What’s the bigger story in golf: Rory McIlroy’s completion of the Grand Slam, or Week One of the BMW GAP Team Matches?
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It’s a rhetorical question. You’re here for the latter.
Division AA of the 123rd BMW GAP Team Matches told — better yet retold — the 2024 Playoff story. All four reigning participants prevailed.
Defending champion LuLu Country Club 1 (1–0) issued a dominant 48–6 win over Applebrook Golf Club 1 (0–1). Its brethren, LuLu Country Club 2 (1–0), defeated Bent Creek Country Club, 36.5–17.5. In Section 2, Philadelphia Cricket Club 1 (1–0) thwarted three-time BMW GAP Team Matches Champions (2011-12, 2016) Little Mill Country Club (0–1), 32.5–21.5. Huntingdon Valley Country Club 1 (1–0), which holds the most BMW GAP Team Matches titles with 36), pounced Llanerch Country Club 1 (0–1), 45–9.
Division AA is the top tier of the BMW GAP Team Matches.
“I’m very happy with how we played,” Jim Sullivan, Jr., who heads LuLu’s captains committee for both its first and second teams, said. “I think everyone [in Division AA] is in a similar mode: based on weather, not having had a chance to play much golf and to feel really sharp. The last few winters have been sort of mild and more golf friendly. LuLu is an active golf place, meaning a ton of guys play golf when possible. This winter, it just hasn’t been possible. So, you’re trying to figure out what you having going into the Team Matches, and based on the results, both teams played really well. It was a good day for the Lu.”
LuLu Country Club 1 marches on without a marquee name in Michael R. Brown, Jr., who is pursuing a professional career at the senior level. Brown is a GAP Grand Slam Champion (2022 BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship, 2018 Joseph H. Patterson Cup, 2010 Open Championship, 2009 Middle-Amateur Championship) and three-time William Hyndman, III Player of the Year (2010, 2018, 2022).
Newcomer Hayden Moffatt filled that vacancy in Week One. The Gettysburg College alum earned 2.5 singles points and swept the better-ball portion alongside reigning GAP Open Champion Jon Rusk.
“When you pull out one of your stars, one of your No. 1 guys [in Michael R. Brown, Jr.], it’s really difficult to replace. We’ll try to do that with depth,” Sullivan, 50, of Glenside, Pa., said. “Hayden will do a good job, but I don’t know if he’s ready to fill Brownie’s shoes yet. We’ll spread that responsibility across everybody and hope everybody can pick up the pieces.”
LuLu Country Club 2 gained a pair of potentially key pieces in Cole Hamilton and Thomas Lewis. Playing in the final group at home in Week One, the duo halved the better-ball portion. Hamilton accrued 2.5 singles points, Lewis 1 against Bent Creek.
“They’re great additions to the club. They’ve been around the club for a few years and worked their way into the Division AA lineups,” Sullivan said. “That’s what you need. You need people who are developing and growing. It’s great to see that happen.”
The BMW GAP Team Matches will pause in observance of Easter on April 20. Week Two is set for April 27. LuLu Country Club 1 will battle its neighbor in North Hills Country Club (the venues are a mile apart). North Hills (1–0) edged Glenmaura National Golf Club, 28–26, in Week One. LuLu Country Club 2 opposes The 1912 Club (1–0), which belted Saucon Valley Country Club, 45–9, in Week One.
“North Hills has been building their program, picking up better players. It will be a short commute, right down the road,” Sullivan said. “The 1912 Club … talk about a challenge. That’s a strong statement from 1912 to start off the year. We’re certainly going to do our best, but I think we have serious work cut out for us.”
Philadelphia Cricket Club 1 worked overtime to topple Little Mill. The first group set the tone at home. Gregor Orlando, the 2017 BMW Philadelphia Amateur Champion, defeated reigning Patterson Cup Champion and 2023 William Hyndman, III Player of the Year Troy Vannucci. He and Andrew Curran, who also earned three singles points, swept the better-ball portion.
“It’s always exciting to see two of the better middle-amateurs in the GAP show down,” Conrad Von Borsig, Philadelphia Cricket Club’s captain, said. “Gregor is finally healthy, knock on wood. He’s had some back issues off and on the last few years, but he’s been feeling great. He’s playing absolutely incredible golf. He shot 66 in our season-opening tournament. It was good to see.”
Week Two keeps Philadelphia Cricket Club 1 in South Jersey. It will face Tavistock Country Club (0–1), which lost to LedgeRock Golf Club (1–0), 36.5 –17.5, in Week One.
“I think Tavistock is really tough. They have a pretty big home-course advantage,” Von Borsig, 38, of Fort Washington, Pa., said. “We’re definitely looking to shake some things up with the lineup just in terms of people who have experience at Tavistock, who may fit that course better.”
Everything seemed to fit for Huntingdon Valley in Week One. Eleven singles match wins, 15.5 better-ball points.
“Llanerch’s tough. We knew they are always going to be tough to go against regardless of what order we put people in. We happened to all play pretty well,” Andrew Mason, Huntingdon Valley’s captain, said. “We didn’t have anybody get zero points. When you do that at the individual level, that’s where you’re probably going to win most matches. It was a full team effort.”
Huntingdon Valley more than made up for the absences of Andy Butler, Kyle Martin and Patrick Isztwan in Week One. Furthermore, it welcomed the return of Steve Cerbara to the lineup. Cerbara turned professional in 2022 and competed on the mini-tour circuit.
“He got his amateur status back and is really excited to play competitive golf again. Having Steve helps us a ton. He’s a valuable asset and someone we’re excited to have back,” Mason, 36, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., said.
In Week Two, Huntingdon Valley will oppose seven-time BMW GAP Team Matches Champions (1948-50, 1981, 1986, 1988, 2014) Overbrook Golf Club (0–1). Overbrook fell to Merion Golf Club (1–0), 31.5–22.5, in Week One.
“Overbrook is a perennial heavyweight in the Team Matches. We’ve really just got to go play good golf,” Mason said. “We’re definitely looking forward to the competition.”
BMW GAP Team Matches
The genesis of GAP’s founding in 1897, the BMW GAP Team Matches started with Belmont Golf Association (Aronimink Golf Club today), Merion Cricket Club, Philadelphia Country Club and Philadelphia Cricket fielding a first and second team with six players per side. Merion Cricket’s top squad earned the traditional winner’s wooden plaque. First known as the Interclub Team Matches, the event changed to the Suburban League Matches in 1915 before adopting its current moniker in 1997. BMW has served as the event’s presenting sponsor since 2015. The BMW GAP Team Matches has been contested annually since 1897, save World War II (1943-45), a severe ice storm (1994) and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020).
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 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.
