GAP’s (Golf Association of Philadelphia) 125th tournament season sees a calendar refocused to meet the needs of its members.
The addition of a Women’s Championship; a separate Super-Senior series with expanded opportunities; eligibility for the Parent/Child events (formerly Father-Son); and a singular Net Championship highlight 2022 schedule changes. There is also a significant modification to each GAP Major – the Middle-Amateur Championship, BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship, Open Championship and Joseph H. Patterson Cup, presented by Provident Bank – with the addition of alternates.
The Women’s Championship makes its debut June 9 at Bala Golf Club, site of the 1952 U.S. Women’s Open Championship won by Louise Suggs. The new 18-hole event features an overall competition as well as three divisional champions: Amateur (24 years of age or younger), Middle-Amateur (25 years of age or older) and Senior (50 years of age or older). The overall champion is crowned from the lowest score posted in the Amateur and Middle-Amateur flights.
Three existing Super-Senior competitions will be separated from its traditional Senior tournament counterpart. The Warner Cup, Chapman Cup and Super-Senior Amateur Championship will be administered as stand-alone events. Each will have a 65-and-over Senior division and a 70-and-over Legends division. All events will be limited to 78 players. The Super-Senior Amateur will be 36 holes over two days. There will not be a cut.
The Warner Cup is slated for May 31 at Bala. The Chapman Cup and the Super-Senior Amateur dates and sites are still to be determined. Super-Senior competitors are eligible to compete in Senior (55-years-of-age or older) only events.
There is a significant modification to the Senior Amateur Championship for players 55-years-of-age or older. The field of 144 players for the 36-hole, two day event will now cut to the low 70 players after the opening round. There was no cut previously.
In light of the aforementioned additions, GAP has ended the administration of the following senior competitions: Chapman Cup (Net); Warner Cup (Net) and Senior 27-Hole Challenge.
The Championship Committee, upon its annual review of all GAP tournaments, also removed the Spring Net Championship; Fall Net Championship and Caddie Tournament. Additionally, the Team Championship and its respective qualifier will be placed on pause for 2022 with a determination of its future to be made at a later date.
The Father-Son tournaments have been renamed to reflect today’s modern family as Parent/Child with expanded opportunities for all. Each event, the Parent/Child-Younger; Parent/Child-Middle and Parent/Child-Older, will offer four divisions: Father-Son; Mother-Son; Father-Daughter and Mother-Daughter.
A singular Net Championship takes place at a date and site to be determined with a maximum field of 144 players. There will be a men’s and women’s division.
All four Major Championships will have an alternate pool of players allocated from the respective qualifying events for each tournament. This allows each championship to reach its advertised field size.
Each Qualifying site will generate an alternate pool proportionate to the number of positions available at each site from those that miss the cut. Alternate positions will be determined by the recommended USGA tie breaking method: Comparing the gross score from the last 9 holes, last 6 holes, last 3 holes, last hole, and if still tied, positions will be decided by lot.
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 330 Member Clubs and 90,000 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.
