114th Parent/Child (Middle/Older)

Kliewers set scoring record, triumph at Talamore

AMBLER, Pa. — Craig and Alan Kliewer did this before. And they did it again Monday.

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The Lebanon Country Club members set an event scoring record in the Parent/Child (Middle/Older), carding a 9-under-par 62 at Talamore Country Club. The Kliewers won the Super-Senior Division (par 71, 4,903 yards) in the event’s 114^th edition.

In 2014, they set a scoring benchmark of 5 under, in relation to par, en route to victory at Burlington Country Club. The Kliewers now hold five Parent/Child titles (2013-14, 2019, 2021) overall.

The event’s format is greensomes (selective drive/alternate shot).

“It’s amazing how we play golf together. It’s a natural understanding,” Craig, 65, said. “We played in the Lancaster County Better-Ball Championship a few weeks ago, and we finished fifth. We weren’t going to shoot 19 under, but we shot 11 under. The competitive nature we have.”

“When we look at putts together, we see the same line. When most of your golf is playing with your dad, you feel comfortable,” Alan, 37, added. “Everything we do, we know how to coach the other because we’ve been beside each other for so many years.”

The Ephrata, Pa. residents, who started on the back nine, played their last eight holes in 7 under. Yes, 7 under.

The fireworks started on No. 2 (par 4, 256 yards) when Craig drove the green and Alan drained a 25-footer for eagle. Craig nearly drove No. 3 (par 4, 256 yards) green as well, leaving Alan with an eagle attempt from the fringe. He lagged it to five feet; Craig cleaned up the birdie putt. On No. 4 (par 3, 88 yards), Alan lifted a wedge to 12 feet. Craig converted the birdie try. Another Alan setup unfolded on the par 5, 420-yard No. 5. He hit a 9-iron 153 yards to 28 feet. Craig lagged the eagle attempt to three feet; Alan cleaned up the birdie putt.

The par 4, 271-yard No. 7 illustrated the significance of the Kliewer team’s synchronicity. Craig thought Alan should play a 30-yard pitch onto the green. Alan disagreed. He insisted on playing his tee shot, which settled in greenside rough on a downhill lie. Craig acquiesced.

“I have no problem hitting those shots. I feel comfortable with it,” Craig said.

Ball below his feet, Craig softly swiped a 60-degree wedge. It stopped two feet from the hole. Birdie. He closed the team’s campaign by driving No. 9 (par 4, 232 yards) green, setting the stage for a two-putt birdie from 40 feet.

“When you shoot 9 under, a lot of things go in. Once you get it going, it goes,” Craig said. “We love the format.”

“It looked like we were going to shoot over par when we started. The next we know, we shoot 9 under,” Alan added. “It’s funny how golf works.”

Middle & Senior Divisions
A birdie on the final hole proved prudent for a pair of teams at Talamore.

Dan and D.J. Pinciotti knew they needed to ink red on No. 18 (par 4, 470 yards) to claim the event’s Middle Division (par 71, 6,231 yards). D.J. deposited a downhill 10-footer for birdie.

Mike and Dan Brown knew they needed to ink red on No. 9 (par 4, 268 yards) to force a scorecard playoff in the event’s Senior Division (par 71, 5,795 yards). Dan brushed in a two-footer for birdie.

“I stood over a two-footer where I was like, ‘If I don’t make this, he’s going to be really mad,’” Dan, 38, of Broomall, Pa. said. “I knew if we made birdie, we would beat them on the back nine. It’s good to finally get a W.”

The Llanerch Country Club members defeated Philadelphia Country Club’s Michael and James Gradisek by virtue of back nine score, the USGA-recommended tiebreaking method. They finished that stretch of Talamore at 36 (even), the Gradisek team 39 (3 over).

“It’s a long time coming,” Mike, 63, of Havertown, Pa., said. “We’ve played in this event for about a decade now. We’ve done well [most years], but you sort of say, ‘If we just did one more …’”

“It’s really cool to get to do this with your dad. I played a lot of golf with my dad growing up,” Dan said. “He took my daughter (Cori) out golfing yesterday from 50 yards at Llanerch. Golf is an important part of our lives.”

Aware of Talamore’s demands, the Pinciotti team developed a strategy.

“I try to find a fairway, and he tries to hit a driver as far as he possibly can. See if we can find it, get it on the green and try to make a birdie or par,” Dan, 54, said. “It worked out pretty well until No. 5.”

The dreaded double cross. On No. 5 (par 5, 549 yards), D.J. flailed a mini driver from 285 yards left. Hello houses. Out of bounds. The Ivlyand, Pa. residents walked away with a triple bogey.

“That was all me,” D.J., 23, said. “We had a lot of good tee shots that ended up in some really bad spots. Not being used to that was definitely a challenge.”

The Huntingdon Valley Country Club members, however, are accustomed to success in the event. The Pinciotti team won the Middle Division in 2022. They are now getting accustomed to a player-caddie dynamic. Dan shouldered the bag for D.J. a week ago at Waynesborough Country Club during the Joseph H. Patterson Cup presented by Provident Bank. D.J. missed the cut with a score of 81.

“Good caddie, bad execution,” he said. “It’s been cool, getting to go off of his experiences. I felt like this year I made a couple of GAP Majors [the Patterson Cup and the Open Championship], but didn’t really play well. It was more of a learning year. He’s been super helpful with figuring out how to play in these events. It’s been awesome picking his brain.”

“He’s really coming around, really hitting some good iron shots,” Dan added. “He just has to have that confidence to let it happen. His game is good enough.”

NOTES
James Gradisek aced No. 8 (par 3, 159 yards) with a 9-iron. It marked the fourth hole-in-one of his career. Gradisek, 22, of Wayne, Pa., is a fifth-year senior at Appalachian State University … In an effort to enhance the player experience, GAP merged the Parent/Child – Middle and Parent/Child – Older in 2025. The Parent/Child – Middle, originally known as the Father & Son (Middle), started in 2008.

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 130,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.