5th Women’s Spring Scramble: Yardley

Three Foursomes Shine During Women’s Spring Scramble

YARDLEY, Pa. – It was all smiles, swings and sunshine at the Women’s Spring Scramble contested at Yardley Country Club (par 73, 5,349 yards) Monday. The event, in its fifth iteration, hosted 21 teams with players hailing from 28 GAP Member Clubs. It featured three flights by handicap and implemented a net scramble format. The Spring Scramble officially kicks off GAP’s Women’s Schedule.

| Scoring portal | History | #GAPWomensWeek | Photo Gallery

Taking the first flight crown with a net score of 16-under-par 57 was Northampton Country Club’s Katrin Wolfe, Lehigh Country Club’s Jackie Beck, USGA/GAP GC’s Mary Kate Lynch and Golf Course at Glen Mills’ Grace Battista.

“It was a great putting day,” Wolfe, 38, of East Stroudsburg, Pa. said.

“We all made putts,” Lynch, 38, of Bethlehem, Pa. added.

The team’s scorecard featured under-par net scores on every hole but four. Also on the card were both gross and net eagles. After selecting Lynch’s drive on No. 13 (par 5, 416 yards), Wolfe blasted a 3-wood 230 yards just short of the green complex. Wolfe, Beck and Lynch attempted to chip it close, but Battista’s “Texas wedge” from 15 feet sealed the deal. On the next tee, Battista kept momentum going by hitting the group’s choice drive on the par-5, 400-yard 14th. Aided by Lynch’s 3-hybrid from 180 yards to the front apron of the green, Battista chipped it close and the team tapped in the birdie look. A net dot forged the birdie into an eagle.

The teams’ formation can be likened to putting a jigsaw puzzle together.

Battista and Wolfe met each other while playing in the inaugural GAP Women’s Championship last year at Bala Golf Club. Wolfe, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s Mid-Atlantic field staff representative, and Lynch, Lehigh University’s Women’s golf coach, are old college friends who reconnected over social media. Battista and Beck are frequent names on GAP Women’s event tee sheets. Beck is also a tournament volunteer and member of GAP’s Women’s Committee.

But the group’s early foundations can be pointed towards GAP’s Four-Player Team event.

“[The group] started with Jackie and I texting. We had played a couple years in the [Four-Player Team],” said Wolfe, who alongside Beck won the event’s Women’s Division in both 2021 and 2022. “[GAP’s Women’s Schedule] came out and we were like ‘We need to start recruiting people,’ so we recruited [Grace and Mary Kate for today]. We are also going to take them to the Four-Player Team.”

Second flight honors went to Wyoming Valley Country Club teammates Natalie Sokoloski, Donna Long, Karen Kempinski and Melissa Define who combined for an 11-under-par 62 with the help of a net eagle on No. 12 (par 4, 282 yards). Spring Ford Country Club’s team of Karen Hilliard, Lisa Calle, Lauren Studebaker and Kathy Wolfgang carded an identical score, but the USGA-recommended scorecard tiebreaking method favored the ladies of Wyoming Valley.

In the third flight competition, Cherry Valley Country Club’s Heather Shannon, Kristen Sugarman, Amy Vannozzi and Ashley Schmitz collaborated for a 14-under 59. Net eagles on Nos. 12 (par 4, 282 yards) and 14 (par 5, 400 yards) were presented on their card.

Next up on the GAP Women’s Schedule is the 2nd GAP Women’s Championship (June 1 at Riverton Country Club), followed by the Net Championship (June 5 at Valley Country Club). Also taking place June 5-11 is #GAPWomensWeek, a week-long celebration dedicated to appreciating the Women of GAP!

NOTE:

BMW, sponsor of the GAP Team Matches and Philadelphia Amateur, made a special appearance at the event. Throughout the day, players were invited to sign-up to test drive some of BMW’s newest models and receive gifts from BMW staff. A 2023 Marina Bay Blue Metallic BMW X5 M was parked on Yardley’s 140 yard, par 3, 9th hole anticipating the possibility of a new owner if any competitor aced their tee shot.

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 340 Member Clubs and 100,000 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.