NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – In a topsy-turvy edition of the 125th BMW Philadelphia Amateur, it’s a 45-year-old past champion with chronic neck and back issues grabbing headlines. Scott Ehrlich of Waynesborough Country Club, the 2004 BMW Philadelphia Amateur Champion, scraped his way to a pair of unexpected victories Tuesday at Aronimink Golf Club. Ehrlich is a part of an eclectic final eight that also features two talented middle-amateurs and a handful of collegiate-aged power hitters.
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Ehrlich’s next test comes in the form of 19-year-old masher Evan Eichenlaub of Saucon Valley Country Club at 7:45 a.m. Eichenlaub is transferring from Babson College to The George Washington University this fall. Eichenlaub has made match play in all three of his Amateur appearances. In last year’s championship at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, Eichenlaub fell in the quarterfinals to eventual winner Austin Barbin.
A dogged Ehrlich turned back the clock courtesy of his prominent clutch gene.
In his Round-of-16 match, Ehrlich stunned 19-year-old crusher Thomas Young, also of Saucon Valley.
Ehrlich was two down with two play. An Ehrlich par and Young water ball on No. 17 (par 3, 232 yards) sliced the match’s status in half.
On No. 18 (par 4, 455 yards), Ehrlich’s 6-iron from 183 yards unexpectedly, per him, stopped on the back portion of green, 40-feet from the cup. Young’s ball stopped in the same vicinity. The match’s referee Greg Wilks declared Ehrlich away.
Needing a make, he found a miracle.
“I told my caddie Spencer that I have to get it to the hole. I have to hit it past the cup,” said Ehrlich of Berwyn, Pa. “It had a lot of pace but we both loved the line. It was two balls out right. It went in with a little bit of steam but I felt like it deserved to go in. It was a perfect putt.
“In some ways I almost feel bad for Thomas because that’s painful to happen to you. I’ve been on the other side of that a million times. But, again, I hung in there.”
Each had an opportunity to win in the first two extra holes but each failed to capitalize. Young had a six-footer on the 19th hole (No. 1, par 4, 434 yards) and Ehrlich a five-footer on the 20th (No. 2, par 4, 395 yards). The two halved No. 21 with pars (No. 3, par 4, 455 yards). The 22nd hole was a microcosm of Ehrlich’s game. Steady, tried and true. He knocked a 4-hybrid, into the wind, from 205 yards out to 35 feet, right, but level with the hole. Ehrlich two-putted for par. Young’s approach sailed just left of the green hole high. His ensuing chip ran out down the slope 30 feet below the hole. He missed his par putt.
“When you play well against younger kids, I get a kick out of that,” said Ehrlich, the only one of four former Amateur Champions who qualified for match play to advance. “I mean I didn’t have high expectations, but I do think when I play good golf I can compete. I don’t hit it that far so I have to do other things well. And all in all, I’ve made a lot of important putts, I’ve chipped it well and hit some really quality iron shots.”
One more sign of Ehrlich’s current mojo. In his Round-of-32 match against Casper Nerpin of USGA/GAP GC, Ehrlich rolled in a 30-footer down the ridge to seal a 2&1 victory.
Ehrlich is partner and private wealth advisor at C3 Wealth Management.
He said his first thought after the win was what he had to do to change his Wednesday meeting schedule.
Ehrlich is the father to three young kids, ages 12, 10 and 8, who are starting to get into golf.
“When I play OK in a tournament they are pumped up, which is frankly better than playing in a tournament myself,” said Ehrlich, who defeated Michael Tash in 2004, 5&4. “It’s a lot of fun to see that through their eyes.”
Ehrlich gave professional touring golf a try from 2005-09. He regained his Amateur status in 2011. His last Amateur appearance came at Merion Golf Club in 2016. Ehrlich fell to eventual champion Michael McDermott in the quarterfinals in 20 holes.
The two other “old” guys, or middle-amateurs joining Ehrlich in the quarters are Andy Butler, 29, of Huntingdon Valley Country Club, and Joe Tigani, 29, of Fieldstone Golf Club. Dustin Stocksdale of Briarwood Golf Club, a rising junior at Loyola University Maryland, heads the collegiate contingent after a dominant, 4&3, win over co-medalist Ben Feld of Green Valley Country Club in the Round of 16. Other medalist Michael Crowley, also of Loyola University Maryland, fell to Blake Micholas of Kings Creek Country Club in the Round of 32, 2&1. The other three remaining youngsters are Patrick Isztwan of Huntingdon Valley Country Club; Drue Nicholas of Galloway National Golf Club and Logan Paczewski of Huntsville Golf Club.
Nine of the Top 10 seeds have been eliminated. Only No. 8 seeded Isztwan remains.
NOTES–The Round of 32 matches were delayed 52 minutes at 9:49 a.m. due to dangerous weather in the area.
BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship
Originating in 1897, the Amateur Championship is GAP’s premier individual event. Albert H. Smith of Philadelphia Cricket Club won the first Amateur Championship, then known as the GAP Individual Championship, by defeating J.D. Winsor, Jr. of Merion Cricket Club in 37 holes. The event’s format switched to medal play in 1938. J. Wood Platt went on to win two consecutive Amateur titles under that format. His brother William “Zimmer” Platt earned the 1940 title at Philadelphia Cricket Club by being the only competitor to finish all 72 holes. The event’s format reverted to match play in 1941. The Amateur Championship wasn’t contested from 1943-45 because of World War II. Overall, 34 courses have hosted the Amateur. GAP Magazine Editor-in-Chief Martin D. Emeno, Jr. and Senior Writer Tony Regina chronicled the event’s history in the Summer 2017 edition of the publication.
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.
Round of 16
17. Dustin Stocksdale, Briarwood, d. 1. Ben Feld, Green Valley, 5&4; 8. Patrick Isztwan, Huntingdon Valley, d. 24. Mark Miller, Philadelphia Cricket, 3&1; 20. Logan Paczewski, Huntsville, d. 29. Matt Homer, Wilmington, 2&1; 21. Joe Tigani, Fieldstone, d. 28. Ben Cooley, Huntingdon Valley, 1-up; 18. Evan Eichenlaub, Saucon Valley, d. 31. Blake Micholas, Kings Creek, 2&1; 23. Scott Ehrlich, Waynesborough, d. 26. Thomas Young, Saucon Valley, 22 holes; 19 Andy Butler, Huntingdon Valley, d. 30. Matt Zerfass, Brookside Allentown, 4&2; 27. Drue Nicholas, Galloway National, d. 22. Tyler Stahle, Philadelphia Cricket, 5&4.
Round 32
1. Feld d. 32. Owen Mulhern, Whitford, 5&4; 17. Stocksdale d. 16. Hunter Stetson, Aronimink, 21 holes; 8. Isztwan d. 25. Alexander Kim, Philadelphia Cricket, 3&2; 24. Miller d. 9. David Colleran, Overbrook, 5&3; 29. Homer d. 4. David Mecca, Scranton, 2&1; 20. Paczewski d. 13. Zak Drescher, Bent Creek, 1-up; 28. Cooley d. 5. Aaron Williams, Bayside Resort, 3&1; 21. Tigani d. 12. John Barone, The 1912 Club, 2-up; 31. Micholas d. 2. Michael Crowley, Briarwood, 2&1; 18. Eichenlaub d. 15. Jack Irons, Medford Lakes, 6&5; 26. Young d. 7. Jake Haberstumpf, LedgeRock, 20 holes; 23. Ehrlich d. 10. Casper Nerpin, USGA/GAP GC, 2&1; 30. Zerfass d. 3. Jeremy Wall, Manasquan River, 2&1; 19. Butler d. 14. Cole Berman, Merion, 4&3; 27. Nicholas d. 6. Jalen Griffin, Philadelphia Publinks, 7&5; 22. Stahle d. 11. Noah Wallace, Chesapeake Bay, 1-up.
