ELVERSON, Pa. – Hidden behind Ronan Culligan’s tinted Oakley sunglasses are his Irish eyes that represent a visual time capsule of his golfing life.
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He has a proverbial fairway full of discernable experiences long enough to get him back to his hometown of Ennis, Ireland in County Clare and Lahinch Golf Club, where the game of golf stole his heart.
Thursday at French Creek Golf Club (par 70, 6,285 yards), Culligan added a sight for sore eyes, a glistening trophy for his display case. He is the 17th Brewer Cup Senior-Division champion.
Culligan, the No. 15 seed who earned his spot in a playoff Tuesday for the final match-play spots, defeated No. 5 seed Mark Walkush of Sunnybrook Golf Club, 5&3, in the Final. He ousted No. 3 seed and 2021 finalist John Barry of Lancaster Country Club, 1-up, in the Semifinals.
“This is huge,” Culligan, 60, of Washington Crossing, Pa., said. “I have been playing this game since I was six. I played a lot competitively as a kid. Like many folks, you drift away from the competitive side with a lot of travel and work after your youth. But even through it all, I stuck with the game because it remained a huge part of my life. To win a GAP Major is really an honor.”
Back in Ireland, Culligan was a junior force. He represented his country on numerous occasions. Including the inaugural European Boys’ Team Championship in 1980 at Real Club de Golf El Prat in Spain. Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry are some of the prominent names to have played in that championship throughout the last 43 years.
“I peaked early in golf,” Culligan said. “When I was 15, I made the Irish National Boys’ Team which had kids up to 18 years of age. Then I fell off in my later teens and life got in the way. I had success from a young age but not as much as I am experiencing right now. This by far is my biggest golfing success.”
Nothing got in Culligan’s way in the Final. After making the turn in 2 under and holding a 1-up lead, Culligan gained a stranglehold on the match with birdies on Nos. 12 (par 4, 456 yards) and 13 (par 4, 429 yards), which ranked as the fifth-hardest and most difficult holes, respectively, in stroke-play qualifying.
He hit a 7-iron from 175 yards on No. 12 to 35 feet. He would carefully caress the putt to the bottom of the cup for a 2-up lead. A 4-iron from 180 yards to a foot on No. 13 got him to 3-up. Culligan won No. 14 after surviving a fescue fight with Walkush that resulted in a concession.
The Irishman’s championship moment came on No. 15 (par 3, 198 yards), normally a par 4 that was converted to a par 3 for the final day. Culligan pinned a 7-iron to 15 feet, closing Walkush’s curtain.
“Overall I am pleased,” Walkush, 58, of North Wales, Pa., said. “Ronan certainly deserved to win, he played great. The shots he hit coming down the stretch were phenomenal. Hats off to him. I am improving in these competitions. Someday it will be my turn, but it wasn’t today.”
Culligan, a reserved, yet proud, man, beams with pride when talking about his journey. One that brought him to the United States in 1992. He spent five years working in Boston, Mass. and New York before moving to the Philadelphia area in 1997. He’s making an impact as a GAP Volunteer and a coach at the First Tee Greater Philadelphia.
“I think the humbleness, humility and gratitude is a huge part of the Irish culture,” Culligan, a Saucon Valley member since 2016 and its 2021 Senior Club Champion, said. “You don’t want to stand out. You want to be a part of the crowd. Golf is an affordable game back in Ireland. Growing up at Lahinch, the grounds staff would work the course in the morning than play the course with other members of the community when their day ended. Golf isn’t a country club sport there, it’s a golf club sport. People from all walks of life are participating. If you have any sort of arrogance and entitlement in Ireland, people will jump you down quickly.”
When Culligan walks on the grounds at Saucon Valley for the first time as a GAP Champion in the coming days, he will be greeted with a hero’s welcome. It’s become his home across the pond.
“To follow in the footsteps of the legendary players at Saucon Valley who have won GAP events is everything to me,” Culligan said. “All week Robin McCool, Tom Bartolacci and Matt Mattare were blowing up my phone offering support. That meant so much for them to root me on.”
Bing Crosby’s “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” may play as Culligan drives back home. His Irish Eyes aren’t going to hide behind those sunglasses anymore. With GAP success comes respect and recognition.
“I’ve got a 98-year-old mother back in Ireland who will be beaming from ear-to-ear when she gets this news,” Culligan said. “That’s everything to me.”
Semifinals
Culligan outlasted Barry, 1-up, in the Semifinals. It was a birdie on No. 16 (par 5, 518 yards) that gave Culligan his only lead of the match.
“I played well this week,” Barry, 58, of Lancaster, Pa., said. “My matches came down to the end. It is disappointing to not make it to the finals. Ronan hit a great third shot from the fairway bunker on No. 16 to make birdie. That was the shot of the match and the difference.”
Walkush buried a 25-footer for birdie on No. 18 (par 4, 404 yards) to take out No. 1 seed and medalist Neil Gordon of Doylestown Country Club, 1-up. In a hectic match, only five of the 18 holes were halved and Walkush erased a 3-down deficit through eight holes.
“I am happy with how I played and how I was able to get myself into contention at the end,” Gordon, 56, of Warrington, Pa., said. “I lost Nos. 9, 10 and 11 and was starting to lose my confidence. I wish I could’ve finished stronger. Mark made a great birdie at the last to win. Hats off to him.”
Super-Senior Division
Gary Daniels’ has nearly spent his entire adult life finding things.
In 1988, he founded his financial advising business, Creative Financial Group. More than a decade later, he became a founding member of Applebrook Golf Club (1999). On Thursday, he found his first Super-Senior title in the 17th Brewer Cup at French Creek (par 70, 5,931 yards) after upending No. 3 seed Michael Vassil of Country Club of Scranton, 2&1.
“Gordon is a legend in Philadelphia. He is somebody I have always admired because he was a true amateur. He worked and had a big job, and yet he played at an incredibly high level. He was such a great competitor,” Daniels, 70, of Berwyn, Pa., said. “It’s quite an honor to win this tournament.”
With today’s victory, Daniels becomes the third player to win the Super-Senior Division of the Brewer Cup as the No. 8 seed. White Manor Country Club’s Don Donatoni was the last to do so in 2014.
The opportunity to help people manage and build wealth was the impetus for the founding of his business. A love for the game and the relationships it can build led him to invest in Applebrook.
“[My business] started with twelve advisors and now we have maybe 250 advisors,” Daniels, the 1985 GAP Middle-Amateur Champion, said. “It’s a very successful business we’ve built helping people plan, save and transfer wealth.
“We hired Gil Hanse and I worked with him on the course. I’ve been a leader focusing on making it a great club.”
Daniels becomes the second Applebrook member to win either division of the Brewer Cup. Charles Dowds, III won the Brewer Cup’s Super-Senior Division in 2020.
“It’s hard to win, there’s so many great players in Philadelphia. A lot has to go your way,” Daniels, who won the Senior Division of the 2012 Frank H. Chapman Memorial Cup (Gross), said. “I hit it well all day, I had one bad swing on the back nine. I putted good [too].”
Daniels opened his final match the same way he did his others, by winning No. 1 (par 4, 330 yards). He played the last six holes of the front nine at 4-under-par. Through eight, he had extended his lead to 4-up.
On No. 4 (par 5, 483 yards) he steered a sand wedge from 70 yards to five feet. On No. 7 (par 4, 330 yards) his gap wedge stopped 15 feet away. On No. 8 (par 3, 148 yards) his 7-iron settled just 8 feet away. Vassil won No. 9 (par 4, 362 yards) with a birdie and No. 14 (par 4, 375 yards) with a concession after Daniels failed to escape the fescue following an errant tee shot.
Failed opportunities via missed putts brought Vassil’s momentum to a halt.
“The run that Gary went on with birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 was pretty tough to come back from,” Vassil, 67, of Dalton, Pa., said. “He played sensational golf, I think he was 3 under on the front nine.”
Daniels’ Super-Senior victory was even sweeter with 16-year-old grandson Luke Daniels on his bag.
Daniels asked his grandson to remind him of two key things before every shot. “Take a deep breath,” and swing “slow and wide.” Reminding his grandfather to watch the putter strike the back of the ball was also one of Luke’s responsibilities.
“[To win] with my grandson, Luke, caddying for me [is something] I can’t even put into words,” Daniels said. “He was an instrumental part of this victory. He really did his job beautifully and kept me focused every hole.”
Semifinals
Daniels upset No. 5 seed Ron Weaver of Lancaster Country Club, 4&3. Errant shots left Weaver out of position and led to his loss.
“I could never get into a rhythm. There were a few putts early that I thought I read right that went the other way and that happens,” Weaver, 65, of Lancaster, Pa., said. “Gary played really solid, he deserved to win.”
A three-putt bogey on No. 1 (par 4, 330 yards) had Weaver chasing early. He battled to keep the margin tight, but Daniels’ consistency prevailed.
“Great week. It gives me confidence to know that I’m playing better and that I’m going to be able to compete more and compete with opportunities to win,” Weaver said. “The idea was to play one shot at a time and it worked out pretty well, so I’m excited about that.”
In the other Semifinal match, Vassil made a 20-footer for birdie on No. 16 (par 5, 498 yards) to oust No. 2 seed Brian Rothaus of Five Ponds Golf Club, 3&2. Putting struggles led Rothaus to lose holes despite being in favorable positions.
“I missed a couple short birdie putts,” Rothaus, 68, of Elkins Park, Pa., said. “The back nine just got away from me.”
The friends turned foes for the day tied the front nine despite missing a six footer for birdie on No. 9 (par 4, 362 yards). Vassil took control on the back nine.
“It’s a little intimidating out there. This is not a golf course that’s out in front of you,” Rothaus, the 2021 Super-Senior Brewer Cup Champion, said. “Mike’s a good guy to be with, so I don’t mind losing.”
The Brewer Cup is named in honor of O. Gordon Brewer, Jr., the former president of Pine Valley Golf Club. He is a two-time U.S. Senior Amateur Champion and veteran of 42 USGA Championships. He’s captured two Golf Association of Philadelphia Amateur Championship titles (1967, 1976), a GAP Senior Amateur Championship crown (1997) and a Senior Player of the Year (1997) as well as countless invitational titles. He is a recipient of the USGA’s Bob Jones Award and a member of the GAP Hall of Fame.
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.
Senior Division
Final
15. Ronan Culligan, Saucon Valley Country Club, d. 5. Mark Walkush, Sunnybrook Golf Club, 5&3.
Semifinals
5. Walkush d. 1. Neil Gordon, Doylestown Country Club, 1-up and 15. Culligan d. 3. John Barry, Lancaster Country Club, 1-up.
Super-Senior Division
Final
8. Gary Daniels, Applebrook Golf Club, d. 3. Michael Vassil, Country Club of Scranton, 2&1.
Semifinals
8. Daniels d. 5. Ron Weaver, Lancaster Country Club, 4&3 and 3. Vassil d. 2. Brian Rothaus, Five Ponds Golf Club, 3&2.
