91st Francis B. Warner Cup

Cricket’s Dougherty breaks through in 91st Warner Cup 

MARLTON, N.J. — A Google Maps search for Little Mill Country Club reveals an aerial look at the golf course. Look a little closer and you’ll find a body of water, with the name Lost Lake, just beyond the first green.

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Prior to his round today, perhaps G. Patrick Dougherty was feeling a little lost in his competitive golf journey. After all, he’s been playing in GAP events for more than 20 years with no individual titles to his credit.

What once was lost is now found. In the 91st Francis B. Warner Cup at Little Mill Country Club, (White/Blue) (par 72, 6,548 yards) the Philadelphia Cricket Club member prevailed against Heidelberg Country Club’s Chris Fieger, Sr. on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff to take the title. Both players carded 1-under-par 71 in regulation.

The playoff rotation utilized Nos. 1 (par 4, 301 yards) and 9 (par 4, 388 yards) of Little Mill’s White nine.  

“It means a lot,” Dougherty, 59, of Montgomeryville, Pa., said. “I think all of us out here try to do as good as we can. Everyone’s trying to win. It gets to a time where you just think, ‘It’s probably not going to happen, but I enjoy it so much.’ You just keep plugging away, just like everyone out here.” 

While Monday marks Dougherty’s first solo trip to the winner’s circle, he’s shared other prizes with friends and clubmates. He has fond memories of representing Cricket while the club captured its first GAP Team Matches title in 2013, and he’s proud to continue playing his part on the club’s second team. Last year, he played a role in capturing the 34th Senior Four-Man Team at Indian Valley Country Club alongside clubmates Mike Fireman, Kevin Kelly and Jim White. 

But a solo title means something different. 

“[Philly Cricket] treats champions well. They have a board for GAP area major champion winners, which hopefully I’ll now be on,” Dougherty, who works as a client portfolio manager for Invesco, said. “The club is super supportive. It’s just a ton of great players who all root for each other in these things. As we’re sitting here my watch is blowing up with text messages, so there will definitely be celebrations.”

Dougherty, playing in the day’s fourth to last group, knew Fieger was comfortably in the clubhouse at 1-under-par 71. After an even-par front nine, there was still some work to do on the back. On No. 13 (par 4, 385 yards), Dougherty’s 7-iron from 148 yards landed just six inches away from the hole for an easy three. On No. 15 (par 5, 502 yards), he canned the 15-footer following his gap wedge from 76 yards. An unfortunate bogey on No. 16 (par 4, 385) put him level with Fieger. 

More danger followed on No. 18 (par 4, 400 yards) after his approach, a 5-iron from 189 yards, landed right of the greenside bunker. A timely up-and-down, which featured a 10-yard chip over the bunker and a 4-foot putt, secured the smooth-swinging southpaw a spot in the playoff. 

Following the field’s final scorecard signature, Fieger and Dougherty headed to No. 1 tee. With a gallery of tournament participants following, the pair hit tee shots into the fairway. Fieger made a stress-free par while Dougherty’s sand wedge from 101 yards found the rough over the green just short of the aforementioned lake. His chip from 25 yards set him up to match Fieger with a par. On No. 9, Fieger again hit the green in regulation. Dougherty, navigating a difficult lie on the left side of the fairway, pulled his pitching wedge approach from 132 yards into the right greenside bunker. He extricated to 5-feet and made the putt. 

With machine-like repetition, Fieger hit his tee ball on No. 1 into the fairway. Dougherty, unfortunately “blocked it left” with a 4-iron toward the trees. He planned to punch out into the bunker approximately 10-yards short of the green, but failed in doing so and settled in the rough short of the bunker. Fieger’s approach from 53 yards caught the front lip of the bunker and left him a sand shot for his third. Dougherty, trying to play a similar shot onto the green, found the bunker as well. Fieger escaped the sand and settled on the back of the green. Dougherty’s ball found the rough short of the green. Fieger’s attempt at the lengthy 30-footer left him with 6 feet coming back. Dougherty, approximately 15-feet from the front-left hole location, played a flop shot onto the front of the green which subsequently rolled into the bottom of the cup. A fist pump followed. Fieger failed to convert the comebacker which delivered the title to Dougherty. 

“I never played with Pat before,” Fieger, 62, of Denver, Pa., said. “He got up and down every single hole [except when] he holed out on the last hole.”

“I hit the ball pretty good today, and I made a long one on 18 to get to the playoff, but there were some other short ones that I missed out there,” Fieger said. “It’s my first tournament, so I can’t complain too much. I have a lot of tournaments to go.”

Francis B. Warner of Philadelphia Cricket Club served as GAP secretary-treasurer for 18 years. After his death in 1933, the Association started the Francis B. Warner Cup as an ongoing tribute in his memory. It is the first Senior Major of the GAP tournament season.

To meet the needs of its members, GAP, in 2022, separated a Super-Senior Division from its traditional Warner Cup counterpart. The Warner Cup – Super Senior, set for May 27 at Lebanon Country Club, will feature two divisions: 65 years of age or older (Super Senior) and 70 years of age or older (Legends).

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.