121st GAP Open: Round One

Amateur Champion Nicholas makes opening statement

WILMINGTON, Del.–Drue Nicholas is approaching rarified airspace.

| Open Portal | Scoring Portal | History | Round One Video | Round One Notebook | Photo Gallery |

Nicholas, the reigning BMW Philadelphia Amateur titleholder, navigated a sweltering Bidermann Golf Course (par 72, 6,934 yards) Wednesday in the first round of the 121^st Open Championship to the tune of 7-under 65. He is 18 holes shy of joining legendary R. Jay Sigel as the only other player to win the Amateur and Open in the same calendar year (1987). The Amateur Championship is 125 years old.

Historic, yes. Apropos, definitely. This is the 50-year anniversary of Sigel’s historic 12-shot Open victory at Bidermann.

A total of 65 players made the cut, which fell at 3 over. The final round begins at 7:30 a.m. Nicholas, pro Braden Shattuck (6 under) of Rolling Green Golf Club, and rising high school senior Charlie Barrickman (5 under) of Radley Run Country Club start at 11:30 a.m.

“I didn’t want to let the round get away from me in a bad way,” said Nicholas, who opened with four birdies in his first six holes. “Luckily everything went right. The goal was to pretty much stick around for tomorrow.”

When asked about joining Sigel, Nicholas, 23, of Galloway National Golf Club and Egg Harbor Township, N.J., said, “That’s pretty good. We’ll see what we can do.”

Nicholas’ mark also established a new Bidermann competitive course record since the completion of Andrew Green’s renovation two summers ago. This was his first round at Bidermann.

Nicholas carded eight birdies and a bogey. The highlight was a chip­-in on No. 9 (par 4, 412 yards) from 30 yards. He clipped the trees with his drive and came up short of the green with his second shot. He made three while “staring five in the face.”

Shattuck, a former Bidermann assistant professional, stands a shot back. He carded identical nine-hole scores of 33, opening and closing his round with birdie threes. Shattuck is a perennial Philadelphia PGA Section contender. This year, he finished second in the Haverford Philadelphia PGA Classic amongst other top finishes. He won the 2023 PGA Professional Championship and the 2023 Open at Lookaway Golf Club. In 2021, when he was a Bidermann assistant, Shattuck captured the Delaware Open.

“It’s nice to see all the members that I was friends with when I was here,” said Shattuck, 30, of Chadds Ford, Pa. “I keep in contact with a lot of them. It was to cool to see all of them out here supporting the tournament and supporting me.”

Shattuck moved to Rolling Green as its Director of Instruction in 2022.

“The game has been really good this season. It just hasn’t clicked,” said Shattuck. “I haven’t gotten a win yet. I’ve been shooting some really good scores and hitting a lot of good shots. I just haven’t gotten it done yet.”

Barrickman is on the verge of history himself. At age 17, the rising Unionville High School senior would be the youngest winner in the history of the event. That title belongs to John J. McDermott, who at age 18 in 1910, won the first of his three Opens.

One hole into his first Open Championship, Barrickman day’s looked lost. He started on No. 10 (par 4, 442 yards) with a double bogey after air-mailing the green with his pitching wedge approach.

He responded with a deuce on No. 11 (par 3, 175 yards) and made the turn even.

“We stayed patient,” said Barrickman.

His front nine was filled with red.

On No. 2 (par 5, 506 yards), Barrickman made eagle courtesy of a 5-iron from 210 yards to five feet. Birdies on No. 4 (par 3, 201 yards), No. 6 (par 5, 545 yards), No. 7 (par 4, 323 yards) and No. 9 (par 4, 412 yards) got the youngster to thinking.

“It just felt like I was on a roll. I didn’t think I was playing that crazy good,” said Barrickman, of West Chester, Pa. “After I made birdie on my 16^th hole, I said, ‘OK we are doing something here.’”

Barrickman’s only other GAP Major experience came in last year’s Amateur at Whitemarsh Valley.

The venue is a familiar one for Barrickman. He’s scooted around Bidermann a handful of times, typically with his school team.

Open Championship
The Philadelphia Open is the third oldest championship of its kind in the country, behind only the U.S. Open and Western Open. It formed at the behest of the best – professionals that is. “Professional golfers in and around Philadelphia have some cause for satisfaction in that their claims to official recognition have at last been acknowledged. The Golf Association of Philadelphia announces a tournament for the pros to be held over the links of the Philadelphia Cricket Club at Wissahickon Heights Oct. 23-24,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reported in 1903. GAP Magazine profiled the Philadelphia Open in its Summer 2024 issue.

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 130,000 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.