98th Junior Boys’/Junior Team Championship

  Entries opened today for the 98th Junior Boys’/Junior Team Championship.  Torresdale-Frankford CC will serve as the host for the event which is scheduled for Monday-Wednesday, June 25th-27th.  Torresdale-Frankford CC, which was designed by famous golf course architect Donald Ross, also hosted the Junior Boys’ Championship in 2005.  Playing to a par of 70, this tree-lined course might not measure long on the scorecard but with numerous up-hill approaches actually plays measurably longer then it’s 6,381 yard Championship tee suggests.  Torresdale-Frankford CC is also known for it’s severely contoured green complexes!  The Golf Association is also pleased to announce that the 98th Junior Boys’ Championship will be considered a World Golf Amateur Ranking Event and players may click on this link to register on-line for the Championship: http://www.gapgolf.org/event.asp?cmd=ev&id=5&evid=1261&qevid=0&rpage=eventjr.asp

Sterbinsky Passes First Test

Kyle Sterbinsky, Yardley Country Club

  Even an 18th hole bogey couldn’t derail Kyle Sterbinsky’s attempt at passing through the local qualifying stage for the 2012 USGA Open Championship.  The 15-year old Yardley Country Club member finished in a tie for seventh yesterday at Wheatley Hills Golf Club, East Williston, N.Y.  His one-under par round of 71 included four birdies offset by three bogeys.  Kyle was one of the first players to tee off yesterday morning and waited all day before finally receiving word that his score would advance him to Sectional qualifying.  The Yardley, Pa. junior was able to nab one of the nine qualifying positions available and will now head to Sectional qualifying at Canoe Brook CC, Summit, N.J. on Monday, June 4. 

  With his qualification, Sterbinsky takes an early lead in both the William Hyndman, III Player of the Year standings as well as the Junior Player of the Year standings.  Congratulations and best of luck Kyle!

  For full results please click on this link: http://www.mgagolf.org/node/1550

  For a recap of the qualifier, please click on the Long Island Newsday story found here: http://www.newsday.com/sports/golf/lowe-a-step-closer-to-u-s-open-1.3704987

27th Annual Pamela Emory Fox Merion Junior Invitational

 

  On Saturday, April 28th, 95 area juniors teed it up at Merion Golf Club’s West Course for the 27th Annual Pamela Emory Fox Merion Junior Invitational.  The event, which I had the pleasure of playing in back in my junior days, combines skill on the course with skill on the Rules of Golf.  Area clubs send teams of four to compete for the championship.  The format for the event is best three scores out of four (18-hole individual gross) PLUS best three scores out of four on the Rules of Golf test that is administered before the competition.

  This year, Talamore CC’s Jalen Griffin propelled his team to victory, earning medalist honors with an impressive three-under par round of 67.  The Talamore CC team, composed of Griffin, Alex Acciani, Andrew Carber and Isabella Dilisio, defeated their nearest competitors, Yardley CC, by three.  Jackie Rogowicz, who fired the low girls round of the competition with an equally impressive 2-under 68, was also joined on the Yardley CC team by Hank Kaufmann, Ryan Foll and Dylan del Vecchio.  Below you will find a copy of the complete results from the event.  Congratulations to all who competed! 

Jalen Griffin, Talamore Country Club

 

 

27th Annual Pamela Emory Fox Merion Junior Invitational results

The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia Fundraiser

 

Julia Curley, Philadelphia Country Club (left) and Jamie Susanin, Overbrook Golf Club (right) - 2010 Francis X. Hussey Junior Girls Champions

 

  A volunteer foursome from Radnor High School will participate in a 100-hole marathon of golf on Monday, May 21, 2012 at Overbrook GC.  All proceeds will benefit The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia.  The women’s team will be led by Andrew Achenbach, 2011 GAP Middle-Amateur Championship Runner-up, who is the head coach of the Radnor High School golf team. He will be joined by 2012 co-captains Jamie Susanin, Overbrook GC, and Allison Ziegler, Waynesborough CC, along with former captain Caitlin Sullivan.  All three girls were members of the PA State Runner Up team from Radnor High School. 

  Their purpose is to take on a difficult challenge and give back to the golf community and the sport that has given them so much.  They have chosen to raise money to benefit the First Tee of Greater Philadelphia, an organization that provides youth from all backgrounds an opportunity to discover the game of golf and the life lessons it teaches.  Their mission is to “impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character; instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.”

  Overbrook Golf Club has been kind enough to provide a superior facility for 100 holes of golf fundraiser.

  If you would like to support this youth effort, please visit http://www.thefirstteephiladelphia.org/.  On the homepage, simply type in your amount in the Donate box, click the donate button and proceed thru Google checkout.

  All donations to help The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia are greatly appreciated.

Junior Spotlight – R.J. Wren

R.J. Wren, Honeybrook Golf Club

As the calendar turns to May we shine the spotlight on the 2011 GAP Junior-Junior Boys’ Champion, R.J. Wren, Honeybrook GC.  R.J. will be battling the big boys this year as he turns 14 a few days before the GAP junior season begins and we wish him the best of luck.  Let’s see how lucky is is with these questions…

Age: 13

 

High School/Year: Twin Valley High School…will be a freshman this Fall

 

Favorite Subject: Math & Phys Ed

 

Home Club: Honeybrook GC and Applecross CC

 

Handicap Index: 4.8

 

Favorite Course you have played and why: Pebble Beach…all the history there, and being able to play the same holes that famous professionals played…it was really cool playing next to the ocean

 

Favorite Hole and why: 17th at TPC Sawgrass…just exciting to play

 

Competitive Low Round: shot 1 under at Kings Creek last summer in a Phila PGA tournament

 

Golf Instructor: Mr. Eric MacCluen…he’s the best!

 

Greatest Golf Accomplishment: winning the GAP Jr Jr Championship last summer

 

Holes-In-One: I had one on the 17th at Honeybrook when I was 11

 

During the summer, how much time do you spend practicing each week: whenever I’m not playing…probably almost every day I am either playing or practicing

 

During the summer, if you are not on the golf course, what are you most likely doing: playing with my Golden Retreiver, Rootie

 

Golfer (alive/dead) you’d most like to play a match against: Rickie Fowler or Rory McIlroy

 

Favorite tournament you play in all year: Desert Shootout in Scottsdale AZ or the GAP Father/Son with my Dad

 

Golf tournament you’d most like to attend: the Masters

 

Favorite song right now on your IPod: Its My Time by Lonely Island

 

Favorite person to follow on Twitter: I’m not a Twitter follower

 

All time favorite movie: Happy Gilmore…”just tap it in”

 

Are you on Facebook: not allowed

The GAP App

by Tony Regina

I entered the Google Play store and downloaded the newly-released GAP App. You can sound the bias siren, but I think it’s sleek and cool.

I can post scores on the go and check out the latest GAP headlines. I can also view my scoring history, get directions to a Member Club and the 2012 schedule. The GAP Team Matches is right around the corner, and I can even see how other teams fared while relaxing post-round. It’s a great foundation for GAP’s presence in the app world. Like any new venture, we’ll work out the kinks as they come.

Check it out today. Hope you app-reciate it as much as I do.

 

USGA Junior Amateur Poll Question