“Siri, set an appointment on my calendar.”
| Full schedule |
Better make sure that line is ready for repeated use. The 2022 GAP schedule — No. 125 in the organization’s history — primes plenty of Siri reminders.
More than 70 events for players of all ages (Junior, Amateur, Senior and Super Senior) and skill levels (Championship and Handicap) comprise the calendar. GAP’s tournament season officially begins with Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifying at Olde Homestead Golf Club in April and concludes with Volunteers Day (Philadelphia) at Laurel Creek Country Club in October.
The 2022 schedule includes the addition of a Women’s Championship as well as three separate Super-Senior events. Furthermore, a singular GAP Net Championship will be offered (date and venue to be determined).
GAP removed the following events from its schedule: Caddie Tournament, Chapman Cup (Net); Tee It Forward — Fall Net Championship, Tee It Forward — Spring Net Championship, Senior 27-Hole Challenge and Warner Cup (Net). It also placed the Team Championship and its respective qualifier on pause for 2022.
The aforementioned Women’s Championship will take place June 9 at Bala Golf Club, site of the 1952 U.S. Women’s Open Championship won by Louise Suggs. It 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 oldest interclub competition of its kind in the nation, the BMW GAP Team Matches will feature 388 teams representing 160 Member Clubs. LuLu Country Club captured its first title a year ago, edging Huntingdon Valley Country Club by 4.5 points. BMW returns as the event’s presenting sponsor for the eighth consecutive year.
Philadelphia’s top golfers strive for a chance to win a GAP Major. Here is the 2022 rundown:
Saturday qualifying events continue for the Middle-Amateur (April 13 at Olde Homestead) and BMW Philadelphia Amateur (May 21 at Inniscrone Golf Club), respectively. Three qualifying events will be held for both the Open Championship and Joseph H. Patterson Cup.
The Brewer Cup, set for July 11-13 at Blue Bell Country Club, is the only shared Major space for individuals 55 years of age or older. As mentioned, three separate Super-Senior (individuals 65 years of age or older) events — Francis B. Warner Cup May 31 at Bala; the Frank H. Chapman Memorial Cup with Live Scoring presented by NJM Insurance Group June 30 at Merion Golf Club (West) and Super-Senior Amateur Championship (Aug.17-18 at Coatesville Country Club) — will be administered. The Senior compliment of each is as follows: Warner Cup with Live Scoring presented by NJM Insurance Group May 5 at The 1912 Club); the Chapman Cup June 6 at Indian Valley Country Club and 52nd Senior Amateur Championship with Live Scoring presented by NJM Insurance Group Sept. 6-7 at Steel Club.
The GAP Junior circuit offers opportunities for individuals 18 years of age or younger who haven’t started their college education. It includes the 108th Junior Boys’ Championship with Live Scoring presented by NJM Insurance Group (date and site to be determined); Francis X. Hussey Memorial at Rolling Green Golf Club (July 5); Christman Cup at Lookaway Golf Club (July 14); Jock MacKenzie Memorial at Sandy Run Country Club (July 18) and The Deeg Sezna at Golden Oaks Golf Club (Aug. 2). The Pre-Junior, an instructional event for individuals 11 years of age or younger, will take place at Philadelphia Cricket Club (St. Martins) July 6. The 74th Junior-Junior Boys’ Championship, open to individuals 11-13 years of age, is set for July 25-27 at Phoenixville Country Club.
An eligibility change aims to bring more families into the fold. GAP renamed its Father-Son tournaments “Parent/Child.” 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. Hershey’s Mill Golf Club will host the Older edition, open to teams with children 30 years of age or older, on Sept. 15. Dates and venues will be determined for both the Middle (19-29 years of age) and Younger (19 years of age or younger) iterations, respectively.
In addition to the inaugural Women’s Championship, GAP, for the fourth consecutive year, will conduct its Women’s Spring Scramble with Live Scoring presented by NJM Insurance Group May 4 at Huntingdon Valley Country Club and Mixed Foursomes Championship Sept. 1 at Yardley Country Club. Overall, females will be eligible to participate in 15 GAP events in 2022.
GAP will administer qualifying events for 12 USGA championships: U.S. Open (May 9 at White Manor Country Club, May 12 at Country Club of York and Legacy Club of Woodcrest, May 16 at Glen Oak Country Club); U.S. Senior Open (May 19 at Doylestown Country Club), U.S. Junior Amateur (June 20 at Carlisle Country Club, June 23 at Huntsville Golf Club); U.S. Girls’ Junior (June 29 at Steel Club); U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur (July 6 at Northampton Country Club); U.S. Amateur (July 13 at Rolling Green Golf Club, July 21 at Chambersburg Country Club, July 25 at Applebrook Golf Club); U.S. Senior Women’s Open (July 26 at Lehigh Country Club); U.S. Senior Amateur (Aug. 8 at Old York Road Country Club); U.S. Mid-Amateur (Aug. 9 at Blue Bell Country Club, Aug. 19 at Carlisle Country Club); U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur (Aug. 18 at Stonewall (North)); U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball (Aug. 23 at Llanerch Country Club) and U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (Oct. 11 at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club).
The Pro.-President, open to golf professionals and club presidents of GAP Member Clubs, returns in 2022 following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will take place May 18 at Overbrook Golf Club. The event includes lunch, golf, cocktails, dinner and a presentation. The 17th Player’s Dinner, which did return in 2021 following a one-year hiatus, will take place Oct. 19 at North Hills Country Club.
GAP will be represented in four honorary team events. The 60th Compher Cup with Live Scoring presented by NJM Insurance Group, a bout against the New Jersey State Golf Association, comes to Tavistock Country Club April 27. The 58th Williamson Cup, a distinguished Junior competition, will take place Aug. 8-9 at Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria, Va. Top amateurs and professionals collide during the 30th Philadelphia Challenge Matches Oct. 18 at Saucon Valley Country Club (Grace). The 33rd Senior Challenge Matches showcases eight-man teams from Delaware, GAP, New Jersey and Maryland on Oct. 6 at Country Club of Maryland in Towson, Md.
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.
