Anthony, Connell crowned Warner (Net) champs at Yardley

YARDLEY, Pa. – Two champions were crowned in two separate match-of-scorecard finishes Tuesday at Yardley Country Club (par 72, 5,924 yards).

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  The Springhaven Club’s Mike Connell was declared the overall Francis B. Warner Cup (Net) winner thanks to a tiebreaker over Chester Valley Golf Club’s Thomas Schaible. Both players carded net rounds of 3-under 69, including back-nine nets (the USGA’s recommended first tiebreaker) of 2-under 34. Connell was eventually awarded the top honor after finishing 1-under over the last six holes (the second step of determination) compared to Schaible’s even six-hole score.

  On the 285-yard, par-4 6th hole, a nice driver off the tee set Connell up for a short wedge approach to the green. Placing that shot to 12 feet, Connell drained it for the gross – and net – birdie. The biggest swing of the round came just a few holes later, on the par-3, 130-yard 9th hole. It was there where Connell pulled 8-iron from his bag and proceeded to land it just eight feet past the cup. He would go on to jar the downhill birdie look which was jotted down on the card as a net eagle.

  “That was a big one. Hard not to feel good after that one,” said Connell, 63, of Wallingford, Pa.

  He’d eventually record four net birdies on the back to go along with two hard-fought net bogeys on Nos. 12 (par 4, 340 yards) and 14 (par 4, 414 yards). Equaling up to a gross score of 85, it was enough to get the job done his first time on Yardley’s track.

  “The greens were challenging and the course was fun to get around. I had a few bad holes to go along with the good ones, and it worked out in the end,” said Connell, who has been at Springhaven for four seasons.

  When the newly-crowned champion isn’t golfing, Connell spends his time as a private investigator, doing background checks for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

  “I’ll take a look at a new agent’s background, and then give security clearance for them. Then I’ll update backgrounds on current agents every five years or so,” he said. “I take care of that business, and then try to get to the course by noon. That’s always my goal.”

  Connell, a regular competitor in GAP net events, is a big fan of the playing format, especially after today’s victory.

  “I’m always trying to stay with my handicap. I’m always trying to stay even with that, it’s kind of what I strive for,” he said. “But ultimately, if I’m playing against guys in my [Division], I want to stay with them, or better yet, beat them. I have to have that mindset.”

  Today, he beat them with that winner’s mindset.

  The event also included the debut of a Senior Women’s Division in GAP competition. Taking home the inaugural hardware, in result of another match of scorecards, was Josie Anthony of White Manor Country Club.

  Anthony, a GAP volunteer, carded a gross score of 94 en route to a 78 net score. Cherry Valley Country Club’s Monique Allen, playing alongside the eventual champion, also brought in a net score of 78, but lost the tiebreaker because of Anthony’s back-nine net 41 compared to her own back-nine net of 42.

  “I truthfully didn’t know where we stood. I wasn’t out there calculating scores, it was more about having fun, which it really was,” said Anthony, 58, of West Chester, Pa.

  When Anthony was reminded she would go down as the first GAP champion in Senior Women’s competition, she had only one word to give in response: “amazing.”

  “It’s so great that GAP is putting on more events for women. It feels great,” she said. “The word is getting out there, but I’d like to see it spread by the clubs even more. It’s a fantastic opportunity and everyone has fun while playing.”

  Francis B. Warner of Philadelphia Cricket Club served as the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 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.

Golf Association of Philadelphia
Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 151 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. As Philadelphia’s Most Trusted Source of Golf Information, the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.