MALVERN, Pa. – Danny Lewis was humbled quickly. But he couldn’t fathom leaving golf.
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Lewis played three events on the formerly named Hooters Tour after turning professional and missed every cut. He shot 5 under for two rounds at Cherry Blossom Golf Club, his home course as a student at Northern Kentucky University in a Hooters Tour event, and didn’t make the cut.
He learned that he wasn’t cut out for playing. He switched to trying to be a club professional.
“Like a lot of guys I tried to give the game a chance as a playing professional, and it didn’t last long,” Lewis, 35, of Willow Grove, Pa., said. “I love the game so I wanted to find a way to be around golf. Seeing what the professional ranks were like was eye opening.”
Lewis, playing in his first Philadelphia Open, carded a 2-under-par 68 after the first round of the 120th edition Tuesday at Applebrook Golf Club (par 70, 6,776 yards).
“I didn’t know what to expect being my first time here,” Lewis said. “I have heard nothing but great things about Applebrook. I gave myself a lot of good looks.”
Lewis, originally hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, found early success in his first trip around Applebrook.
Starting on the back nine, Lewis birdied Nos. 10 (par 5, 532 yards) and 11 (par 3, 123 yards). He slung a 4-iron from 222 yards and chipped his third to four feet. A gauged gap wedge on No. 11 to three feet kept his chances to birdie every hole alive.
Consecutive bogeys early on his second nine cooled him off, but Lewis closed the book on his round the way he started: with two consecutive birdies. A saucy 60-yard pitch to seven feet got him back in red figures on No. 8 (par 5, 579 yards). A pristine pitching wedge on No. 9 (par 3, 149 yards) to three feet solidified his standing.
Lewis spent six years as an assistant pro at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal, N.J. During his time at Hollywood, he won the 2020 New Jersey PGA Professional Championship. Last year, he was the New Jersey PGA’s Rolex Assistant Player of the Year.
This past March, Lewis became the Head Golf Professional at Philadelphia Cricket Club (St. Martins).
“Working at Cricket has been great,” Lewis said. “Getting a chance to work for Jim Smith, Jr. [the Director of Golf] is one of the many great things about being there. We have a huge junior program. The craziest thing for me is that we have close to 1,200 members. At Hollywood Golf Club we had about 400 members. Just trying to learn every one’s name has been a challenge. They say it takes two to three years to get accustomed to everyone. I am enjoying myself there. It is an amazing place.”
Only two shots behind the leaders, Lewis is primed to make a charge.
“I know the area has such well-respected players,” Lewis said. “Getting off to a good start will be important. I don’t want to put too much pressure on my ball striking. There are some holes you can score on, and it frees you up on the harder ones.”
Thomas Weir’s life journey follows the road less traveled. Nothing holds him in place.
But if it weren’t for a call from a friend, he may never have found the game he loves.
“My first job was working at McDonald’s,” Weir, 26, of Newtown Square, Pa., said. “A friend of mine was caddying at Aronimink and told me I should come by. I’ve been there for 13 years now. At the time, I knew nothing about golf, but the caddiemaster Tom Foley was very good to me. He still is. I am grateful to him for giving me a chance.”
Weir, who also caddied at Applebrook in the past, finds himself in the hunt at a familiar venue. A 68 puts him only two shots back of the leaders heading into the final round of the 120th Philadelphia Open.
“I know the lay of the land well and am relatively comfortable out here,” Weir said. “I love Applebrook. It is an awesome golf course. The wind made it quite hard this afternoon. But I am pleased with how I finished.”
Weir kickstarted his round with birdies on Nos. 2 (par 4, 368 yards) and 3 (par 4, 309 yards). A full-swing flop shot from 50 yards to inside the friend zone got him below par. An exquisite two-putt on No. 3 got him the second red figure.
He would play the rest of the holes in blustery conditions in level par.
“I’ve been playing in GAP and state stuff for the last four years, and this is the best year I’ve had yet,” Weir said. “I started taking golf more seriously once I started playing in the GAP stuff. I feel like I have good hands which helps me with my iron play and feel shots around the green. I used to think that 18 pars was good enough but in reality you have to make birdies out here.”
Weir’s first taste of GAP success came in a 2018 victory in the sunsetted Caddie Tournament at Bala Golf Club. He became the first All-American for Delaware County Community College after finishing in the top five in the Division III National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III Men’s Golf Championship in 2018 as the school’s only representative.
Eighteen holes separate Weir from what he’s been seeking. GAP Major glory. Tons of birdies are on his championship menu.
“Playing competitively in the GAP events and qualifiers is why I play the game,” Weir, of Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association, said. “There’s nothing better for your game. Every shot counts and pressure is a privilege as they say. I love golf, and I have been lucky to have an opportunity in this great game. If you aren’t trying your best, why are you out here?”
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 340 Member Clubs and 110,000 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.
