresdale
|
80
|
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Brendan Bacskai, Applebrook
Golf Club
|
81
|
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Matt Chalupa, Inniscrone Golf Club
|
81
|
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Matthew Davis, Aronimink Golf Club
|
81
|
|
Alex Golland, Spring Ford Country Club
|
81
|
|
David Hurly, White Manor Country Club
|
81
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Jamie Slonis, Tavistock Country Club
|
81
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Brad Sokol, Green Valley Country Club
|
81
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Lodie Van Tonder, Sakima Country Club
|
81
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Greg Welsh, Talamore Country Club
|
81
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Brett Brenner, Green Valley Country Club
|
82
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Kevin Kramarski, Riverton Country Club
|
82
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Ryan Cass, Merchantville Country Club
|
83
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Robert Good, II, Merion Golf Club
|
83
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Marc Mandel, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
83
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Phillip Villari, Jr., Riverton Country
Club
|
83
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Brett Wallace, Kennett Square Golf & Country Club
|
83
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Jordan Cook, Downingtown Country Club
|
84
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Marc Groenhuysen, Radley Run Country
Club
|
84
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Connor Kelleher, Country Club of Scranton
|
85
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James Gillespie, Little Mill Country Club
|
86
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Brent Schoeller, Huntingdon Valley
Country Club
|
87
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P.J. Acierno, Lu Lu
Country Club
|
90
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Nic Portonova, Coatesville Country
Club
|
102
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Ed Brown, Wild Quail Golf & Country Club
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WD
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Michael Davis, Aronimink Golf Club
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WD
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Steve Oh, Philadelphia Cricket Club
|
WD
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Benjamin Smith, Huntingdon Valley Country Club
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WD
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Eric DeKarski, Greate
Bay Country Club
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NS
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WD-withdrawal; NS-no show
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