CINNAMINSON, N.J. – Jon Ross plodded his way from many cities to many countries throughout his life.
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Similar to his methodical nature on the golf course, Ross has found quick success in the early stages of his GAP competitive tenure.
He is coming off co-medalist honors in GAP Middle-Amateur Qualifying at Coatesville Country Club and being one of five people to qualify for the Philadelphia Amateur at the Elmhurst Country Club. Wednesday at Riverton Country Club, Ross fired a 73 to put himself inside the Top 15 after the first day.
“Being familiar with the Philadelphia area, I know there are plenty of good players,” Ross said. “You have to be able to put good rounds together to qualify for these things. I still love playing competitively. Coming back to this area, playing competitively again was definitely on my list. There are so many good courses where these events are held. You just can’t pass them up.”
Ross, who now works in reinsurance, grew up in Pittsburgh, Pa. and made his way to Philadelphia after stops in Central Pennsylvania, Jersey City, N.J. and London, England. There wasn’t much time for golf. A career change from the banking industry has helped him find more time for competition.
“My job now is much better for my work-life balance,” Ross, 34, of Media, Pa., said. “This year has been my first year diving into GAP events and being able to qualify for the first two Majors of the GAP calendar is awesome. I made the cut on the number at Elmhurst. I’m glad I did. Otherwise that would have been a long and lonely ride home.”
He saw Riverton for the first time Wednesday and liked what he saw. But seeing a course for the first time in competition is different than just playing it for fun.
“I just wanted to keep the ball in front of me and try to take advantage of the par 5s,” Ross said. “I focused on trying to keep big numbers off the card. I didn’t do that well. I had two double bogeys but I wanted to stay within myself.”
Ross made the turn in 2 under and followed his strategy to a tee. He eagled No. 7 (par 5, 530 yards) and birdied No. 9 (par 5, 482 yards). He stung a hybrid from 230 yards to 10 feet on No. 7 and chipped one inside gimme range on No. 9.
His back nine was a little more colorful with two double bogeys, a bogey and a birdie. So was the weather. His final three holes were played in a raw setting. Temperatures dropping and raindrops wearing out his rain gear.
“With the weather they were predicting, it was hard to believe we would have stretches of dry golf out there,” Ross, of Penn Oaks Golf Club, said. “While it wasn’t overly pleasant in the afternoon there were stretches where the rain and wind calmed down. I tried to take advantage of those opportunities.”
A 36-hole day presents itself for the first time in GAP competition for Ross. Nothing new from his days playing collegiately at Loyola University.
“My big focus is to get a good night’s sleep,” Ross said. “If you can play a 36-hole day without making any doubles that is key. You will make some bogeys but there are gettable par 5s.”
Palumbo finds his passion
David Palumbo found golf more compelling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Little did he know how important it would become.
Now an avid golfer, Palumbo wants to pursue the game more competitively. Wednesday at Riverton he did just that. His round of 72 puts him inside the Top 12.
The USGA/GAP GC member found his GAP footing in a slow, but steady progression. He got his feet wet by playing in Member Play Days, Winter Series events and then scratching his itch in GAP Major qualifying. In 2024, he qualified into the Philadelphia Amateur and Philadelphia Open. The GAP Middle-Amateur is his third GAP Major he is competing in.
Palumbo steadied his nerves with nine consecutive pars after bogeying his first hole of the day, No. 9.
“I don’t have the most ethical, perfect golf swing,” Palumbo, 29, of Port Monmouth, N.J., said. “I just visualize what my shot is going to look like. My putting, specifically my lag putting was good. I made a lot of clutch putts for par inside 15 feet.”
Sitting five shots behind with a 36-hole day ahead, Palumbo said he doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. Just keep doing what he’s been doing.
“I am going to try to play the same,” Palumbo, who works for a marketing company that targets nail salons, spas and massages, said. “I left a lot of putts out there. If I just play like this and make some putts, I should be in good shape.”
The Middle-Amateur Championship is open to individuals 25 years of age or older.
A William Hyndman, III Player of the Year points event, the Middle-Amateur started in 1984, three years after the USGA created the U.S. Mid-Amateur as a formal championship for post-college amateurs. GAP followed suit with the USGA in creating a Middle-Amateur, but initially differed in its administration of the tournament in a couple of respects.
The most obvious difference was the age requirement. Prior to 2001, the GAP Middle-Amateur was only available to players 30 years of age or older.
The GAP Executive Committee reviewed and revised that age requirement in 2001 to match the USGA’s guidelines of 25 years of age or older for eligible individuals. It also, as previously mentioned, changed the format of the event to a two-day stroke play tournament with a cut to the low 70 players and ties after the first round. Furthermore, GAP lowered the handicap index requirement from 7.0 to 5.0 in 2023. The event was expanded to 54 holes in 2024 and is a WAGR ranked event.
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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 125,000 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.
