2025 Net Championship

Erskine and Fricchione grab net titles

ORWIGSBURG, Pa. – Bill Erskine has been a longtime GAP competitor. A mainstay in the Winter Series events and a stalwart in the net events.

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With a total of six class titles in the now defunct Tee It Forward Spring and Fall Net Championships, Erskine has plenty of hardware on the shelves. But he never won an overall title.

Thursday at Schuylkill Country Club (par 72, 5,879 yards), Erskine finally found his white whale in the form of the 4th Net Championship. 

“I’ve played here a few times before but not as well as I played today,” Erskine said. “What I love about this course is the ability for you to bounce shots up onto the green. You don’t need to think about carrying the ball to the hole. Hit a club less and just try to land it short.”

Erskine totaled 41 stableford points to hold off Scott Seibert of LuLu Country Club by one point.

“It means a lot to win this,” Erskine, 69, of Harleysville, Pa., said. “I have been in the mix for the overall before but I never got the job done. Sometimes it is your day and sometimes it isn’t. For me, I am glad I played well today.”

The Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association member was a model of consistency all day. He got at least one point on every single hole. A true testament to his ability to limit the big numbers. 

“In this format being able to get at least a point on each and every hole is huge,” Erskine said. “I have played in enough of these to know that everything is so close and it always comes down to the wire. Just like in stroke play events where every shot matters, in these events every point matters.”

He found nirvana early with a gross birdie on No. 2 (par 4, 323 yards). His 8-iron from 123 yards stopped 12 feet from the cup. He buried it.

The smooth-swinging Erskine made the turn with 20 stableford points and shot 3 over on the front. On the second nine, Erskine closed out the tournament with three net birdies in his final four holes for 21 points.

The game of golf has given Erskine a lot. He’s also given back as a caddie at Green Valley Country Club for the last 53 years. Baseball was his first love, but golf has his heart now.

“I love golf because you are the sole proprietor of your game and your score,” Erskine said. “If you play well you get the credit. If you play bad you get the blame.”

Erskine was able to tame the slick Donald Ross crafted greens at Schuylkill, a key to the castle of success at the club. Erskine said he had solid speed control and didn’t miss any 3-footers.

“I used to hit a lot of balls to prepare for these events,” Erskine said. “But what happens is you lose your feel shots. So, I’ve been trying to focus on playing more holes of golf instead of practicing. I was happy to have a really nice round today.”

Women’s Division

After the Net Championship, Alexandra Fricchione’s career win percentage in GAP events is 100.

She rode eight net birdies and a net eagle to take the women’s crown at Schuylkill (par 72, 5,105 yards) playing in her first GAP event. Twenty-eight of her 37 stableford points came on those nine holes.

“I had played in some events with the LPGA’s Central Pennsylvania chapter but I didn’t continue my membership this year,” Fricchione, 29, of Palmyra, Pa., said. “Then I got the email about this championship, and I am someone who always reads my email. I figured I would sign up because I do want to keep playing competitively.”

Her highlight of the day came on No. 14 (par 5, 414 yards). After running her birdie putt 15 feet by, she nailed the comebacker for a par and a net eagle.

A natural athlete, Fricchione played softball, field hockey and ski racing. Golf was an afterthought.

“Just like many others, I found golf in 2020,” Fricchione, of USGA/GAP GC, said. “My husband is a really good golfer but I only really wanted to play because the outfits are cute but then I realized I could actually hit the ball. I played sports growing up so I wanted to find another competitive outlet. I haven’t ever played a sport where you wake up one morning and you forget how to play.”

Fricchione said she felt her attitude really helped her at Schuylkill. She’s looking forward to next year’s event. 

“Winning this tournament is amazing,” Fricchione said. “It is hard as an adult to find other competitive outlets. I played church softball but nobody cares fully about that. I have been a person who has been interested in competing my whole life. It is really great to find GAP and have this outlet.”

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.