Bala’s Scott McNeil wins 32nd Middle-Amateur Championship

WAYNE, Pa. – First-round leader Scott McNeil gaveth the field hope before retaketh command of Thursday’s Middle-Amateur Championship presented by Callaway Golf at St. Davids Golf Club (par 70, 6,557 yards). McNeil, of Bala Golf Club, watched an early six-stroke lead slip away by mid-round before regaining control and hoisting his first Major trophy. He finished the 36 holes at 3 over, one clear of a late-charging Jeff Osberg of Huntingdon Valley Country Club. Defending champion Peter Barron, III of Stone Harbor Golf Club tied for 33rd at 13 over.

| Scorecards | Day 2 video recap | Notebook | VIDEO: Scott McNeil interview | 
| VIDEO: Jeff Osberg interview | Day One recap |

  “[It’s a] great feeling. [I’ve put in] lots of hard work early on in the season [and] I’m glad it has finally paid off,” said McNeil, 29, of Philadelphia, Pa. “I’ve been close before, but for once I put myself in good position and [was] able to drive the bus rather than riding in the back of it and looking to get to the front of it.”

  Said Osberg, who posted a 1-under 69 in Round Two to climb into contention, “I played well out there today. I figured if I could shoot 4 under, that maybe I would have a chance. I didn’t really see Scott coming back too much. As the day progressed, obviously the scores started looking a little better, a little more in my favor. Unfortunately, I just didn’t make a lot of putts coming down the stretch and just couldn’t get low enough to compete with him. He played great.”

  Osberg, 30, of Bryn Mawr, Pa., is the reigning BMW Philadelphia Amateur Champion. This was Osberg’s best Mid.-Am. finish. His prior was a third-place showing in 2013 at Fieldstone Golf Club.

  McNeil entered the final round with a three-stroke lead after a 2-under 68 the first day. Michael Carr of Plymouth Country Club held second at 1 over. Gloomy skies, cool temperatures and firm greens made the final round a challenge, however.

  McNeil opened his day in sparkling fashion with a birdie on No. 1 (par 4, 385 yards). He rocketed a driver center cut, leaving 55 yards to the hole. McNeil knocked down a 54-degree wedge to a foot and an easy three.

  McNeil, the parking facilities manager at 10 Rittenhouse Square, saw his travels get rocky after that. He bogeyed No. 4 (par 4, 372 yards) following a poor drive and double-bogeyed No. 5 (par 4, 428 yards) after finding both fairway and greenside bunkers. A short par putt miss on No. 6 (par 3, 147 yards) resulted in a third straight over-par score. McNeil stood at even. Carr, his closest pursuer, was at 3 over.

  McNeil relinquished the outright lead on No. 9 (par 3, 228 yards) in disastrous fashion. His 4-iron landed right of the greenside bunker. Trying to go up-and-over the bunker staring him down, McNeil’s attempt fell short and buried under the lip. He took an unplayable and knocked his next shot, from the bunker, to four feet.

  With nine holes to go, he stood in a tie with home-club hopeful Stephen Dressel at 2 over.

  Dressel, St. Davids 2008 Club Champion, failed to sustain his championship bid, though, and finished with a second straight 73.

  “By the time [Dressel] had caught me, I had known,” said McNeil. “When the debauchery on the front nine was going on, I had no idea where everybody was. I was just trying to stop the oil from coming out of the head gaskets.”

  “I made a good decision and when you make a good decision, and hit a good shot, you can kind of start adding them together,” said McNeil of taking the unplayable. “I hit it deep and left on No. 10, but on the green, and we all know that No. 10 is a very difficult green. I hit a putt that I thought I made and it stopped six inches short. So at that point, I had kind of righted the ship.”

  McNeil separated himself from the field with steady play thereafter.

  On No. 11 (par 5, 542 yards), he escaped the right greenside bunker after finding the sand in two with a birdie from four feet. Four straight pars followed, before McNeil iced his challengers on this chilly day with a two-putt birdie on No. 16 (par 5, 504 yards). He hit a 4-iron from 200 yards to 25 feet.

  This is McNeil’s third Middle-Amateur appearance. He tied for 10th in 2012 at Chester Valley Golf Club and tied for 28th in 2013 at Fieldstone Golf Club.

  The Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Middle-Amateur Championship started in 1984, three years after the USGA created the U.S. Mid-Amateur as a formal championship for post-college amateurs. The Association followed suit with the USGA in creating a Mid-Am, but initially differed in its administration of the tournament in a couple of respects. 

  The most obvious difference was the age requirement. Prior to 2001, the GAP Middle-Amateur was for players 30 years of age and older. 

  The Association’s Executive Committee reviewed and revised that age requirement in 2001 to match the USGA’s guidelines of 25 years of age or older for eligible players. Also at that point, the Committee changed the format of the event to a two-day stroke play tournament (instead of a one-day medal play event) with a cut to the low 70 players and ties after the first round. The field began with 130 players. 

NOTES–Manufacturers Golf & Country Club will host the 2016 Mid.-Am.

Callaway Golf
Callaway Golf was founded in 1982 by the late Ely Callaway, a visionary entrepreneur who operated under a simple but profound business promise: Deliver Demonstrably Superior, Pleasingly Different products and services. That philosophy turned what was originally a boutique manufacturer of high-quality wedges and putters into the world’s largest maker of premium, performance golf products. The Callaway mission and vision has remained the same; we passionately pursue advanced, innovative technologies that help golfers of all abilities find more enjoyment from the game. Under the Callaway and Odyssey brands, Callaway manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf apparel, footwear and accessories in more than 110 countries worldwide.

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.