Commonwealth tops Team Championship Qualifier

  NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.–Commonwealth National Golf Club opened the 2009 golfing season with a victory in the GAP Team Matches. Later this month, the Horsham, Pa., club will look to add the Philadelphia Team Championship to its hardware haul.

  The team of Brett Diakon, Peter Eiler, Ryan Gelrod, Michael Moffat, Glenn Smeraglio and Matt Teesdale, all who competed on the victorious GAP Team Matches squad, topped Tuesday’s Team Championship Qualifier at Aronimink GC (par 70, 6,876 yards) with a fantastic 4-over 284 total.

  Also advancing to the Championship proper, set for June 25 at LedgeRock GC, were Jericho National GC (300), RiverCrest GC (301) and Overbrook GC (302).

  Team scores were calculated using the low four of six individual scores from each team.

  “That is the goal and the only way to do it is to qualify today,” said Smeraglio of CNGC’s bid to take both of the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Team championships. “The club has great camaraderie. LedgeRock will be fun. The Team Championship is always a great day and it’s great to be there.”

  It will be Commonwealth’s second Team Championship appearance. It finished second in 2007.

  Two clubs, Jericho National GC and RiverCrest GC & Preserve, will be making their first Team Championship final appearance.

  Jericho used a splendid 3-under-par 67 by youngster Zachary Herr, the day’s low round, to advance.

  Herr, who is only 14 years old, was playing the venerable Aronimink for the first time. He registered five birdies and two bogeys.

  “It’s great, but I can’t even play in the final,” said Herr, who recently was named a recipient of the 2009 Presidents’ Youth Leadership Award by the United States Golf Association and American Junior Golf Association. “It’s the same time as the [Golf Association of Philadelphia’s] Junior Boys’ Championship.”

  Herr birdied No. 6 (par 4, 392 yards) with a sand wedge he hit to three feet; No. 8 (par 3, 214 yards) with a 5-iron to 15 feet; No. 9 (par 5, 550 yard) on a chip-in after stopping 20 feet short of the green; No. 11 (par 4, 401 yards) on an 80-yard Lob Wedge he knocked to three feet and No. 18 (par 4, 420 yards) when he drained a 40 footer after being just short of the green.

  Herr, a Newtown, Pa., resident, will head to Council Rock North next year.

  Said Wayne Bartolacci, who has been a member at Jericho since the club’s inception, “This is great for the club. We have a good group of guys and some great young players. This will definitely give the club a greater sense of unity and pride.”

  RiverCrest appeared to be on the outside looking in until Tim Westfall, competing in one of the last group’s to finish, posted a 3-over-par 73 to bring his team’s total down from a 307 to a 301.

  Overbrook, a 14-time Team Championship winner, is in search of its first crown since 2005.

  The Team Championship final will consist of eight-man teams playing an alternate shot format in the morning, with singles matches in the afternoon.

  NOTES-Play was suspended for 1:13 minutes beginning at 2:45 p.m.

  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 134 Member Clubs and 56,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The purpose of the Association is simple: To promote, protect and preserve the game of golf in the region.

Four of six scores used in total.

The Overbrook GC and Philadelphia Cricket Club tiebreaker was eventually decided by using the sixth player’s score.