Billy Pabst got his revenge.
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The Elmhurst Country Club member carded a 2-under-par 69 to take the 13th AGA/GAP Spring Stroke Play Championship June 3 at a gorgeous Glenmaura National Golf Club (par 71, 6,308 yards).
In last year’s Spring Stroke Play at the same venue, Pabst tied for sixth with a 3-over-par 74.
“It was nice to redeem myself this year,” Pabst, 17, of Roaring Brook Township, Pa., said. “The difference between this year and last year was maturing in my shot selections and getting used to better course management.”
Pabst took care of business early by carding birdies on Nos. 1 (par 5, 557 yards), 4 (par 4, 374 yards), 7 (par 3, 173 yards) and 14 (par 5, 543 yards).
“Glenmaura is a very demanding course,” Pabst, the 2019 Junior Sportsperson of the Year, said. “The key is to keep everything in play, and that’s the focus I had throughout the day. I thought I lost momentum after missing a putt for par on No.15. However, making an eight-foot putt for par on No. 16 gave me the necessary momentum to finish the last two holes strong.”
Pabst, a junior at North Pocono High School, looks to build off the momentum from his Stroke Play win in the upcoming 121st BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship at Cedarbrook Country Club.
“My focus right now is to make the Top 32 and go from there,” Pabst said. “The field is loaded with all good players, so I’m looking forward to competing with everyone.”
Senior & Super Senior
A pair of AGA/GAP veterans and StoneHedge Golf Course members with plenty of Glenmaura National experience also earned hardware Thursday.
Bob Andrejko, the 2019 AGA/GAP Senior Player of the Year, carded an even-par 71 to take the Senior Division (par 71, 6,120 yards) while Robin Bonda carded a 4-over-par 75 to capture the event’s Super-Senior (par 71, 5,506 yards) title.
“While playing Glenmaura, you have to keep the ball in play, and that’s what I did all day long,” Andrejko, 61, of Jessup, Pa., said. “This win was big because there were a lot of players not from the area, and it was fun to compete against them and get a win.”
“I love playing here, and while the greens are tricky, Glenmaura is my favorite course,” Bonda, 66, of Peckville, Pa., said. “I was thrilled to win this event. It’s a gratifying achievement, and it makes me appreciate Glenmaura even more.”
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 Association’s 300 Member Clubs and 80,000 individual members are spread across the Eastern half of Pennsylvania and parts of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
