2025 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Qualifying: Galloway National

Hicks brothers nab top spot

GALLOWAY, N.J. – The Hicks brothers have spent the majority of their lives being one year away from competing together in golf.

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They were one year away from playing golf together at Middle Township High School and collegiately at William & Mary.

Monday at Galloway National Golf Club (par 71, 6,952 yards) they claimed medalist honors in U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Qualifying administered by GAP by one shot after a round of 65.

Ben Feld of Cherry Hill, N.J. and Scott Ehrlich of Berwyn, Pa., claimed the second qualifying spot after a round of 66.

The 10^th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball will take place May 17-22, 2025 at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, N.J.

Alex and David both followed similar paths after college. They both turned professional with Alex playing on PGA TOUR Canada (now PGA TOUR Americas) and David spent three as an assistant professional at Philadelphia Country Club. Alex regained his amateur status back two years ago and David got his back last year.

“We’ve probably played together in two events throughout the course of our lives,” David, 27, of Conshohocken, Pa., said. “We have played a ton of casual golf but never for anything like this. It was pretty fun to be able to do that.”

“I felt like it was a pretty good round of golf,” Alex, 31, of Stone Harbor, N.J., said. “It was not easy out there, especially as the day went on. It was pretty windy. We got off to a solid start and were able to keep it together.”

A clutch two-putt birdie on No. 9 (par 5, 542 yards) by Alex helped them make the turn in 2 under. 

“Our goal coming into the round was to get to 6 under,” David said. “Once Alex made the putt for birdie on No. 9 we got to 2 under. At that point, I knew we could get to 6 under.”

The youngest Hicks brother stepped on the proverbial gas pedal with birdies on Nos. 11 (par 5, 513 yards), 12 (par 4, 396 yards) and 14 (par 3, 214 yards). He roped a 6-iron from 175 yards to 15 feet on No. 11 and got down in two, stuffed a pitching wedge from 120 yards to 10 feet on No. 12 and canned a 25-footer after stinging a 4-iron on 14.

“On a golf course like this, to play well you have to have a lot of patience,” David said. “To try to qualify in a four-ball you need a streak of holes where as a team you get hot and rattle off a couple of birdies. Being able to keep it together and roll in a few putts on the back nine was huge for us. When things are going poorly on a course like this they can escalate. But when you have the good stuff going, you try to hold on to it as long as possible.”

The Shore Club members found their last red figure on No. 16 (par 5, 525 yards) when Alex executed a sublime stab from the greenside rough to three feet. 

David rolled in a 10-footer for par on No. 17 (par 3, 243 yards) and a 15-footer for par at the last (par 4, 429 yards) to get them in the clubhouse comfortably.

“On the front nine I felt like I was letting Alex play and hoping that I could help,” David said. “On the last few holes, I told myself I needed to be the one to step up and make a clutch putt or a par and let Alex make the birdie. That mentality paid off. The two pars I made on the last two holes were the difference.”

Alex, the 2013 BMW Philadelphia Amateur runner-up, and David, the 2016 Joseph H. Patterson Cup runner-up, have their GAP credentials. They just haven’t used them in a while. They said that will change. 

It will be Alex’s first USGA championship. David played in the 2017 U.S. Amateur.

“It’s incredible,” Alex said. “I’ve never played in a USGA event so to be able to play it with my brother is amazing. For it to be in our home state will be a treat as well. We will have some family that will come out and support us, which will be cool.”

Feld, the 2017 GAP Middle-Amateur champion and Ehrlich, the 2004 Philadelphia Amateur champion, were 7 under par through 12 holes. Including a 5-under-par stretch from Nos. 8 to 11.

When they reached No. 17 they were 4 under in need of something magical. They played Nos. 13 (par 4, 453 yards) and 15 (par 4, 433 yards) in 3 over.

“It was really hot for 11 holes and then it got really cold,” Feld, 33, of Green Valley Country Club and the head golf coach at Drexel University, said. “We didn’t handle the cold holes well but we kept it together to have a chance to do what we needed to do.”

“The front nine was pretty crazy,” Ehrlich said. “It got to the point where the guys we were playing with were asking if this was normal. It felt normal in this event for sure. We find ways to get hot. Usually a double bogey in this type of event doesn’t allow you to have a chance. But it shows how well we played the rest of the way.”

Ehrlich stepped up to 17 and rocketed a 3-hybrid to 15 feet. As darkness approached, Ehrlich found nirvana with a perfectly-stroked putt that hit the bottom of the cup. He would make par at the last to secure the GAP Major titlist duo its second consecutive trip to the Championship proper.

“There were definitely nerves for sure,” Ehrlich, 44, of Waynesborough Country Club, said. “I get nervous all the time but I have played enough tournament golf to understand what to do. It just means you are doing something good. It is hard to qualify for these but Ben and I know we have what it takes. It’ll be cool to give it another try after missing match play this year.”

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 345 Member Clubs and 110,000 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.