121st GAP Open: Round Two

Galloway’s Nicholas makes Open history

WILMINGTON, Del.– The Drue Nicholas career arc has quickly reached historic heights.

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Nicholas became the second person to win the Amateur and Open in the same calendar year (1987), joining the legendary R. Jay Sigel. Nicholas officially entered the chat with a record-setting triumph in the 121^st Open Championship Thursday at Bidermann Golf Course (par 72, 7,003 yards). The amateur from Galloway National Golf Club finished the 36 holes at 12 under (132 total), establishing a new low score in relation to par. The prior mark was 10 under. Professional Braden Shattuck, in a 2023 win, was the last to register that number. Ironically, Shattuck finished runner-up to Nicholas today with a score of 9 under. He did earn the $8,000 low-professional prize.

“I said Wednesday expectations aren’t important to me because I think expectations are bad,” said Nicholas, who defeated Patrick Isztwan to win the BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship in June at Aronimink Golf Club. “But when it comes to accomplishments and winning stuff, of course, I want to win stuff. And so that’s why I say it’s nice to get the monkey off my back because day-to-day expectations I don’t think are good. As far as milestones go, I do have those expectations.”

Nicholas burst onto the GAP scene in the 2022 Joseph H. Patterson Cup with a stunning victory over multiple Major Champion Michael R. Brown, Jr. in a five-hole playoff. Thirty-five months later, Nicholas joins Brown and a select group of others piercing the Hall of Fame conversation.

“I guess I was a nobody in terms of the GAP scene but I was pretty good in junior golf and went to N.C. State. They were Top 10 in the country. I had a lot of things going for me,” said Nicholas, who graduated from Drexel University a few weeks ago. “As far as the GAP scene goes, I felt like I was capable of winning those things. You don’t think you are till you actually do it. Winning the Patterson Cup was big. I still wouldn’t call myself a somebody. I’m going to work at 8 a.m. tomorrow. GAP is a tight-knit community. It’s great to be part of that and have a pretty good reputation.”

The Open returned to Bidermann for the first time in 50 years. It’s last visit, in 1975, saw the recently deceased Sigel register a historic 12-shot victory, still a record today. Sigel, known for his steely game, would have approved of the Nicholas second-round moxie.

Nicholas entered the final 18 holes a stroke to the good after setting a Bidermann competitive course-record 65 Wednesday. Shattuck sat in second as his closest pursuer, a shot back.

Early in Round 2, Shattuck sizzled on a hot, muggy day. He birdied five of his first seven holes to forge a three-shot lead. Shattuck’s torrid pace included driving No. 7 (par 4, 307 yards) and two-putting for birdie. After seven holes, Shattuck stood at 11 under, Nicholas was at 8 under.

“It felt like I had some good momentum going early. I was making a lot of birdies. I hit a great shot into No. 9. I had six feet straight up the hill to get it to 9 under and missed it,” said Shattuck, 30, of Chadds Ford, Pa. “And then the next three holes I proceeded to miss short putts inside four feet. It was a bad stretch of putting there that brought everything back. It was back-and-forth all day long. He battled hard and so did I.”

Putting woes, yes. Nicholas percolating, absolutely.

Nicholas clipped a crisp chip on No. 10 (par 4, 477 yards), from 10 yards short of the green, to five feet and saved par. Shattuck’s 6-iron sailed long after the wind changed direction. He missed his five-footer for bogey.

On No. 11 (par 3, 155 yards), Nicholas dropped an 8-iron from the clouds to a tucked, left hole location guarded by water and bunkers to six feet. Shattuck, too, found the putting surface. He rolled his 18-foot birdie try four feet past and his follow up missed.

Both players stood at 9 under.

On No. 12 (par 5, 516 yards), Nicholas retook the lead for good. He hit a classy, nipped pitch from 30 yards to three feet and made birdie. Shattuck’s third, from the right rough short of the green, stopped 20 feet short of the cup. His birdie putt missed.

The two remained that way until No. 15 (par 5, 541 yards). Nicholas’ drive landed in the right fairway bunker forcing a layup. Shattuck, with an opening, to reach the green in two, watched his 2-iron from 250 yards, drift into the left greenside bunker. Nicholas responded in championship form. He dropped a dart of a wedge from 60 yards to eight feet and made birdie. Shattuck managed par.

Nicholas added another red circle on No. 17 (par 4, 416 yards) for some icing.

“You knew Shattuck was going to come at you,” said Nicholas, 23, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J. “I kind of wanted to get into a dog fight. He’s the best in this area. When he comes at you hot out the gate, I just told myself, if he continues and I stay at 1-under [for the round], it’s not going to be the story of Drew Nicholas losing the Philly Open, it’s going to be that Shattuck winning the Philly Open, which he was.

“[This was] a cool opportunity to try and do something good. We’re not there quite yet, because I was down by three. And then stuff just started happening and it was a nice feeling.

“I just kept telling myself all day, ‘How lucky am I to do something that would be, like, pretty cool to do,’ And that stayed in my head all day.”

History is cool. Especially when you write it.

Open Championship
The Philadelphia Open is the third oldest championship of its kind in the country, behind only the U.S. Open and Western Open. It formed at the behest of the best – professionals that is. “Professional golfers in and around Philadelphia have some cause for satisfaction in that their claims to official recognition have at last been acknowledged. The Golf Association of Philadelphia announces a tournament for the pros to be held over the links of the Philadelphia Cricket Club at Wissahickon Heights Oct. 23-24,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reported in 1903. GAP Magazine profiled the Philadelphia Open in its Summer 2024 issue.

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.