41st Jock MacKenzie Memorial

Whitney birdies second playoff hole to win Jock MacKenzie

ORELAND, Pa. – Tyler Whitney of The Legacy Club, a rising junior at Cherry Hill High School East, is determined to play golf at the next level. Monday at Sandy Run Country Club (par 72, 6,567 yards), Whitney put college coaches on notice.

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Whitney birdied the second playoff hole to outlast three others to win the 41^st Jock MacKenzie Memorial. Whitney lifted an approach wedge to six feet on No. 10 (par 3, 134 yards) to defeat Charlie Barrickman of Radley Run Country Club; Jack Homer of Wilmington Country Club and Benjamin Robbins of Philmont Country Club.

All four players finished the 18 holes of regulation at 2-under 70. It was the fourth consecutive year a playoff would be needed to determine the champion.

“This is my first big win. I actually had a two-day tournament I was supposed to play in but this is a big field, I have a lot of friends playing here and I like the course,” said Whitney, 16, of Cherry Hill, N.J. “Hopefully some college coaches recognize that I have the potential as a junior golfer. I’d like to play at a Division I school.”

In the 2024 Jock, Whitney’s only other GAP appearance, he carded a 79 to finish mid-pack.

He entered this year’s edition on an upward trend. In last week’s New Jersey PGA Section Junior Tour event at Rossmoor Golf Course, he finished tied for sixth with an even-par 72. In a Hurricane Junior Golf Tour event in early May at Golden Pheasant Golf Club, Whitney finished second, closing with a 3-under 69. He completed his high school golf season (this spring) as all-conference selection. Cherry Hill East placed second in states as the defending champion.

This was the largest playoff in Jock MacKenzie history. The previous mark was three players, occurring three times (2010, 2017, 2024).

The first playoff hole was No. 18 (par 4, 335 yards). Ironically, Whitney hooked his 3-wood drive into the left tree line and was in the worst shape of the four. He received relief for cart path interference but a large tree loomed. Whitney displayed a bucketful of moxie and lifted a pitching wedge from 134 yards to 20 feet left of the hole.

“I did not think I could hit the green. I had tree limbs overhanging and I hit it too far left,” said Whitney, who’s ball clipped the limbs. “I thought it was going to come down but I saw it on the green and I was like holy crap.”

All four players had looks to secure a place in Jock history. Robbins had a chip from long of the green and the three others medium length putts.

On No. 10, each member of the quartet found the putting surface. Robbins, Homer and Barrickman had putts of 35, 30 and 20 feet, respectively. Each watched their chance slide by. When Whitney converted, he raised a fist toward his caddie Sean Murphy before receiving a bear hug. Murphy is a high school teammate who also caddies and works in the bag room at Tavistock Country Club.

“I used to play a bunch of other sports, like tennis, baseball, basketball, but as soon as I was like 10, I just wanted to play golf,” said Whitney.

What’s the attraction?

“It’s a lot of fun, and it’s also very frustrating, which is a great aspect of it,” Whitney added.

Whitney found frustration on his opening hole, No. 10. He chunked his iron shot and made bogey.

A birdie on No. 13 (par 4, 395 yards) and another on No. 1 (par 4, 348 yards) – that of the unexpected variety when he drained a 30-foot birdie up the hill – got Whitney to thinking. He canceled a bogey on No. 3 (par 4, 440 yards) with a birdie on No. 4 (par 4, 325 yards) before sinking a 10-footer for a circle three on No. 7 (par 4, 299 yards) to finish at 2 under.

Whitney said Jordan Spieth was his inspiration in golf. Clearly, Whitney appreciates a flare of the dramatics when it comes to winning like his idol.

Harry Hammond Award 

At the halfway point, Wilmington Country Club’s Jack Homer leads The Springhaven Club’s Luca Kleinschmidt by three shots at even-par 142. The first two legs of the award were the Jock and the stroke-play qualifying of the Junior Boys’ Championship at Merion Golf Club (West). The final two rounds that comprise the event take place at the Christman Cup July 15 at Saucon Valley Country Club (Old).

Junior-Junior Division

Grayson McCann carded a 3-over-par 39 en route to winning the 41st annual Jock MacKenzie Memorial Junior-Junior Boys’ Division Monday at Sandy Run Country Club (par 36, 3,256 yards). 

“This was my first time competing in a GAP event,” McCann, 13, of Downingtown, Pa., said. “It was also my first time playing at Sandy Run. So, for today to turn out the way it did, it was great.” 

McCann’s start was rocky. He carded a double bogey (No. 11, par 5, 405 yards) on his second hole, but he didn’t let that faze him. He parred his next hole (No. 12, par 3, 125 yards) to get back on track. 

“My best shot of the day came on No. 16 (par 4, 332 yards),” McCann said. “Out of the bunker I went 5-iron and definitely gave it too much club, so I put myself on the back edge of the green. I felt more comfortable chipping so that’s what I did and I chipped in from about 30 feet out for birdie.” 

McCann finished with six pars, the aforementioned birdie, and two double bogeys. 

“My driving was definitely the best part of my game today,” McCann said. “I think I hit every fairway besides one and that really set me up well.”

McCann is a member at Stonewall and golf is a true passion. 

“We’ve been members for about a year and I love getting out there, it’s my favorite sport,” McCann said. “I’m lucky to be able to play 2-3 times a week and my dad has been a big help throughout and he really got me into the sport.”

NOTES-Play was suspended at 4:30 p.m. due to weather and resumed at 5:40 p.m.

Jock MacKenzie
Jock MacKenzie served as Sandy Run Country Club’s golf professional for three decades (1941-71). He previously worked as an assistant professional under George Lowe at Huntingdon Valley Country Club and Denny Shute at Llanerch Country Club. A Scotland native, MacKenzie started a Junior program at Sandy Run in 1947 that soon generated acclaim within the Philadelphia golf community. “The children don’t hit the golf ball for five weeks. They do calisthenics to build up the left wrist and arm. The left arm is key to a good swing,” MacKenzie told The Philadelphia Bulletin. MacKenzie taught participants in Sandy Run’s Junior program how to hit and chip the golf ball with irons. A mechanical mind, he stressed a slow count for the backswing and downswing. During the program’s final week, MacKenzie conducted a golf tournament and awarded prizes to all participants. “MacKenzie readily admits that he doesn’t make money, but gets rich on the satisfaction of helping youngsters learn the game he loves,” Joe Schwendeman wrote.

Harry Hammond
Harry Hammond, an ardent supporter of Junior golf both locally and nationally, served as the Philadelphia PGA Section’s Junior Golf Chairman for 29 years. He is the Director of Golf at Penn Oaks Golf Club. A 55-year member of the PGA of America, Hammond received the organization’s Bill Strausbaugh Award for leadership and service to the game of golf in 2012.

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.